An abstract makes the money judgment public record and is recorded at the specified county’s Hall of Records. You want to record the abstract in the county where you know the tenant has some kind of interest such as the county they live in, neighboring counties, or a county where the tenant may be the owner of some property. The abstract will put a lien on any of the tenant’s real property they may have at the present time or may acquire in the future. The abstract will usually show up on the tenant’s credit any time they apply for a loan of some sort, try to acquire some sort of property, or try to refinance an existing loan or property. Credit agencies such as TRW/Experian and Equifax usually report any judgments and/or abstracts. Generally speaking the abstract is an annoyance to the tenant, and tenants tend to take care of paying off the judgment because they are usually unable to obtain any credit. (see Collections)