As you search for a title loan you may see the term “lien free title” as a requirement for a title loan. This is a common requirement. So, what is a lien?
A lien is a security interest placed on a piece of property, in this case a vehicle, by a lender.
Other Vehicle Lien Types
There several other types of liens that can be placed on vehicles including:
- Mechanic Liens
- Storage Liens
- Insurance Liens
Mechanics Liens
A mechanic can place a lien on a vehicle should you take the vehicle to a mechanic, have it repaired, and fail to fully pay for a repair. To cover their costs the mechanic can place a mechanic’s lien in the vehicle.
Storage Liens
A storage lot or towing company may place a lien on a vehicle. These usually occur when you either get in a car accident and have the vehicle towed and stored.
These can also occur if you park your vehicle in a no parking zone, at a store parking lot for longer than a day, or any other reason where the vehicle is towed and stored. If you fail to pay the cost associated with towing and storage, the company may place a storage lien on the vehicle to recover their costs.
Second Liens
A second lien is when an additional lender records a lien on a vehicle title when there is an existing lien for a loan that is not fully satisfied. While second lien title loans are possible, they are rare. It is much easier to simply repay the original loan prior to getting a title loan.