Property law topic 'LIEN' is a legal right that allows a creditor to have a claim on the property of a debtor as security for a debt. A LIEN is a form of security interest granted over an item of property to secure the payment of a debt or performance of some other obligation. It is a type of encumbrance on property, and can be created by a contract between two parties, or imposed by law. A LIEN may be enforced through court action, but it does not necessarily involve seizing the property itself. Instead, it gives the holder of the LIEN the right to have the property sold in order to satisfy the debt.