Each state has its own legal process for these actions. Strict compliance with the law is necessary.You can't pay bills with a judgment: How to turn a court victory into a judgment lien, and use it to collect from your customer's property. A judgment becomes a lien on real property for a period of 10 years. S.D. Codified Laws § 15-16-7. If you've learned there's a court judgment against you, act right away. Judgment enforcement time limits vary. You need to take a certified transcript of the judgment to the the clerk of the Circuit Court in Greene County. In Arizona, a property lien can be used to collect a court judgment. Here's how it works.