Essentially, consensual liens don't adversely affect your credit as long as repayment terms are satisfied. Judgment and most statutory liens have a negative impact on your credit score and report, which affect your ability to obtain financing in the future.
Most judgments (the court order saying what you're owed) expire in 10 years. This means you can't collect on it after 10 years. To avoid this, you can ask the court to renew it. A renewal lasts 10 years.
Following a first mortgage foreclosure, all junior liens (including a second mortgage and any junior judgment liens) are extinguished, and the liens are removed from the property's title.
If they are not timely renewed, they expire. In CA that is 10 years. However, when a judgment lien has been recorded against your property, it has no expiration date. This means that it is possible to no longer have a judgment against you, but still have a judgment lien on your property.
If you put liens on the other side's property, you or the other side must remove them. To remove a lien, file a certified copy of the Acknowledgment of Satisfaction of Judgment (form EJ-100) with each county recorder's office where you put the lien on their property.
A lien foreclosure action is a lawsuit to foreclose the mechanics lien. The lien claimant must file a lien foreclosure action within 90 days of the date that he or she recorded the mechanics lien. Often a lien claimant with a valid claim will fail to follow through, making the lien invalid.
If you put liens on the other side's property, you or the other side must remove them. To remove a lien, file a certified copy of the Acknowledgment of Satisfaction of Judgment (form EJ-100) with each county recorder's office where you put the lien on their property.