Suppose the ex-husband of the woman you bought the house from was subject to such a decree, but he had given her a quitclaim deed to the property conveying ownership to her but not mentioning his lien. The ex might still have a right to extract his equity from it. In that case the title insurer might disclaim responsibility because the lien isn't filed in the land records. Likewise, if you bought a home with your spouse but later got divorced, your own divorce decree might give your ex a lien on the home for half the proceeds. That lien can hinder your ability to sell the home if your ex refuses to release it.
Community association liens.
At the closing, often the title company or lender will receive a certificate of payment from the association to assure that this is not the case. Unpaid child support . Some states slap a lien on the property of divorced parents who fail to pay child support. That lien would have to be paid off before the property could be sold. In many cases the lien is tied to each child-support payment, so the property can be sold if the parent is current in his or her payments.