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.
Court judgments in California are public records that can significantly impact credit scores and financial opportunities by acting as property liens, and they can be renewed indefinitely beyond their initial 10-year lifespan.
Judgments, which are detrimental to your credit rating, typically remain on your credit report for seven years. In California, however, judgments can be enforced for up to ten years and then renewed ad infinitum as soon as five years after that. CCP §§ 683.010 – 683.220.
Tells all parties in a case that a lien is created against any judgment or settlement in the case by a judgment or order in another case.
An involuntary lien can occur without your knowledge, depending on the circumstances. A creditor often places a judgment lien after suing you and winning the case.
A state income tax lien is an example of a general lien because it can attach to all property of the debtor. In contrast, mortgage liens, real estate tax liens, and mechanic's liens are specific to certain assets.
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.
Once a Notice of State Tax Lien is recorded or filed against you, the lien: Becomes public record. Attaches to any California real or personal property you currently own or may acquire in the future. Is effective for at least 10 years (may be extended)
Write the name and last known address of the judgment debtor in the space provided. You may also include any known aliases used by the judgment debtor. Fill in the last 4 digits of the judgment debtor's driver license number and state where it was issued, if you know them.
In other words, in California judgments expire 10 years from the date they are entered by the court. Upon expiration of the 10-year period, all enforcement procedures must cease; any liens based upon the judgment are automatically extinguished.