An abstract of judgment is a written summary of a court’s judgment (final decision made by the judge or jury) that reflects how much the party who lost a lawsuit (the judgment debtor) owes the party who won the lawsuit (the judgment creditor)—including the rate of interest owed on the amount of the judgment until it is paid, the amount of court costs, and possibly the amount of the judgment creditor’s attorney fees the judgment debtor must pay as part of the judgment.

An abstract of judgment is usually filed in the county records and serves as notice of a lien or claim on any real estate (real property) owned or acquired by the judgment debtor in that county. If the judgment debtor does not pay the judgment, the judgment creditor may be able to force a sheriff’s sale of any real property in the county owned by the judgment debtor, with some or all of the proceeds of the sale being used to pay the judgment.

In Iowa, an abstract of judgment is a formal summary of a court's final decision in a lawsuit, which outlines the amount owed by the judgment debtor to the judgment creditor. This document includes details such as the principal amount of the judgment, interest rates, court costs, and potentially the attorney fees that the judgment debtor is required to pay. Once the abstract of judgment is filed with the county recorder's office, it creates a lien on any real property owned by the judgment debtor within that county. This serves as a public notice of the creditor's claim against the debtor's property. If the judgment debtor fails to satisfy the judgment, the judgment creditor may initiate a sheriff's sale of the debtor's real property located in the county. The proceeds from such a sale may be used to pay off the judgment. It's important to note that certain exemptions may apply, protecting some of the debtor's property from being sold to satisfy the judgment.