Lien

A legal claim on a property that acts as a security for the payment of a debt. If the debt is not repaid as agreed, the lender or the lien holder can foreclose its claim on the property and force a public sale to pay the debt. You cannot sell the property without paying off the creditor. This is because the lien makes the "title" (history of ownership) cloudy and a new owner will not buy under those conditions.

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