Every such judgment shall be a lien thereupon to commence as provided in RCW 4.56. In Washington, a property lien can be used to collect a court judgment.Here's how it works. The court must order and direct the clerk to make and enter an order for the sale of the real property against which judgment is made. The foreclosure process on real property is initiated when any one tax, assessment, fee or lien becomes a full three years delinquent. Nonjudicial foreclosures happen without court supervision. Washington law sets out the specifics of what steps the bank needs to complete. A judgment lien essentially secures the amount of a judgment issued in a lawsuit to a specific piece of property which is in most cases real estate. Washington State Lien Law Summary- Who may have a lien in Washington State? What is a lien law against?