If your judgment is against a business, you can record a lien with the Secretary of State's office. To do this, fill out a JL-1.Generally, judgments expire after ten years. La Code Civ. Proc. Ann. art. 3501. 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 knowledgeable Orange County debt settlement attorney can have the lien taken off, possibly without payment to the creditor. You can put a lien on that property so that if they ever sell or refinance the property you might get paid. To do this, you first need an Abstract of Judgment. Have a California Judgment. How can I record a lien on real property in Florida and New York?