To place a judgment lien, you or your attorney file an abstract of judgment (AJ) in any county where the defendant owns nonexempt property. You can file a "partial release of homestead lien affidavit" in the County records.This will likely satisfy the title company. This State Bar of Texas manual walks practitioners through the entire process of debt collection. To remove an existing unpaid lien from your property, you must first pay the underlying tax bill. A judgment lien lasts for ten years. As of 2017, the three major credit reporting agenciesEquifax, Experian, and TransUnionno longer include civil judgments on credit reports. An abstract of judgment must be filed in every county where the debtor owns land in order to fix a judgment lien against land in that county. Judgments usually mark the end of a debt lawsuit in favor of either you or a creditor. In Texas, judgment liens can remain attached to your property for up to 10 years.