ORS 52.635: Liens based on justice court judgment.

(1) After a judgment that includes a money award is docketed in a justice court, a certified copy of the judgment or a lien record abstract for the judgment may be recorded in the County Clerk Lien Record for the county that contains the justice court that rendered the judgment. The certified copy or lien record abstract may be recorded by the judgment creditor or by the agent of the judgment creditor at any time after the judgment is rendered and before the judgment expires under ORS 18.194 or is fully satisfied. From the time the certified copy of the judgment or the lien record abstract is recorded in the County Clerk Lien Record, the judgment is a lien upon the real property of the defendant in the county. (2) In lieu of recording a certified copy of a judgment or a lien record abstract for a judgment under subsection (1) of this section, a judgment that includes a money award rendered by a justice court in a civil action may be transcribed to the circuit court for the county that contains the justice court that rendered the judgment. The judgment may be transcribed by the filing of a certified transcript of the judgment with the clerk of the circuit court. The transcript must contain a copy of all the docket entries made in the case and the judgment as rendered by the justice court, certified to be a true and correct transcript from the original entries by the justice court. Upon filing of the certified transcript, the clerk shall enter the transcribed judgment in the register of the circuit court and in the judgment lien record. The clerk shall note in the register that the transcribed judgment creates a judgment lien. A judgment in a criminal action may not be transcribed to circuit court under the provisions of this subsection. (3) A certified copy of a judgment docketed in a justice court, or a lien record abstract for the judgment, may be recorded in any County Clerk Lien Record. The judgment or lien record abstract may be recorded in a county other than the county that contains the justice court that rendered the judgment without transcribing the justice court judgment to the circuit court for the county that contains the justice court that rendered the judgment, or recording a certified copy of the judgment or a lien record abstract for the judgment in the County Clerk Lien Record for the county that contains the justice court. If the judgment has been transcribed to circuit court, or a certified copy of the judgment or a lien record abstract for the judgment has been recorded in any County Clerk Lien Record, a lien record abstract for the judgment in the form provided by ORS 18.170 may be recorded in the County Clerk Lien Record for any other county. From the time the certified copy of the judgment or lien record abstract for the judgment is recorded in the County Clerk Lien Record of another county, the judgment is a lien upon the real property of the defendant in that county. (4) A certified copy of a certificate of extension filed under ORS 18.194, or a lien record abstract for the certificate of extension, may be transcribed to circuit court or recorded in a County Clerk Lien Record in the same manner as provided for judgments under this section and with like effect. (5) The transcribing of a justice court judgment to circuit court under this section, or the recording of a certified copy of a justice court judgment or a lien record abstract under this section, does not extend the lien of the judgment more than 10 years from the original entry of the judgment in the justice court. (6) The fee for filing a transcript with the clerk of the circuit court under subsection (2) of this section shall be as provided in ORS 21.235 (1). The fee for recording a certified copy of a justice court judgment or a lien record abstract under this section shall be as provided in ORS 205.320. (7) A justice court and circuit court may enter into an agreement to allow for electronic transcription of justice court judgments under this section. A justice court and county clerk may enter into an agreement to allow for electronic recording of judgments and lien record abstracts under this section. [1999 c.788 §4 (enacted in lieu of 52.630); 2003 c.576 §96; 2003 c.737 §§80,81; 2007 c.339 §12; 2011 c.595 §120] Sec. 62. (1) The repeal of ORS 52.630 by section 3 of this 1999 Act does not affect any judgment docketed in a circuit court under the provisions of ORS 52.630 (1997 Edition) before the effective date of this 1999 Act [October 23, 1999]. (2) Any judgment rendered by a justice court before the effective date of this 1999 Act that was not docketed in the circuit court under the provisions of ORS 52.630 (1997 Edition) before the effective date of this 1999 Act may become a lien on real property only in the manner provided by section 4 of this 1999 Act [52.635]. Any judgment rendered in a justice court on or after the effective date of this 1999 Act may become a lien on real property only in the manner provided by section 4 of this 1999 Act. [1999 c.788 §62(1),(2)]