How to Find All Liens On a Property in Just 1 Minute

Editor’s Note: This article was updated on July 13, 2023.

Whether you’re in the process of buying property, mediating a sale on behalf of your client, or investing in distressed properties, you’ll need to perform a thorough lien search before moving forward with your closing. In fact, you should run an exhaustive lien search even before making your initial offer if you want to steer clear of properties with a history of liens or to use liens as leverage during negotiations.

Fortunately, you no longer need to spend valuable time at your local county recorder, clerk, or assessor’s office; hire a title company; or wait for creditors to be involved to find out if there are liens on your property of interest. That’s because technology has simplified how to look up liens on a property, and knowing how to check for liens on a property online will significantly reduce your time spent researching them.

If you want to know how to find out if a house has a lien, how to find delinquent property tax lists, or simply how to search for liens on a property, there’s a quick and effortless way to uncover all liens attached to a property. And, you can do all of that and become proficient in how to find liens on a property in just one minute with PropertyShark.

Perform Your Property Lien Search in 4 Quick Steps

If you want how to find out how to look up liens on a property in a matter of minutes, simply follow these steps:

1. Go to the PropertyShark homepage and type in the property address in the search bar.
2. The property report will appear in just a second or two. Then, simply select the “Documents” tab at the top of the page.
3. Next, scroll down to find the dedicated “Liens” section containing all liens attached to the property. Here, you’ll find all liens filed against that property — be they tax liens, mortgage liens, mechanic’s liens and more — going back as far as 1985. You’ll also immediately see whether any liens are active, the creditor, the lien type, and amount, as well as their effective and expiration dates.
4. For additional information, click on the plus (+) sign in the “Details” column to expand each entry and discover the name of the debtor and the lien’s index number, which can help determine whether two entries with the same debtor are distinct liens.
5. That’s it! Now you know to how to find liens on a property in just one minute. If you don’t have a an account yet, you’ll only need two extra minutes to sign up for a PropertyShark account.

What Type of Liens Can You Find on PropertyShark?

Liens function as tools that help protect the interests of creditors; contractors; co-op or homeowners’ associations; utility companies; tax authorities; environmental organizations; and government associations. There can even be spousal and child support liens attached to a property.

If you’re performing a title search for a New York property, PropertyShark can help you find any type of encumbrances:

• Mortgage liens, also known as lis pendens or pre-foreclosures, are issued against properties that are behind on their mortgage payments. You can explore our dedicated section for all NYC pre-foreclosures.
• Judgment liens are issued when the owner loses a lawsuit and receives a judgment for monetary compensation.
• Tax liens are issued for unpaid property taxes and can include federal, state, municipal and IRS estate tax liens.
• Mechanic’s liens are also known as contractor liens and are filed by contractors and suppliers when they have not been paid or not paid in full.
• Building code violation liens are issued when a property owner fails to comply with local building codes and also fails to satisfy penalties and violation.
• Common charge liens are also known as HOA liens and are filed by the association or management of the community for unpaid common expenses.
• Other, less frequent types of liens include environmental liens; spousal or child support liens; and more.

Why Checking for Liens is a Crucial Part of Your Buying Process

• Saves Time & Unnecessary Hassle

If there’s a lien on a property you’re interested in, creditors will likely step in if it remains unsatisfied before you move to finish your closing. Notably, the revenue generated by the sale of property with a lien attached to it is typically used to pay off the lien, but things can get complicated if the owed amount exceeds the value of the property. Therefore, performing a thorough lien search before investing time and resources into an asset might just save you or your client a great deal of time and unnecessary hassle.

• Protects Your Investment From Financial Liability

Should you close on a property with outstanding debt in the form of undisclosed liens, you can easily be held liable for them as the new owner and, consequently, be forced to settle the debt and associated costs.

• Clears Up Title Issues

If your efforts on how to find liens on a property have uncovered outstanding liens, these can potentially create title issues and lead to inaccuracies and blurred lines regarding ownership. This can then affect not only the marketability of your chosen property, but also may even lead to partial or full loss of ownership rights.

• Can Be Used as Leverage When Negotiating

Discovering liens prior to making an offer gives you an advantage heading into negotiations. That’s because it’s easier to negotiate with an owner who is eager to sell the property to pay off a debt.

• Identifies a Potentially Irresponsible Owner or Manager

Liens on a property can be a sign that property maintenance and repairs have not been up to par throughout the years. Generally, if an owner is struggling financially or is simply financially irresponsible, proper maintenance of the property is often neglected. The same goes for apartment buildings: Liens can also indicate that the building’s owner or management might not have had the funds to properly maintain it or simply decided to ignore issues.

• Pinpoints Hidden Problems That Threaten the Property’s Value

Multiple mortgage-related liens can lead to a drop in property values in the surrounding area. Although one or two in an area likely won’t do any consistent damage, neighborhoods with large numbers of liens can quickly become distressed areas, thereby leading to lower property prices.

Prevents the Ability to Borrow Against the Property

If you find yourself needing to sell the property or simply want to extract yourself from a complicated situation, outstanding liens will affect the sale price, which may result in financial losses. If there’s a lien on a property, it can also make it significantly more difficult to refinance it.

Conclusions

Overall, conducting a lien search is a crucial step in the buying process to protect your investment, ensure clear ownership rights, avoid financial liabilities and facilitate a smooth transaction. As such, it’s highly recommended that you learn how to check if a property has a lien, especially because the exact process and available resources may vary depending on the jurisdiction. Moreover, to ensure maximum accuracy and a smooth investment process, you may also want to employ a qualified real estate specialist (like a real estate attorney or title search specialist) to provide expert guidance.

Disclaimer

Information provided on this page is purely informational. It is not and should not be regarded as investment advice.

 Note: A different version of this article was featured in BrickUnderground in 2013.