Real estate title glossary
What is code enforcement lien?
Definition
A code enforcement lien is a lien a city or county records for unpaid fines or costs after a property was found in violation of building, housing or zoning codes.
Fines can accrue daily until the violation is fixed, and in some states the lien attaches to the violator's other property too. Many are cleared by fixing the violation and paying a reduced amount.
How it shows up in a title search
These liens are recorded in the land records in some places and kept only by the municipality in others; a search notes where it looked.
Guides that go deeper
- Florida Municipal Lien Search: Code Liens, Utility Liens, Assessments and Open PermitsA Florida municipal lien search checks city and county records for code fines, utility charges, special assessments and open permits that a deed search can miss.
- NYC HPD and DOB Violations: What They Mean for a BuyerHPD grades violations A, B, C and I. DOB issues violations and OATH summonses in classes 1-3. Open violations run with the building, not the seller.
- Lien on a House: What It Means for Owners and Buyers, and How It Gets RemovedA lien on a house is a creditor's legal claim against it. Learn the main types, how a lien affects selling and refinancing, and how liens are released.
Related terms
Source: Legal Information Institute, Wex: lien. Plain-English summary of general US usage; state law varies, and this is not legal advice.