Perfect Law and Legal Definition
Perfect is subject to different meanings, but in the context of real estate, it refers to the act of making complete or taking all required steps to obtain a result, such as obtaining a lien or other security by legal action or completing and filing all documents to present a case to a court of appeals. It is often used to refer to the filing of a lien with the appropriate entity responsible for land records, such as the county recorder's office. A mechanic's lien for labor and/or materials used to improve real property is "perfected" by filing a lawsuit and obtaining a judgment that the lien attaches to the property.
If a creditor has liens against him/her by more than one person, the person who has perfected their lien will get priority over a lien that is not perfected. State law varies, but the lien created by the statutory framework must be perfected and preserved within the time period set forth in the statutes.
