| Joint Tenancy - Property held by two or more persons together with the right of survivorship. While the doctrine of survivorship has been abolished with respect to most joint tenancies in North Carolina, the tenancy by the entirety retains the doctrine of survivorship in all its vigor. |
| Judgment - The decision or sentence of a court of law as the result of proceedings instituted therein for the redress of an injury. A judgment declaring that one individual is indebted to another individual when properly docketed creates a lien on the real property of the judgment debtor. |
| Judgment Creditor - One who has obtained a judgment against his/her debtor. The judgment creditor can enforce his/her judgment by execution. |
| Judgment Debtor - One against whom a judgment has been obtained. |
| Judgment Lien - A general lien on all property owned or subsequently acquired by the judgment debtor in the county where the lien is filed (docketed). The lien lasts for ten years after docketing. |
| Junior Mortgage - A mortgage lower in lien priority than a previous mortgage. |
| Jurisdiction - The authority by which judicial officers take cognizance and decide causes. |
