Judgment Liens on Property in Georgia

You went to court and got a money judgment that says you're entitled to money from the party you sued, now called a "judgment debtor." What comes next? How can you—the judgment creditor—collect the money you're due? That's the focus of this article.

One way to collect is by putting judgment liens on the judgment debtor's Georgia property. After a quick review of how judgment liens differ from judgments, we'll turn our attention to the specifics of Georgia law. In particular, we cover:

• the kinds of property subject to Georgia judgment liens
• how you put judgment liens on Georgia property
• how long your judgment lien lasts, and how you can renew it, and
• what you must do to turn your judgment lien into money.

If you want some background information, here's more about how court judgments are collected.

What's the Difference Between a Judgment and a Judgment Lien?

A money judgment is a court order that says a judgment creditor is legally entitled to a sum of money from a judgment debtor. But a judgment, standing alone, isn't self-enforcing. That is, you can't take a judgment to your county sheriff's office and demand that the judgment debtor's real estate be sold to pay you.

If you want to seize and sell the judgment debtor's property, you first have to attach your judgment to specific items of property. That's what a judgment lien does. As we'll see below, once you take the correct steps to record your judgment, it becomes a lien against the judgment debtor's property. At that point, you can look for ways to turn your judgment into cold, hard cash.

Kinds of Property Subject to Georgia Judgment Liens

In Georgia, you can attach judgment liens to both real estate—land, buildings, and other improvements—and personal property like cars, artwork, antiques, electronics, and more.

When you properly record a real estate lien, it attaches to real property:

• the debtor presently owns, and
• the debtor acquires later, as long as your judgment lien remains valid.

Like all states, Georgia exempts some property—both real and personal—from the reach of creditors. A few examples include:

• up to $21,500 worth of property used as a home
• motor vehicles, to a total value of $5,000
• low-value household goods, furnishings, clothing, animals, and crops, to a total value of $5,000, and
• jewelry worth not more than $500.

How to Attach Judgment Liens in Georgia

Here's an overview of the procedures for attaching judgment liens to real property and personal property in Georgia. In order for your lien to attach, it's essential that you follow the correct steps.

Real Estate Judgment Liens

Under Georgia law, you create a real estate judgment lien by recording your judgment in the county where the judgment debtor's real estate is located. To do that in the county of the court that issued your judgment, you:

• request a writ of execution—called a "writ of fieri facias" (a "fi fa writ" for short)—from the clerk of the court that issued the judgment, and
• ask that the fi fa writ be recorded in the court clerk's general execution docket.

To record in a county other than the one that issued your judgment, you still must get a fi fa writ from the court that issued the judgment. Take the writ and a copy of the judgment to the clerk of the court in the county where you want to record your lien, and ask the court clerk to record it. You can record a fi fa writ in as many counties as you like.

Each clerk's office will charge a small recording fee.

When there's more than one judgment lien recorded against a property, payment priority is determined by the chronological order of the fi fa writs.

Personal Property Judgment Liens

A fi fa writ generally attaches a judgment lien to the debtor's personal property in the county where the writ is recorded. But if you want to put a lien on property that has to be titled, like motor vehicles, you've got more work to do.

For instance, to record a judgment lien against an auto, you'll have to complete Department of Revenue Form T-53A, attach a certified copy of the fi fa writ, and submit the form with the necessary filing fee. A similar process applies when recording a lien against a Georgia watercraft, with the state's Department of Natural Resources.

How Long Does Your Georgia Judgment Last?

A Georgia judgment becomes dormant—meaning it's unenforceable—seven years after it's issued. Georgia law lets you renew a judgment before it goes dormant, and you also have an opportunity to revive a dormant judgment.

Renewal Prior to Dormancy

You can renew your judgment up to six months before it becomes dormant by:

• having the sheriff for the county that issued the fi fa writ record it as "nulla bona," meaning there were no assets available to satisfy the writ, then
• re-recording the nulla bona fi fa writ on the court clerk's general execution document in the county where the judgment was issued.

Reviving a Dormant Judgment

What happens if you don't renew your judgment before seven years is up? That's not necessarily the end of the story. Once a judgment becomes dormant, Georgia law provides for a three-year revival window.

To revive a dormant judgment, you must:

• file a special motion—called a "writ of scire facias"—with the court that issued the judgment, asking that it be renewed, and
• notify the judgment debtor, in writing, that you've asked the court to revive it.

Check with the court clerk's office (online or in person) about forms you can use and local procedures you'll need to follow.

How Do You Turn a Georgia Judgment Lien Into Money?

In general, there are three ways you can try to collect on a Georgia judgment lien:

• negotiate a settlement
• wait for the judgment debtor to sell or refinance the property, or
• execute on the fi fa writ.

Negotiate a Settlement

This is likely to be your best choice. No, you probably won't get all money you're entitled to, but that's the nature of a settlement. You'll collect faster, and more inexpensively, than via the other two options.

Wait for the Judgment Debtor to Sell or Refinance

Most often, a buyer or lender will insist on clear title, free of all liens, meaning the judgment debtor will have to approach you to negotiate a deal. Only now, you've probably got more negotiating leverage. As long as you're willing to sit tight and wait, this too is a low-cost, low-stress way to collect.

Execute on the Fi Fa Writ

Executing on the writ means having the sheriff sell the property at auction. This might seem like a tempting option. But before you head down this path, check with the court clerk or the county sheriff to find out about the legwork and costs that are involved. In addition, find out who's ahead of you in payment priority, or you might discover—too late—that the net execution proceeds aren't enough to pay you in full (or at all).

Lastly, be aware that this step might be just the push the judgment debtor needs to declare bankruptcy. Should that happen, you're likely to be standing in a long, very unhappy line of creditors with little chance of getting paid.

Next Steps

Want to have a look at Georgia's judgment lien laws? You'll find them at Ga. Code Tit. 9, Ch. 12, Art. 4 (2025).

We've covered the basics, but of course, the devil's in the details. After reviewing Georgia's statutes, you might decide that your best option is to get help collecting your judgment. An experienced Georgia creditor's rights or collection attorney can answer your questions and help you chart a collection path that gives you the best chance to maximize your recovery.