Tax Lien Lawyers in Birmingham

In Birmingham, Michigan, a "lien" is a type of property right, which is created by a court to obtain 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 Birmingham, Michigan, a "tax lien" is simply a lien imposed by the government to compile 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 considerable property on which a lien can be imposed. To get around this limitation, most tax liens in Birmingham, Michigan apply to after-acquired property (property obtained after the lien was created). Most other liens only apply to certain pieces of property, or property that the debtor owned at the time the lien went into effect.

Tax Lien Procedure in Birmingham, Michigan

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

Then, the taxpayer is sent a letter with a "notice and demand," which informs the taxpayer that the IRS has determined that they owe back taxes, and that they have a short period of time (normally 10 days) to pay them without incurring a penalty.

If the back taxes are not paid before the deadline is up, the lien will normally take effect immediately, with no further action by the IRS or Michigan tax agency, giving them all the rights in your property that the law authorizes.

However, if the federal government does not seek to enforce a tax lien in Birmingham, Michigan 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 Birmingham, Michigan Tax Lien Lawyer Help?

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

Therefore, it should go without saying that if you are facing the prospect of your home or vehicle being slapped with a tax lien, you need to obtain the advice of a brilliant tax lawyer in Birmingham, Michigan as soon as you can.