A judgment lien is a lien placed on a person's real property after a court rules against them in a lawsuit and the winning party records the judgment with the county, attaching it to whatever property that person owns there. It can attach to a house even when the lawsuit had nothing to do with the property itself.
Why it matters
A lawsuit you lost years ago and forgot about can still show up on a title search and hold up your closing.
General information, not legal or tax advice.