600.6051. A Judgment lien attaches to all property owned by the judgment debtor in the county where it is recorded. It attaches at the time it is recorded with the register of deeds, except for after-acquired property, when it attaches at the time it is acquired by the judgment debtor. 600.2803.
Judgment liens may simply be filed and recorded by an attorney. There is no personal confrontation with the defendant and no personal property is seized. Service of the judgment lien on the judgment debtor is by certified mail if the judgment is less than $25,000.
Record the Claim of Lien in the County Register of Deeds where the Owner's property is located, within 90 calendar days after last labor or material. Serve a copy of the recorded Claim of Lien on the Owner's Designee within 15 days from date of recording by certified mail or personal delivery.
A judgment creditor can file a lien with the court 22 days after the judgment is entered against the debtor, provided that the debtor has not appealed or moved to set the judgment aside. The lien is then sent to the register of deeds for recording in the county where the debtor lives.
(1) Unless subsection (2) or (3) applies, a judgment lien expires 5 years after the date it is recorded. (2) Unless subsection (3) applies, if a judgment lien is rerecorded under subsection (4), the judgment lien expires 5 years after the date it is rerecorded.
Judgments have expiration dates. 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.
Collect Before the Judgment Expires A judgment from a Small Claims case expires six years after it is issued. Most other judgments in Michigan expire 10 years after they are issued. You can renew a judgment before it expires by filing a motion to renew a judgment.
A judgment lien expires after 5 years from the date it is recorded but may be rerecorded once for another period of 5 years not less than 120 days before the expiration of the initial judgment. Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.2809.