Abstract of Judgment

A judgment lien is a court order, by the Clerk of the Court that entitles the creditor to create a lien against the judgment debtor’s real or personal property

Abstract of Judgment

An abstract of judgment is a court order which is issued by the clerk of the court and entitles the creditor to create a lien against the judgment debtor’s real property.

The abstract of judgment must be filed with the county recorder’s office in the county(s) where the creditor placed the lien. By recording an abstract of judgment with the county recorder, a creditor obtains a lien against any property owned by the debtor in that county.

Because abstracts of judgment are relatively inexpensive (at least when compared to other enforcement devices), it is recommended to record abstracts of judgment in the county where the debtor currently resides, and any county where the debtor is believed to own property, and all contiguous counties.

If the creditor knows the debtor’s social security number or driver’s license number, this information should be included on the abstract of judgment. If a creditor has such information (or if such information is in the judgment creditor’s files) and it is not included on the abstract, the abstract is void. More often than not, judgments are satisfied when the debtor sells or purchases any real property in the county where your lien is recorded.