Prior to filing a lien, a lienor who does not have a direct contract with the owner, must serve the owner with a Notice to Owner. The Notice to Owner must state the lienor's name and address, and a description of the real property and the nature of the services or materials being furnished.
In theory, property liens aren't hard to find. They're on public record so they can even be located online via a state agency system, or by contacting the county records office where the notice is filed.
To attach a lien, the creditor must record the judgment with the county recorder in any Florida county where the debtor owns real estate now or may own real estate in future. For liens on personal property, the creditor files the judgment with the Florida Department of State.
Section 713.08 of the Florida Statutes, provides the proper form and specific requirements to complete the claim of lien document such as: name and address of lienor, statement of labor and materials provided, description of the property, name of property owner, lien amount, proof of service and the proper warning to ...
A creditor must file and be approved for a property lien through a county records office. Different states may have their own processes for lien filing. Often, the creditor will notify the debtor of the lien.
The lien is good for 10 years, but the creditor can renew the judgment before it expires for another 10 years, meaning the lien will survive for a maximum of 20 years. The good news is that because of Florida's homestead protections, a judgment lien cannot attach to homestead property.
A lien is valid for one year, unless a lienor files a lawsuit to enforce the lien prior to the expiration of the year. An owner has a right to file a Notice of Contest of Lien during the one-year period. Upon the filing of a Notice of Contest of Lien, a lienor must file a lawsuit to enforce the lien within 60 days.
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. Consensual liens (that are repaid) won't adversely affect your credit, while judgment and (most) statutory liens have a negative impact on your credit score and report.
Presently there is a Florida statute that limits judgment liens to 20 years,3 and there is a Florida statute that limits “actions” on certain judgments to 20 years and other judgments to five years.
A lien is a legal claim on personal property up to the amount of past-due child support. Personal property does not include land or real estate.