I didn’t realize the process was so anquidated. I’m in San Diego county which I guess is “new” by American standards as most development happened after the 50s. The property records including liens freely available online. And a very special feature - email reports if the title for a property has a lien added. But… the whole website feels 10 years old so I presumed that would be a more normal thing people have access to across the country

To my understanding this is why title insurance exists (and, indeed, is why it's required in many cases). The lien will still exist but nominally you can make a claim against your title insurer to recoup your loss.

That said, insurance isn't always the easiest to get a disbursement from, especially if you don't have the money for a good lawyer, or if ownership of your most valuable assest is the thing in question.