I'm a landlord who fell into the trap of renting my home to a friend. We entered into a year long rental agreement, but the person abandoned my property without notice; within a month of the agreement and left without making the first payment.

How do I go about placing a lean on this person?:mad:

To clarify, you cannot place a lien on a person - only on property.

When you say "lien" (which is normally a security instrument to ensure payment of a debt) you likely mean "writ of execution" (or whatever local phrase applies). A writ of execution is an enforcement remedy available to a party that succeeds in obtaining a judgment against another.

In order to obtain a judgment you must first commence a legal proceeding against your friend.

Before filing any lawsuit keep in mind that you have a legal obligation to mitigate your damages. To wit, you must try to re-rent your property as quickly as reasonably possible as opposed to letting it sit vacant for a year.