Act on Tax Notices Right Away

When the Internal Revenue Service or IRS sends you a notice on tax delinquency, whether on income or property, the first thing to do is to never ignore it. A notice sent by the IRS provide additional time and opportunity for you to respond, and save yourself from bankruptcy or losing property to tax lien auctions. The next thing to do is seek help from a licensed tax professional who knows how to handle and give advice to your dilemma. Tax professionals have the knowledge, deep understanding, and proficiency on how to apply the rules that govern different compliance issues, as well as tax debt scenarios to deal with.

You also need to review the tax returns from which your liability was obtained. Even the slightest mistakes such as declaring income or deductions twice can increase your tax liability. However, this can be fixed by filing an amendment. It is best to consult these things with your tax professional.

Are All Tax Liens The Same?

The answer is no. It is because liens vary in priority and types. Priority is very important. A good example of this is a first lien mortgage on a property. Moreover, a lender who is holding a senior lien in the form of a mortgage on a property has the right to repayment of its debt, before any junior lien holder.

The repayment is typically acquired through the proceeds of a mortgage foreclosure sale or tax lien auctions. In case you don’t know, foreclosure relinquishes all interests in the property that are junior to that mortgage. This is why first lien mortgage on a real estate is crucial.

Types of Common Liens

Utility Lien
It is a lien filed on a property by the utility service or county for failure on the part of the homeowner to pay bills such as electricity or water.

Property Lien
When a homeowner fails to pay real estate taxes, then the county places a lien on the property. Then, the county puts up tax lien certificates in an auction and whoever wins the bidding gets the lien certificate.

Divorce Lien
A divorce lien is filed on a property as a result of an official order issued by a legal authority such as the court.

Mechanic’s Lien
It is the type of lien that is statutory and secures payment for labor, material, and services
related to improvements made on a property.

Judgment Lien
It is a type of lien created when a lawsuit is won against a defendant of a criminal case. Then, it is attached to the property in order to be received as payment after it is sold.

What is a Lien and Property Foreclosure?

A lien is a notice attached to your property which informs the public in attention that a creditor has claim. Liens are filed and recorded in the county office or with the state secretary.

Just to make it clear, a lien existing on your property has a bad effect on the title, which prevents you from selling it. You must pay off the lien in order to avoid foreclosure and clear the title of the property. Then, have a release filed in the county office records which puts the general public in attention of the debt discharge. However, if you fail to pay up, you’ll potentially lose your property to tax lien auctions. The tax lien certificate holder to your house can choose to foreclose the property and get his return of investment.

Florida Tax Lien Investing Pros and Cons

Interested in Florida tax sales? Tax lien investing in Florida yield pros and cons for would be investors. As long as you bid on properties that fit the bill, and do due diligence, there’s no need to worry about acquiring the property, if you’re only after the return of investment.

Be confident that your lien would be paid when someone bids on the property at the sale. However, you need to pay an application fee and redeem any outstanding liens as well as pay subsequent taxes, which vary from county to county. The good thing though is that everything you pay from this point forward would earn 18% interest until the property is sold or redeemed.