 TITLE: What Is a Lien? CONTENT: What Happens if I Don't Pay a Lien?\n-----------------------------------\nIf a debt obligation goes unpaid for long enough, you risk losing the property the lien applies to. An unpaid mortgage lien, for instance, can result in foreclosure if you do not satisfy the outstanding debts. Once paid, individual liens will be removed from your property. If left unpaid, creditors can choose to move forward with a foreclosure, which would force the sale of the property and pay all lienholders from the proceeds of the sale (if there is enough to satisfy all of the lien amounts).\nIn many cases, non-mortgage lien foreclosures are rare, but still possible. In most scenarios, the creditor who filed the lien will have to wait until you sell the home or refinance, at which point the lienholders will be entitled to what they are owed.\nIt's possible, however, that a foreclosure won't fully cover all outstanding debts. Any creditors still owed after the foreclosure process may still go after outstanding balances, and liens can be transferred to other property, or property the debtor owns in the future. END