Oregon Statutes 18.150 – Judgment liens in circuit courts
(1) If a judgment document filed with a court administrator under ORS § 18.075 (2) includes a money award and complies with ORS § 18.042 (1) or 18.048 (1), the court administrator shall note in the register of a circuit court that the judgment creates a judgment lien unless:
Terms Used In Oregon Statutes 18.150
- Bankruptcy: Refers to statutes and judicial proceedings involving persons or businesses that cannot pay their debts and seek the assistance of the court in getting a fresh start. Under the protection of the bankruptcy court, debtors may discharge their debts, perhaps by paying a portion of each debt. Bankruptcy judges preside over these proceedings.
- Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
- Court administrator: means a trial court administrator in a circuit court that has a trial court administrator and the clerk of the court in all other courts. See Oregon Statutes 18.005
- Criminal action: has the meaning given in ORS § 131. See Oregon Statutes 18.005
- Judgment: means the concluding decision of a court on one or more requests for relief in one or more actions, as reflected in a judgment document. See Oregon Statutes 18.005
- Judgment document: means a writing in the form provided by ORS § 18. See Oregon Statutes 18.005
- Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
- Money award: means a judgment or portion of a judgment that requires the payment of money. See Oregon Statutes 18.005
- Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
- Support arrearage lien: means a lien that attaches to real property under the provisions of ORS § 18. See Oregon Statutes 18.005
- Support award: means a money award or agency order that requires the payment of child or spousal support. See Oregon Statutes 18.005
(a) The judgment is entered in the small claims department of a circuit court in an amount of less than $3,000, exclusive of costs, and the judgment creditor has not created a judgment lien for the judgment as provided in ORS § 46.488;
(b) The judgment is entered in a criminal action for conviction of a violation, and the court does not order under ORS § 18.048 (4) that the judgment creates a judgment lien;
(c) The judgment is entered under ORS § 153.820; or
(d) The judgment does not create a lien by operation of other law.
(2) Except as provided in this section, if the court administrator notes in the register that a judgment creates a judgment lien, the judgment has the following effect in the county in which the judgment is entered:
(a) When the judgment is entered, the judgment lien attaches to all real property of the judgment debtor in the county at that time; and
(b) The judgment lien attaches to all real property that the judgment debtor acquires in the county at any time after the judgment is entered and before the judgment lien expires.
(3) Except as provided in this section, if the court administrator notes in the register that a judgment creates a judgment lien and the judgment contains a support award, the support award portion of the judgment has the following effect in the county in which the judgment is entered:
(a) Any lump sum support award existing when the judgment is entered creates a support arrearage lien and has the effect specified by subsection (2) of this section;
(b) When an installment becomes due under the terms of the support award and is not paid, a support arrearage lien for the unpaid installment attaches to all real property of the judgment debtor in the county at that time; and
(c) When an installment becomes due under the terms of the support award and is not paid, a support arrearage lien attaches to all real property that the judgment debtor thereafter acquires in the county for the purpose of enforcing the unpaid installment, and remains attached to that property until satisfaction is made for the installment or the judgment lien arising from support award portion of the judgment expires.
(4) Real property may be conveyed or encumbered free of a judgment lien created by the support award portion of a judgment, but the conveyance or encumbrance is subject to any support arrearage lien that attached to the real property under this section or ORS § 18.152.
(5) A judgment lien does not attach to any real property of a judgment debtor acquired after the debt giving rise to the judgment is discharged under federal bankruptcy laws. Debts are presumed to have not been discharged in bankruptcy until the judgment debtor establishes that the debt has been discharged.
(6) A court administrator may rely on the judgment document to determine whether a judgment creates a judgment lien.
(7) This section does not apply to justice courts, municipal courts or county courts performing judicial functions. [2003 c.576 § 14; 2005 c.568 § 19]