A lien is a creditor’s legal right or claim to your property. The purpose of a lien is to hold a property item — it doesn’t have to be a house — as collateral for a loan or debt. If you don’t pay off ...

Amy Fontinelle is a freelance writer, researcher and editor who brings a journalistic approach to personal finance content. Since 2004, she has worked with lenders, real estate agents, consultants, ...

Julia Kagan is a financial/consumer journalist and former senior editor, personal finance, of Investopedia. Khadija Khartit is a strategy, investment, and funding expert, and an educator of fintech ...

A property lien can be either general or specific and voluntary or involuntary. A mortgage lien is a specific, voluntary lien. The priority of the liens on a property determines which debt will be ...

A mortgage lien is a mortgage lender’s legal right to take legal possession of your home if you fail to pay your debt — a process known as foreclosure. This claim makes your home the collateral that ...