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.A judgment lien is a courtsanctioned claim imposed on a debtor's property when they lose a case and owe money to the plaintiff. A judgment lien in California will remain attached to the debtor's property (even if the property changes hands) for ten years. 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. Prepare an Abstract of Judgment to place a lien on real estate and enforce debt payment with our step-by-step guides.