any official claim or charge against property or funds for payment of a debt or
an amount owed for services rendered. A lien is usually a formal document signed
by the party to whom money is owed and sometimes by the debtor who agrees to the
amount due. A lien carries with it the right to sell property, if necessary, to
obtain the money. A mortgage or a deed of trust is a form of lien, and any lien
against real property must be recorded with the County Recorder to be enforceable,
including an abstract of judgment which turns a judgment into a lien against the
judgment debtor's property. There are numerous types of liens including a mechanic's
lien against the real property upon which a workman, contractor or supplier has
provided work or materials, an attorney's lien for fees to be paid from funds recovered
by his/her efforts, a medical lien for medical bills to be paid from funds recovered
for an injury, a landlord's lien against a tenant's property for unpaid rent or
damages, a tax lien to enforce the government's claim of unpaid taxes, or the security
agreement (UCC-1) authorized by the Uniform Commercial Code. Most liens are enforceable
in the order in which they were recorded or filed (in the case of security agreements),
except tax liens, which have priority over the private citizen's claim.
See also abstract of judgment deed of trust equitable lien judgment debtor landlord's
lien mechanic's lien mortgage
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