(a) If a judgment lien on real property has been created under a money judgment that is thereafter modified as to its amount, an abstract of the modified judgment or a certified copy of the order modifying the judgment may be recorded in the same manner as an abstract of judgment or a certified copy of the judgment is recorded to create a judgment lien.
§ 697.360.Lien Created Under Judgment Thereafter Modified
Title 9. Enforcement of Judgments · Division 2 · Chapter 2. Liens · Article 2. Judgment Lien on Real Property · Last amended 1996 · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 697.360 lets a modified judgment's abstract or modification order be recorded the same way as the original judgment, keeps a lien reduced by modification bound to the lower amount automatically, ties a lien increased by modification to the original amount until the modification is recorded, and gives support-lien increases immediate effect without a new recording, subject to related support-obligor duties.
Full Text of § 697.360
(b) If a judgment lien on real property has been created under a money judgment that is thereafter modified to reduce its amount, the judgment lien continues under the terms of the judgment as modified, whether or not the modification is recorded as provided in subdivision (a).
(c) If a judgment lien on real property has been created under a money judgment that is thereafter modified to increase its amount, the judgment lien continues under the terms of the original judgment until such time as the modification is recorded as provided in subdivision (a). Upon such recording, the judgment lien extends to the judgment as modified, but the priority for the additional amount under the judgment as modified dates from the time the modification is recorded.
(d) Notwithstanding subdivision (c), if a judgment lien on real property has been created under a money judgment, by recording of an abstract of support judgment under paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 697.320, and the support order is thereafter modified to increase its amount, the judgment lien extends to the judgment as modified without the need for recording of another abstract of support judgment, but the priority for the additional amount under the judgment dates from the time the modification is effective.
(e) A support obligee shall respond in a timely manner to (1) a title or escrow company request for a demand statement needed to close an escrow relating to a support judgment lien, or (2) a support obligor who claims an error exists in the amount of alleged arrears.
Plain-English Summary
Judgments sometimes change after a lien already exists on them, and § 697.360 works out what happens to the lien when they do. Subdivision (a) supplies the mechanism: an abstract of the modified judgment, or a certified copy of the modification order, can be recorded the same way the original judgment was recorded to create the lien.
What happens without recording differs depending on the direction of the change. Subdivision (b) says a modification that reduces the judgment amount takes effect on the lien on its own -- the lien continues under the reduced terms whether or not anyone records the modification. Subdivision (c) treats an increase differently: the lien stays capped at the original judgment amount until the modification gets recorded, and even then, the additional amount's priority only dates from the recording, not from the original judgment date.
Subdivision (d) carves out support judgment liens created under § 697.320(a)(1) from that recording requirement for increases -- an increased support order extends to the lien without a new recording, though the priority for the added amount dates from when the modification became effective. Subdivisions (e) and (f) add related duties: a support obligee must respond promptly to certain demand requests tied to closing an escrow, and a support obligor following the procedure in Division 5 (commencing with § 724.010) gets the remedies that division provides.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens to a judgment lien if the underlying judgment amount is reduced?
Section 697.360(b) says the lien continues under the reduced amount on its own, whether or not the modification is recorded.
What if the judgment amount is increased instead?
Subdivision (c) keeps the lien at the original amount until the modification is recorded; once recorded, the lien extends to the new amount but the added portion's priority dates only from the recording.
Does an increased support order need to be recorded to affect the lien?
No. Subdivision (d) extends a support lien created under § 697.320(a)(1) to a modified, higher support amount without a new recording, with priority for the increase dating from when the modification took effect.
Amendment History
Amended by Stats. 1995, Ch. 583, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1996.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
the Deering's California Codes Annotated / vLex. Enacted by the California Legislature.
Last verified July 28, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: modified judgment lien californiasupport judgment lien increase california