Tax Lien for HOA dues ; HOA no longer exists

[Anonymous]

My first post.

I have discovered that I have a tax lien for HOA dues not paid, approx $500.  The problem is that the HOA no longer exists, as it disbanded several years ago.   I want to take whatever steps are necessary to remove the lien, but the county says that I need to contact the HOA to get them to remove the lien.  Since the HOA does not exist, I am in a bit of a catch 22.   Any suggestions?

[RobertEG]

Not knowing how or if their obligations and assets were delegated when they ceased operation, hard to advise on who to contact.

Maybe the president at time of their disbanding?  They had to do some legal accounting......

If you have some basis for challenging the accuracy of their reporting, you could send a dispute to the CRA, and place the obligation on them to locate and forward the dispute to the furnisher of the information.  If they are unable to locate a party responsible for handling their prior business matters, the CRA may consider the reporting unverified, and delete.  However, just disputing without some basis for asserting inaccuracy would not be proper.

Do you have a reasonable basis for disputing the accuracy of the lien such that you can get a legitimate dispute before the CRA?

Maybe you could go back to the county and show them of your attempts to satisfy the lien, but that their is no party who can accept payment.

Absent a lienholder, you could argue that there is now no lien in fact.

[jandj80]

+1. I would direct dispute. If you cannot verify the debt, the CRAs should not be able to either. And if they can, then you will be able to find out who to call to take care of the bill.