HomeBlogPersonal FinanceHow to Sell a House With a Lien in Florissant, MO Share on Like what you see? Share with a friend. How to Sell a House With a Lien in Florissant, MO Chris Kirshenboim | February 3, 2019 Last updated August 10, 2026 Most people hear the word lien and assume the house is stuck. It is not. Title companies clear liens every day, and you can sell a house with a lien in Missouri as long as the debt is paid out of the proceeds at closing. The lien is a claim against the property, so it follows the property until it is satisfied, which is why the closing agent handles it rather than you writing a check up front. What matters is the size of the claim relative to your equity, so order a title search early and let nothing surprise you at the table. A house lien in Florissant usually comes from one of a few places: unpaid property taxes, a contractor who was never paid, a judgment from a creditor, or an unreleased second mortgage from years ago that nobody recorded as satisfied. That last one is more common than you would think and it is often the easiest to clear. If the payoff exceeds what the house is worth, you still have options, including a negotiated release. Our team buys Florissant houses as-is and is used to messy title. Read how we buy houses, then call and tell us what the lien is. No pressure, and we will say plainly if listing gets you more. We Buy Houses In Florissant, Missouri. If you have a lien on your MO property, you may feel as though you have a weight on your shoulders. The good news is that if you own a house that the lien is attached to, you have some options! Chris Buys Homes in St. Louis are legitimate homebuyers in Missouri who are dedicated to helping you with all of your real estate needs no matter what is going on in the world. We are here to help you get through it through our local home buying service where we can pay cash for houses in Florissant. Learn more about how to sell a property with liens in our latest post. This post will help you understand How To Sell A House With Liens In Florissant, MO. What Is A Lien In Florissant? According to Investopedia: “A lien is a legal right granted by the owner of the property, by law or otherwise acquired by a creditor. A lien serves to guarantee an underlying obligation, such as the repayment of a loan. If the underlying obligation is not satisfied, the creditor may be able to seize the asset that is the subject of the lien.” That’s a very technical definition. An easier way to say this is that a lien allows a creditor to lock down the property of a borrower so the borrower cannot sell the property without paying back the debt. Types Of Liens Used In Missouri Mechanics lien: commonly used by contractors, repairmen, painters, do work on your home and are not paid, they can put this type of lien in place to secure payment. Judgment lien: if you are sued by a creditor and there is a monetary judgment filed against you, the creditor can file this type of lien on your home until the debt is repaid. Tax lien: This can come from not paying any state or federal taxes. Most commonly a lien is placed on the house by local government because of unpaid property taxes. Why Do You Get Liens On Your MO Property? A lien can be filed against you by a creditor any time there is unpaid debt. One can even be filed in the case of unpaid alimony or child support. If payments aren’t being made as directed by the court, the receiving party can file a lien against the owing party's property. Check The Title To Your Property In Florissant, Missouri Check out the county assessor website to search for liens on your property. The attorney/title company will check for liens at the time of sale, but you want to be prepared before that. It is not uncommon to find a lien in your name you weren’t aware of. It might have been put in your name erroneously or filed without your knowledge. You don’t want to be surprised when you decide to sell. To check liens on property located in St. Louis County, MO, visit the county assessor’s website: http://revenue.stlouisco.com/IAS/. Effects On Your Credit In Florissant, Missouri Liens can stay on your credit reports for up to ten years. Even if the liens are paid off, there can still be derogatories that linger on your report for several years. This will affect your ability to rent an apartment/house, buy a car, or get other types of credit. How To Fix Liens On Your Missouri Property If you have a lien on your house then there is a debt that needs to be repaid. If you don’t have the money to pay off the lien you may be able to work out a repayment plan with the creditor. Many people will accept repayment upon the sale of the property. Other creditors will demand payment before the property is sold. Talk to an attorney if your situation is complicated or if you are unsure about what to do to satisfy a lien. Sell My House In Florissant, MO A great way to sell a house with liens is to sell it to a direct buyer. Many Missouri home buyers will opt to take financial responsibility for the lien, thus enabling you to sell the property. Chris Buys Homes in St. Louis will help you pay off your lien and purchase your home for cash. We can help with liens or any other difficult challenges you are facing when trying to sell your house in St. Louis. Selling your home in Florissant, MO? Fill out this form here or give us a call at (314) 334-1481 for a fair cash offer! FAQs Frequently Asked Questions Who pays off the lien when the house sells? + The payoff comes out of the sale proceeds at closing and the title company handles it. You do not need to clear the debt beforehand, and the released amount simply reduces what you walk away with. What if the liens are worth more than the house? + That happens, and it is not the end of the road. Creditors will sometimes accept a reduced payoff to close out a file, and a title company can open that conversation on your behalf before closing. How long does a lien search take in St. Louis County? + A standard title search usually comes back within a week, sometimes faster. Older Florissant properties with unreleased mortgages from previous decades can add a few days while the release is tracked down.
