
With the Abstract of Judgment, the skeletons of a property’s title may come out of the closet.
By Lydia Blair
Special Contributor
Judgment Day in the title business is when the title search comes in and the skeletons in the closet come out. These types of skeletons often come in the form of an Abstract of Judgment. Most law abiding folks aren’t familiar with an abstract of judgment or how it affects real estate. But we see it in the title business regularly.
In Texas, an Abstract of Judgement (AJ) is basically a lien that is filed on a property for an unpaid debt. First a judgment for debt is rendered and then the creditor may file an Abstract of Judgment on the debtor’s property. It is designed to prevent the transfer of that property until the judgment has been paid.