Tax Lien Lawyers in Multnomah County

In Multnomah County, Oregon, a "lien" is defined as a property right that's granted to a creditor against a piece of property owned by a debtor, for the purpose of collecting on the debt if the debtor is unwilling or unable to pay. A lien authorizes its owner to exercise some control over the property that is the subject of the lien. This includes the right to force a sale of the property, and to seize the resulting revenue, and priority access to the property ahead of other creditors.

A "tax lien" is simply a lien placed on a piece of property by the state or local government, to secure the payment of back taxes. A tax lien in Multnomah County, Oregon can arise to secure the payment of any federal or state tax, including income tax, estate tax, or gift tax.

However, a tax lien in Multnomah County, Oregon 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. However, a tax lien can be applied to property that the taxpayer acquires after the lien goes into effect.

Tax Lien Procedure in Multnomah County, Oregon

The actual process of setting up a Multnomah County, Oregon tax lien is normally pretty simple. The agency responsible for collecting taxes must first determine that a tax lien is warranted, normally by finding that the debtor owes a significant amount of back taxes.

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 specific period of time (normally 10 days) to pay what they owe.

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 Oregon tax agency, giving them all the rights in your property that the law authorizes.

But, these rights are limited. In Multnomah County, Oregon, and everywhere else in the United States, the IRS has 10 years to enforce a tax lien. If they do nothing about it within 10 years, the lien expires. This rule exists for a few reasons. First, it encourages the IRS to act as quickly and efficiently as possible, and not "sit on its rights." Furthermore, it acknowledges the fact that any encumbrance on a piece of property, such as a lien, makes the property less valuable. By ensuring that the lien will either be satisfied or expire within 10 years, this prevents property from being withheld from the stream of commerce indefinitely.

How Can a Multnomah County, Oregon Tax Lien Lawyer Help?

If you receive notice from the federal government, or the government of Oregon that a tax lien has been imposed on your property, some pretty complex legal issues are necessarily involved.

Accordingly, it's important that you retain a tax attorney in Multnomah County, Oregon to ensure that whatever legal rights you have in this situation are protected. Your attorney will also be able to advise you on how to best deal with the situation.