Liens against property, typically one's home, should be recorded on your deed and property ownership file at the office of your local county clerk or recorder of deeds. Call your county clerk's office and arrange a convenient time to review your file. It is a "public record," so there should be no problem in doing this. County offices are usually open weekdays, except holidays. If this is inconvenient, inquire about alternative arrangements.

As for checking your credit file, depending on the lienholder, a lien may or may not show up on your credit report. Liens from an institution (e.g., bank) would probably be more likely to be recorded than liens from an individual (e.g., home contractor). Remember, too, that different credit reporting agencies have different data on file, depending on who reports to them.

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