A child support order that has become a money judgment can be recorded as a lien against real property owned by the paying parent. That lien attaches to the property and must be paid before the property can be sold or refinanced.
How to Record a Lien
In California, a child support judgment can be recorded in any county where the paying parent owns real property. The lien attaches automatically in that county. When the paying parent eventually sells or refinances the property, the title company will require the lien to be paid in full at closing. For paying parents with equity in real estate, this is one of the most reliable enforcement mechanisms available.
The lien earns 10% interest per year while it sits on the property. A $25,000 child support lien on a house the paying parent plans to keep for years is growing at $2,500 per year. The custodial parent doesn’t need to do anything — the lien enforces itself at the moment of sale.
The California Child Support Recovery System gives custodial parents the exact tools, templates, and step-by-step guidance to enforce support orders, calculate arrears, and use every enforcement mechanism available — without paying an attorney to get started. Request your free evaluation here.
California Child Support Recovery System 
Leave a comment