What does it mean when there is a lien against an account at the bank?
Liens may be applied against a deposit account when someone is enforcing a judgment, such as was discussed in this question, Enforcing a Judgment. A lien means that someone is trying to collect these funds to compensate them for money owed by the account owner. The funds are on hold and may not be used. This could be someone who was sued and lost the case or by a taxing authority.
The first step the account owner should make is to contact their attorney so that the entity seeking the funds may be contacted. It may be that these funds will be taken, or that alternative payment arrangements could be made. In the meantime, checks and scheduled debits from the account will be returned, unpaid.
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Liens may be applied against a 