Every institution or other residential service maintained in whole or in part by State or county funds, which provides inpatient care, supervision and treatment for persons with developmental disabilities, shall have a lien against the property of a person receiving functional services from that institution or service for the total cost of the care and maintenance of the person in the institution at the per capita cost rate of maintenance fixed in accordance with law. The lien shall also attach to the real and personal property of any person chargeable by law with the support and maintenance of the person and against whom a court of competent jurisdiction has entered an order directing the person to pay all or a part of the cost of maintaining the person in an institution, provided that the amount of the lien shall not exceed the amount of maintenance required to be paid by the order of court. The lien shall also attach to the real and personal property of any person chargeable by law with the support and maintenance of the person pursuant to subsection b. of R.S. 30:4-60, but the amount of the lien shall not exceed the amount of maintenance to be paid. Liens under this section, when properly filed as set forth herein, shall have priority over all unrecorded encumbrances and shall be at the rate to be determined as provided in Title 30 of the Revised Statutes.
N.J.S. § 30:4-80.1