Legal Question in Real Estate Law in Georgia
How do I remove a tax lien when I long ago paid the taxes to clear it
We bought a house in 1999 around the time property taxes were due. The
original owner got the bill and didn't forward it to us, and the taxes weren't paid.
I checked in March 2000 and found that the county sold a tax lien (legally, a
Transfer of Fieri Facias) to a company that handles many tax liens from the
county. As soon as I found out, I paid the amount the company billed me, in
March 2000. I noticed a few months later that they did not remove the tax lien
as they should have. Even my closing atty called them, and still no action.
They did get my check and cashed it soon after I sent it. Note that I can't
contact the company directly - they have a voice mail jail and they didn't
respond to my return-receipt-certified letter.
How do I get the tax lien removed from the property records at the county?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: How do I remove a tax lien when I long ago paid the taxes to clear it
You have fallen into the briar patch in Georgia of tax liens. For some reason, the Georgia General assembly refuses to pass an overall code revision to clear up this mess -- even though real estate lawyers like myself beg them every General Assembly to do so. As to your specific question, you are probably dealing with the Vesta Properties Jail Hell telephone system. You have the PAID invoice and copies of your cashed check. There is no good legal answer other than file suit. However, I do not recommend that at the very junior stage your problem is in. Go to the secretary of state of Georgia Web site, FIND the companies Registered Agent and start writing regular mail and certified letters to the Registered Agent telling them that you will file suit in the Superior Court of your county if unless they immediatly FILE A SATISFACTION OF LIEN on the local courthouse records. After about your third letter, a high school flunky will be dispatched to the courthouse to file the satisfaction. If you get to the point of actually having to file a lawsuit, email me. I have lots of them already canned against this bizarre and backwater industry (which, on the other hand, can be quite profitable to those in the know). Sincerely, Hugh Wood
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