Tax Lien Lawyers in Mentor On The Lake

A "lien" in Mentor On The Lake, Ohio is a property right that a person or entity has in property owned by someone else, created by law, for the purpose of enforcing a debt. A lien gives its holder numerous rights in the property of another person, including the right to seize the proceeds of a sale of the property, and, if the debtor files for bankruptcy, the right to go to the front of the line among other creditors, making it more possible that the lien holder will collect something.

A tax lien, then, is simply a lien that is formed for the particular purpose of collecting taxes from a delinquent tax payer in Mentor On The Lake, Ohio.

Of course, a tax lien in Mentor On The Lake, Ohio isn't worth much more than the paper it's printed on if the debtor doesn't own any property of value, on which a lien could be placed. Nonetheless, a tax lien applies to property that the taxpayer obtains even after the lien is created. Evidently, this makes it quite a bit easier for the government to collect its taxes.

Tax Lien Procedure in Mentor On The Lake, Ohio

In Mentor On The Lake, Ohio, 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, the taxpayer will receive a letter containing a "notice and demand," which, as the name suggests, gives notice that the recipient owes taxes, and demands quick payment. It will normally give the taxpayer about 10 days to pay the demanded amount.

If that time period expires, and the debtor still hasn't paid, the Ohio 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 Mentor On The Lake, Ohio 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 Mentor On The Lake, Ohio Tax Lien Lawyer Help?

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

Therefore, it's important that you retain a tax attorney in Mentor On The Lake, Ohio 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.