What is my best route to collect money owed to me.

Sounds like you’ve got a breach of contract on your hands.  However, you can’t just go putting liens on property.  You’ll need to sue (unless the contract specifies arbitration or a mediation first) in county court.  Of course, I don’t have all of the facts so I can’t say with any confidence the strength of your case.  That said, the contract is the key here.  I would say it is time to sit down with a business litigation attorney to review the contracts and discuss all of the facts.  With that, the attorney will be able to give you a better idea of the nature and strength of a potential suit as well as the process and potential costs.  Also, you mention that the contract specifies that in a default (breach), the business (or the personal guarantor) is obligated to pay legal fees.  This means that if you are successful in obtaining a judgment, the Court will award you legal fees in addition to the $10,000.  From there, you will have to take the necessary steps to turn the judgment into payment.