Guide to Lien Records Search

When you are looking into buying a new piece or property or a business, you should always do a business lien search, a property lien search and a federal tax lien search to make sure the asset you are acquiring is not encumbered by debt.

Creditors use liens as a legal claim to a debtor’s property as security or payment for an unpaid debt. When it comes to finding information about a lien, public record laws make lien records subject to inspection by the public. Each state has its own laws governing various types of liens, including home liens and business liens. Liens are recorded with the county clerk at the local level where the property or business is located. Fortunately, many county clerks allow you to view and download lien records online, in some cases for free. You can also find federal tax lien records for free through the court clerks.

To conduct lien public record searches or a property lien search you will need the following:

1. The correct property address.
   
2. Corporation name and names of its corporate officers.
3. Property folio numbers.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Track down the county clerk where the property or business lien records are located

In order to do a lien records search, you first have to know the county where the lien is recorded.

I recommend: One easy way to find lien records is to subscribe to Westlaw.com, an online service that has a database that allows you to search for liens and civil judgments against individuals and businesses in 50 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and Guam.

Be wary of fee-based lien search websites

There are many web-sites that offer access to public lien records, but only a few provide reliable lien searches.

I recommend: Intellus has an online database that charges users a reasonable fee for solid and accurate lien searches.

Use credit reporting agencies to find lien records

In addition to credit history, the three major credit reporting agencies can also provide you with access to lien records.

I recommend: Experian has a fabulous data search engine that you can used to gather information. It is updated every day and reports on county, state and federal tax liens.

Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• Use the lien records as a means to negotiate a better sale price.
• Do not acquire the business or property if the liens represent too much of a liability.
• Force the seller to pay off the liens as part of the closing costs.

The official source of Lien Records Search is the Lien Records Search page at Business.com