Tax Lien Lawyers in Richmond County

In Richmond County, Georgia, a "lien" is a security interest placed on a piece of property, typically land or a house, to secure the payment of a debt. It usually gives a creditor the right to take ownership of any equity that exists in the property, to secure the payment of the debt. If the owner sells the property, the creditor may also be entitled to the proceeds of the sale, up to the amount owed. It can also give the holder of the lien a higher priority status, giving them an advantage over competing creditors, if the debtor files bankruptcy.

In Richmond County, Georgia, a "tax lien" is simply a lien imposed by the government to gather back taxes from a person or corporation, when other methods for collecting have failed.

However, like any other debt-collection method, a tax lien is worthless if the debtor has no substantial property on which a lien can be imposed. To get around this limitation, most tax liens in Richmond County, Georgia apply to after-acquired property (property obtained after the lien was created). Most other liens only apply to particular pieces of property, or property that the debtor owned at the time the lien went into effect.

Tax Lien Procedure in Richmond County, Georgia

The process of imposing a tax lien on property in Richmond County, Georgia is typically fairly simple. The first step is for the IRS or local tax agency to determine that a person truly owes back taxes, and that it is worth the effort to impose a lien.

They will then mail a document called a "notice and demand," which lets the taxpayer know that they owe money on their taxes, and that they have a given period of time (typically 10 days) to pay what they owe.

If the deadline passes without payment, most tax liens in Georgia take effect automatically, giving the tax collectors all of the rights in your property that any other lien holder would have.

However, if the federal government does not seek to enforce a tax lien in Richmond County, Georgia within 10 years of imposing it, federal law dictates that the lien automatically expires. This is effectively a statute of limitations on a tax lien, meant to encourage the federal government to collect its taxes in a reasonable period of time, and ensure that property is not encumbered by a lien forever.

How Can a Richmond County, Georgia Tax Lien Lawyer Help?

If you end up having a tax lien imposed on your property in Georgia, you will probably have to deal with some fairly challenging legal issues, which might be confusing to a layperson.

Thankfully for you, tax lawyers in Richmond County, Georgia are experts at dealing with matters such as these, and can make sure your rights are protected, and advise you on the best way to proceed, if you are facing the prospect of a tax lien.