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Selling a Home With a Lien

Selling a home is already a complicated process. But when you throw in dealing with a lien, it can get downright stressful. While having a lien against your property is no fun to deal with, the good news is that there are steps you can take to clear the lien before you sell. Here’s what you need to know.

What is a lien?

Simply put, a lien allows someone to take possession of your property if debt to them remains unpaid. When you put your home up for sale, a title search will be conducted on your property. Think of it as a background check to see if anyone has a legal claim on your property before you sell. Sometimes the title search will uncover issues such as liens against your title, which you will have to deal with before you can close.

Common types of liens

Liens are obtained through the court system and prevent the sale of a home until the lien is paid. If the lien remains unpaid, that person (or entity) can take possession of the home in order to pay off the debt. The most common types of liens include:

How to clear the lien

While dealing with a lien while selling isn’t a walk in the park, it can be resolved so that you can close on the home. There are four main ways to settle the lien, they include:

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