A judgment lien arises when a court rules you owe a debt, allowing the creditor to claim your nonexempt property until the debt is paid. You'll file paperwork with the court, the judge will review your evidence, and then decide if you get a lien or not.6.2 Satisfaction of Money Judgment Where Judgment Creditor Cannot Be Found. To find out the fee for filing a transcript of judgment, click on court fees. The judgment then becomes a realty lien in that county. A court may direct the sale of the property and the distribution of the proceeds between the spouses in such proportions as it deems fair in the circumstances. Liens are possible anytime somebody has a legal right to somebody else's property. In most states, the judgment creditor must record the lien via a county or state filing. A judgment lien may be placed on the house a debtor owns. For example, our organization has set up more asset protection trusts in the Cook Islands than any such company in the world.