Specific lien

Key Takeaways

• A specific lien attaches to one identified parcel, so it stays with that property and does not reach the owner's other holdings.
• Mortgages and deeds of trust, property tax liens, special assessment liens, and construction liens are the standard specific liens.
• A specific lien can be voluntary, such as a deed of trust the buyer signs, or involuntary, such as a construction lien a subcontractor records.
• In Washington, a property tax lien outranks a recorded mortgage or judgment no matter which was recorded first (RCW 84.60.010).

What It Means

A specific lien is a money claim tied to one named piece of real estate. The creditor's security is that parcel and only that parcel, so if the debt goes unpaid the remedy runs against the property itself. An owner with three other buildings does not put those at risk because a lien landed on the first one.

The category cuts across the voluntary and involuntary divide, which is where students lose points. A deed of trust is a specific lien the owner agreed to when borrowing the purchase money. A construction lien is a specific lien a roofer records without asking, because the labor and materials went into that building. A property tax lien is one the county receives by statute. All three point at a single legal description.

Specific liens are the reason a title search is parcel-based. The examiner hunts for every claim recorded against that legal description, because those are the claims a buyer would take subject to. A specific lien is an Encumbrance that survives a sale unless it is paid, released, or foreclosed, which is why these get cleared at closing rather than left for the new owner.

How It Works in Washington

Washington ranks specific liens by statute, not only by recording date. RCW 84.60.010 declares taxes a lien on the real and personal property assessed, and gives that lien priority to and full satisfaction before any recognizance, mortgage, judgment, debt, obligation, or responsibility the property may become charged with. A first-position Deed Of Trust recorded in 2019 still sits behind the current year's property taxes.

Construction liens run on tight clocks under chapter 60.04 RCW. The claimant records the claim of lien in the county where the property is located not later than 90 days after that person has ceased to furnish labor, professional services, materials, or equipment (RCW 60.04.091). Once recorded, the lien binds the property for eight calendar months, and it stops binding at that point unless the claimant files a Foreclosure action in the superior court of that county within the eight months and serves the owner within 90 days of filing (RCW 60.04.141).

For a listing broker those two rules collapse into one habit. Ask a seller who has done recent work whether every contractor and supplier has been paid in full, because a lien can still be recorded months after the work is finished and it will land on the title commitment.

Example

The Okonkwos own a rental house in Yakima. In 2025 they hire a general contractor for a $54,000 remodel and pay that contractor in full, but the general never pays the drywall subcontractor $8,600. The sub last worked on the house March 14, 2026 and records a claim of lien against that parcel on May 20, 2026, which is 67 days later and inside the 90-day window.

The Okonkwos also own a duplex across town. The drywall lien does not touch the duplex, because a specific lien reaches only the parcel where the work was done. They list the rental in July and it sells for $415,000. The title commitment shows three specific liens on that parcel: a $228,000 deed of trust, $2,410 in property taxes, and the $8,600 construction lien. Escrow pays all three from the sale proceeds and the sellers keep the rest. Priority would only decide the outcome if the proceeds fell short, and in that case the taxes come ahead of the deed of trust under RCW 84.60.010.

Common Mistakes and Exam Traps

• Voluntary versus involuntary is a separate axis from specific versus general. A mortgage is voluntary and specific, a construction lien is involuntary and specific, and a judgment lien is involuntary and general.
• Property taxes are sometimes called general assessment taxes, but the lien is specific because it attaches to the assessed parcel.
• Recording first does not always win. A Washington property tax lien takes priority over an earlier recorded mortgage or judgment under RCW 84.60.010.
• Doing the work does not create a construction lien. The claim of lien has to be recorded within 90 days of the claimant's last labor or materials, and it stops binding the property eight calendar months later unless a foreclosure action is filed.