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HomeGovernment CodeDiv. 2Pt. 1Ch. 6Art. 2§ 54355 Property Lien Enforcement

§ 54355 Property Lien Enforcement

Government Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 54355 Property Lien Enforcement

Key Takeaways

  • •If you don't pay certain charges (like fees or fines), the government can put a lien on your property. This means they can take money from selling your property to pay what you owe.
  • •The government must record a list of unpaid charges with the county to start this process. This list must include how much you owe, what the money is for, and which property is affected.
  • •You have one year to pay what you owe (plus any extra fees) to remove the lien from your property.
  • •Small mistakes (like being off by $1 or less) in the amount you owe won’t cancel the lien.

Example

Imagine you own a house, and you forget to pay a $500 fee for trash pickup for a whole year. The city adds a $50 penalty because it's late.

The city can record a list with the county saying you owe $550. This list puts a lien on your house. If you don’t pay within a year, the city could eventually force a sale of your house to get the $550. Even if the city accidentally writes $549 instead of $550, the lien still counts because the mistake is only $1.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 54355 Property Lien Enforcement

The lien provided by Section 54354 shall attach when the treasurer or other officer whose duty it is to collect the charge records a list of delinquent unpaid charges and penalties thereon with the county recorder, stating the amount of each charge and the penalty thereon, a description of the real property upon which the same is a lien and the name of the local agency to which the same is payable. Such lien shall have the same force, effect, priority and duration as to the property described as would the lien of an abstract of a judgment against the owner of the real property at the time such list is recorded and may be enforced in like manner. Property may be discharged from the lien within one year from the date of recording by the payment of all delinquent charges plus penalties. A list of all such delinquent charges shall be recorded at least every six months, but no delay or informality in recording the same shall invalidate the lien or any unpaid charge or any subsequent act or proceeding. If through error or otherwise the amount of any unpaid charge plus penalties thereon as stated in said list shall be incorrect, said error shall be disregarded and shall not affect or invalidate the filing if said error is one dollar ($1) or less. (Amended by Stats. 1956, 1st Ex. Sess., Ch. 23.)

Last verified: January 22, 2026

Key Terms

judgmentdutypropertylienpenaltyfinerefinancedescription

Related Statutes

  • § 27282 Recordable Documents Without Acknowledgment
  • § 7170 Tax Lien Property Attachment
  • § 12531 Mortgage Settlement Fund Allocation
  • § 27248 Judgment Abstract Index Requirements
  • § 27255 Conservation Easement Indexing

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Government Code. Section 54355.
View Official Source