Paid Up

Judgment lien · Checked October 23, 2026

Judgment lien: get paid when they sell or refinance

General information, not legal advice. Ask a lawyer before you act on it.

A judgment lien is a claim on the other side's real estate that has to be paid when the property is sold or refinanced. You make one by recording the judgment, or a one-page summary of it called an abstract, with the county where they own property.

Where
The county where they own real estate
What you record
An abstract or a certified copy
Lasts
10 years in TX and FL, renewable

Work out your dates

Nothing you enter leaves this page or is saved.

The steps

  1. California: Abstract of Judgment. EJ-001

    Take form EJ-001 to the small claims clerk to be certified (about $40), then record it at the county recorder in each county where they own real estate. Source

  2. Texas: Abstract of Judgment.

    The justice court issues it. File it with the county clerk where they own real estate; the lien lasts 10 years. A homestead is generally exempt. Source

  3. Florida: record a certified copy.

    Record it in the Official Records of the county. It is a lien for 10 years from recording and can be extended 10 more by re-recording with an affidavit. Source

  4. New York City: docket a transcript.

    To reach real property, a transcript of the judgment is docketed with the county clerk where the property is. Source

A worked example

In Texas, an abstract recorded November 2, 2026 makes a lien in that county through November 2, 2036. If they sell or refinance a house there before then, the title company will ask for your judgment to be paid from the proceeds. It does nothing in a county where you did not record it, so record in each county where they own property.

Fees and forms change, and your court's clerk has the current ones. General information, not legal advice. Ask a lawyer before you act on it.

Ask once, in writing

Before the court steps, most winners send a letter asking for payment by a date. Fill one in and print it; nothing you type leaves this page.

Make the payment letter

Questions people ask next

Does a lien get me paid now?

Usually not. It waits for a sale or refinance. California's page notes you can foreclose on a lien in some cases, not for consumer debt, and only with enough equity and no homestead exemption.

What if they buy property later?

In Florida the recorded judgment is a lien on real property owned then or acquired later in that county. In Texas the abstract reaches property they own or may own later in the county where it is recorded.

Does it cover cars or bank accounts?

No. A real estate lien covers real estate. Bank accounts and wages take a writ.

Your state's full steps

California Texas Florida New York

Related guides

Abstract of Judgment in California Small Claims Abstract of Judgment in Texas Justice Court Florida Judgment Lien After Small Claims Renew a Small Claims Judgment Before It Expires, by State

Sources

Checked on October 23, 2026 against these pages.