How to ensure repayment of house payments for a friend who is selling her home

Full question:

I have made 3 mortgage payments for a friend who is selling her house. What form should I complete, such as a lien, to ensure payment at the closing of the sale of the house?

  • Category: Real Property
  • Subcategory: Liens
  • Date:
  • State: National

Answer:

A judgment lien is obtained after a loan has gone unpaid and a person sues and wins a judgment based on the loan contract. After winning the judgment, the creditor can use the judgment to place a lien of the property. However, secured creditors, such as a mortgage company, will come ahead of an unsecured creditor in the collection line when property is sold to satisfy a debt.

I am unable to provide legal advice, such as recommending a particular form. Personal loans are commonly made with a promissory note. The note may be secured or unsecured. If it is secured, that means there is property, called collateral, that may be taken to satisfy the debt if the debtor fails to make timely payment. A mortgage loan is a typical example of a secured loan, secured by the property the loan is made to acquire, which may be sold if the debtor defaults on the mortgage. A promissory note may also contain a cognovit or confessed judgment provision that has the debtor agree to waive any defenses if the matter
goes to court.

This content is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Legal statutes mentioned reflect the law at the time the content was written and may no longer be current. Always verify the latest version of the law before relying on it.

FAQs

A voluntary lien is a legal claim against a property that the property owner agrees to, usually in exchange for a loan. A common example is a mortgage, where the borrower grants the lender a lien on the property as collateral for the loan. This means if the borrower fails to make payments, the lender can foreclose on the property.