A judgment lien remains in force for up to 10 years from the date the abstract was recorded. Note, importantly, that if a judgment goes dormant (see below), any judgment lien based upon that judgment is extinguished. You can revive a dormant judgment, but then you'll have to get new judgment liens.
To file a lien claim, you will need: Property owner's name (or company name) and mailing address. Project address and the county where it is located. The amount owed for each month you performed the work that remains unpaid. A brief description of the work you performed.
Once a court judgment is entered against you, creditors can access powerful debt collection tools they weren't previously able to use, like wage garnishment. In many cases, this means they can begin collection efforts right away. This could include garnishing your wages, freezing your bank account, or seizing property.
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Generally, to file a judgment lien, an abstract of judgment must be issued by the justice court. Some justice courts have a form available on their website to request an abstract of judgment.
DURATION OF LIEN. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a judgment lien continues for 10 years following the date of recording and indexing the abstract, except that if the judgment becomes dormant during that period the lien ceases to exist.
Do judgments expire in Texas? Judgments awarded in Texas to a non-government creditor are generally valid for ten years but can be renewed for longer. If a judgment is not renewed, it will become dormant. A creditor can request to revive a dormant judgment to continue to try and collect the debt.
A Texas judgment is valid for ten years from the date it is signed by the judge.
§52.006(b) --TEX. PROPERTY CODE §52.006(B): STATE OF TEXAS JUDGMENT LIEN EXPIRES 20 YEARS AFTER FILING IN THE COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE. ANOTHER 20 YEARS HAVING PRIORITY BACK TO FILING-DATE OF PRIOR JUDGMENT LIEN. YEARS APPLIES TO ALL STATE OF TEXAS JUDGMENT LIENS NOT EXPIRED UNDER PRIOR LAW AS OF 4/23/07.