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. An abstract of judgment is a document that you record to create a lien on any interest in real property your judgment debtor owns. Before beginning foreclosure, the lender must conduct a title search to identify liens and other encumbrances that affect title to the real property. Sister state judgmentsmust first obtain California judgment and then record abstract of. California judgment. 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.