Selling a House With a Child Support Lien in Florida
3 min read · Last updated 2026-08-03 · Reviewed by Camilo Palacio, Licensed Florida Real Estate Professional (License #3280644, REALTOR®)
Cash Flow Deals is one option for a Florida seller whose property carries a recorded child support judgment lien. Under Florida Statutes Section 55.10, a recorded judgment creates a lien that can last up to 20 years once renewed, capped by Section 55.081. That balance has to be paid or satisfied out of sale proceeds before clear title passes, and Cash Flow Deals builds the payoff into the closing instead of leaving the seller to sort it out alone.
| Factor | Traditional Listing | Cash Flow Deals |
|---|---|---|
| Timeline | Title search reveals the recorded judgment lien; buyer's lender requires payoff or satisfaction of record before funding, adding time to negotiate the payoff amount. | Payoff or satisfaction of the lien built into the closing timeline from the start. |
| Repairs | Seller pays for repairs or the price gets renegotiated after inspection, on top of the lien payoff. | Net price locked before repairs are scoped. Structural exception clause applies. |
| Fees / Costs | Commission (negotiable since the 2024 NAR Sitzer/Burnett settlement, effective Aug 17, 2024), buyer-agent compensation, closing costs, plus the lien payoff or negotiated release amount. | One line-item fee on the closing statement through Silver Door Realty; lien payoff comes out of sale proceeds at closing. |
How a Child Support Lien Attaches to a Florida House
When a Florida court enters a judgment for unpaid child support, that judgment becomes a lien on any real property the paying parent owns once a certified copy is recorded in the county's official records, under Florida Statutes Section 55.10. The lien attaches to whatever property the debtor holds in that county at the time of recording, and it stays attached even if the property later transfers, unless the lien is paid or satisfied first. A title search on any Florida property will surface a recorded child support lien the same way it surfaces a mortgage or a judgment.
How Long a Recorded Child Support Lien Stays on Title
A judgment recorded against real property in Florida, including a child support arrears judgment, creates a lien under Florida Statutes Section 55.10: an initial 10-year period from the date of recording, renewable once for an additional 10 years if the creditor rerecords the judgment and files an updated affidavit before the first period runs out. Florida Statutes Section 55.081 caps the total lien life at 20 years from the date the judgment was entered, the same ceiling that applies to any recorded judgment on real property, not something unique to child support debt. That still means a child support arrears balance from years ago can sit on a property's title long after a seller assumes an old debt has expired, especially if the creditor renewed it. A seller who hasn't looked at their own title history in a while can be surprised by a lien that's still fully enforceable. Cash Flow Deals checks for exactly this kind of long-dated lien before locking a net price, not after.
Cash Flow Deals' Process for a Sale With a Recorded Child Support Lien
Cash Flow Deals is a Florida real estate investor that locks in a net price for a seller's house before repairs are scoped, using a novation-based, flat-fee process arranged through its licensed FL brokerage partner, Silver Door Realty — not a traditional listing, and not a brokerage itself. Cash Flow Deals' process for a child-support-lien sale: 1. Request your net-price walkthrough and tell Cash Flow Deals about any recorded child support judgment against you. 2. Cash Flow Deals works with the closing agent to pull the current payoff or satisfaction figure from the clerk of court or the state child support program. 3. The buyer's own lender funds the purchase and title transfers once, directly from seller to buyer, once the lien payoff is confirmed. 4. The lien balance is paid out of sale proceeds at the closing table and the seller keeps the net price that was locked at the start.
What It Takes to Clear the Lien Off Title Before Closing
Clearing a child support lien usually means the closing agent requests a current payoff figure, confirms whether interest or additional arrears have accrued since the judgment was entered, and gets a satisfaction of judgment recorded once the balance is paid from sale proceeds. Because the amount owed can change between the original judgment and the closing date, sellers should request a fresh payoff figure close to the closing date rather than relying on an old number. This is a title and payoff mechanics question, and a seller with a complicated support history should also confirm their standing with a Florida family law attorney.
Repairs and the Locked Price Still Hold Even With a Lien on Title
A recorded child support lien is a title issue, not a property-condition issue, and it doesn't change how repairs get handled. The one exception: if something structural surfaces that was not visible or disclosed before we signed — foundation issues, hidden moisture, old wiring, cast-iron drain failure — we re-cost it and bring the number back to you. You decide. You can walk away. We disclose what we know at offer time so this almost never happens. Outside that exception, the net price locked at the start of the process is the number that shows up at the closing table, lien payoff and all.
Common questions
Can I sell my house if I have a child support lien on it?
Yes. The lien has to be paid or satisfied out of sale proceeds before clear title transfers, but it doesn't block you from putting the house under contract.
How long does a child support lien stay on my property?
Up to 20 years from the date the judgment was entered, under Florida Statutes Section 55.10 and the cap in Section 55.081, the same maximum that applies to any judgment lien recorded against real property in Florida. The lienholder has to rerecord the judgment and file an updated affidavit before the initial 10-year period runs out to get the additional 10 years.
What if the payoff amount has changed since the judgment was entered?
Request a current figure from the clerk of court or the state child support program close to your closing date. Old judgment amounts often don't reflect accrued interest or partial payments.
Does the lien affect what I owe in repairs?
No. A recorded lien is a title matter, separate from the property's condition. Cash Flow Deals locks the net price before repairs are scoped regardless of what liens show up on title.