Expert: Ray Beggs - 9/13/2006

Question
So basically what you're saying is that you think the IRS has received payment for my lien when the house was sold? I have a call into them now and waiting on them to call back. Also the home was in another county from where I am today. Do I return to the place of lien?  

Answer
Hi Dale,

Yes, you would return to the county where the property is located because that is where the IRS would have filed the lien. There's no way to know if the IRS has been paid off without checking with them. Sometimes there isn't enough left from the sale to completely pay off all of the creditors. When they do call you back, have them mail you something that says the account has been paid (assuming that it has) and that the lien should be removed.

I'm confident that, with some perseverance, you will be able to get this off of your record and use your VA loan to buy a new house. You've just got to followup with the IRS and the county and the credit reporting agencies until it's gone. A rule of thumb to remember when you're doing anything involved with your credit is that you are the only one who can work to make sure that it is correct. You've got to be proactive with it and just keep plugging away until it's fixed.

Best of luck and please let me know how it comes out,

Ray