Filing a Lien at the County Clerk's Office A Judgment Creditor can make their City Court Judgment more powerful by filing their judgment in the County Clerk's Office. This is accomplished by the Judgment Creditor requesting a "Transcript of Judgment" from the City Court Clerk.
2809. (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.
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.
First, if no lawsuit is filed within a year, the homeowner can obtain a certificate from the circuit court clerk confirming that no lawsuit has been filed and the lien is removed by recording the clerk certificate with the register of deeds. The second way is through a bonding-off process.
The easiest procedure is to file a motion for summary judgment in lieu of complaint. That sets up a summary procedure that is designed to determine whether defendant received proper service of legal papers in the out-of-state case and that granting recognition to the judgment doesn't violate NY public policy.