Tax Lien Lawyers in Salisbury

In Salisbury, Maryland, a "lien" is a type of property right, which is created by a court to acquire payment of a lawful debt. Typically, a valid lien gives its holder the right to seize the property subject to it, or at least some of the property's equity, to satisfy the debt. If the owner sells a piece of property that's subject to a lien, the creditor who owns the lien may be entitled to the proceeds, up to the amount you owe them. It can further put them "first in line" compared to other creditors, if the debtor files for bankruptcy.

In Salisbury, Maryland, a "tax lien" is simply a lien imposed by the government to compile back taxes from a citizen or corporation, when other methods for collecting have failed.

However, a tax lien in Salisbury, Maryland will be ineffective if the debtor doesn't own any valuable property to encumber with a lien. As with any debt, the creditor can't collect if the debtor doesn't have any assets. Nonetheless, a tax lien can be applied to property that the taxpayer gains after the lien goes into effect.

Tax Lien Procedure in Salisbury, Maryland

In Salisbury, Maryland, the process for creating a tax lien is fairly uncomplicated. First, the tax authorities decide that a taxpayer really owes taxes that they haven't paid (that they're delinquent in their taxes).

At this point, they will send the taxpayer a written notice stating that they owe a some amount of money in back taxes, and that they have a small window of time (commonly 10 days or less) to pay it.

If this 10-day period expires without payment, the tax lien arises automatically. Once this happens, the tax authorities in Maryland have all the options in the taxpayer's property that any other lien holder would have, containing priority over competing creditors.

But, under federal law, there are limits to how tax liens can be enforced in Salisbury, Maryland, and elsewhere. Typically, the IRS has 10 years to try and enforce a tax lien. If no effort is made to enforce a tax lien for 10 years, the lien is automatically lifted, and the lien holder loses all rights in it. This rule exists to ensure that the government collects its taxes in a reasonable time period, and it prevents valuable property (which could otherwise be contributing to the economy by being bought and sold) is not laded with a lien for an indefinite period of time.

How Can a Salisbury, Maryland Tax Lien Lawyer Help?

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

Thankfully, Salisbury, Maryland tax attorneys can help. If you are facing the prospect of a tax lien, you should not hesitate to seek qualified legal advice, to ensure that your legal rights are protected.