Tax Lien Lawyers in East Hampton

In East Hampton, Connecticut, a "lien" is a security interest placed on a piece of property, usually land or a house, to secure the payment of a debt. It generally 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 funds 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.

A "tax lien," then, is a lien held by the government to collect a tax-related debt from a private entity, such as a citizen or corporation in East Hampton, Connecticut.

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

Tax Lien Procedure in East Hampton, Connecticut

Imposing a tax lien in East Hampton, Connecticut is typically an uncomplicated process. Generally, the tax authorities simply have to make a decision that the taxpayer is delinquent in their taxes, and that imposing and enforcing a tax lien will actually be worth the effort.

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 certain period of time (usually 10 days) to pay what they owe.

If that time period expires, and the debtor still hasn't paid, the Connecticut tax lien will go into effect automatically, with no additional action required.

Nonetheless, if the federal government does not seek to enforce a tax lien in East Hampton, Connecticut 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 guarantee that property is not encumbered by a lien forever.

How Can a East Hampton, Connecticut Tax Lien Lawyer Help?

If you are notified by the government that you owe back taxes in Connecticut, and that they are going to pursue a tax lien to collect their money, things can get very perplexing, very quickly.

Therefore, it's important that you hire a tax attorney in East Hampton, Connecticut to ensure that whatever legal rights you have in this situation are defended. Your attorney will also be able to advise you on how to best deal with the situation.