Just Got My Last Baddie Removed - A Six Figure Federal Tax Lien

[Gonzozap]

I have a horrid (unpaid) Fed tax lien only showing on EQ.  For years, it was never reported by EX or TU.

Equifax is currently involved in a lawsuit about its reporting of liens.  So, I thought I would take advantage of working to see if I could get a removal.  Companies in a lawsuit don't typically want to take chances with the very issue that placed them in an active lawsuit.

Federal liens have a notation on the Notice that says:

“IMPORTANT RELEASE INFORMATION:  For each assessment listed below, unless the lien is refiled by the date given in column (e), this notice shall, on the day following such date, operate as a certificate of release as defined in IRC 6325(a).”

My dates just passed - meaning the liens are automatically released due to the Statute of Limitations.  I filed a dispute with EQ and attached my Notice of Lien.  I requested that EQ verify that the lien had not been refiled and to then remove the lien from my report.  Checked my credit report 2 weeks later and the lien is gone.

EQ has language on its reports that says:  “Unpaid tax liens remain for up to 10 years after the date filed.”  

So so happy right now.  I was always able to get credit with the lien, including 3 car loans.  In fact, no one ever even questioned me about it.  But I still wanted it gone.

[Anonymous]

Were you able to check your score pre and post final baddie removal?  The difference should be significant.

[Gonzozap]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Were you able to check your score pre and post final baddie removal?  The difference should be significant.

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I know what my FICO was.   Will get my new FICO soon & report back.  I'm very curious.  Though I read somewhere that removal of a really old lien won't have that much impact.  Will soon see.  Not interested in FAKOs.

[grillandwinemaster]

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@Gonzozap wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

Were you able to check your score pre and post final baddie removal?  The difference should be significant.

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I read somewhere that removal of a really old lien won't have that much impact. 

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Since it's your last remaining negative and everything else in your report is as it should be, utilization AAofA, age of oldest, etc etc, you should/could see a significant positive bump in scores. If your tax lien is removed and had you still Had additional negatives, you probably wouldn't see any significant gains.

disclaimer: as always YMMV!

[Revelate]

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@Gonzozap wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

Were you able to check your score pre and post final baddie removal?  The difference should be significant.

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I know what my FICO was.   Will get my new FICO soon & report back.  I'm very curious.  Though I read somewhere that removal of a really old lien won't have that much impact.  Will soon see.  Not interested in FAKOs.

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Don't believe the hype; any PR / collection puts you in the doghouse, and if that was your last one, you will likely gain some across the board.

I recently dropped nearly everywhere I care about as a result of my lates getting excluded but I have a tax lien coming off in a few months on EX/EQ even if NCAP doesn't whack it... I did just get it deleted off TU as the docket number was flatly wrong (no idea how that occurs when everything else is right) and got a non-trivial bump there and I still have lates on that file too which are penalizing me.

Getting into the top 8 scorecards which a clean file definitely does, and it appears that one with just minor blemishes might now too, is almost guarunteed to be some improvement.  

What were your prior scores?  Would be nice to get a before and after from your data as well .

Incidently I have been asked about my prior liens haha, the WFDS rep was shocked at it's size (horrid doesn't describe it accurately) but he classically stated: "I guess I have 13,000 reasons to approve you on this one" after seeing my outsized downpayment heh.

[Gonzozap]

Current EQ FICO is 695.  It would be real nice if I can finally get back over 700.  Funny thing is, my EQ score has always been my highest - even with the lien.  Boggles my mind.  No other real difference in my reports.

Will get FICO from DCU next week and update.

[Gonzozap]

Hmmm, just realized I haven't yet received any alerts about a score change.

[Revelate]

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@Gonzozap wrote:

Current EQ FICO is 695.  It would be real nice if I can finally get back over 700.  Funny thing is, my EQ score has always been my highest - even with the lien.  Boggles my mind.  No other real difference in my reports.

Will get FICO from DCU next week and update.

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From DCU was 695?  I never broke 700 on that score, and it was my lowest as far as trimerge mortgage pulls go, which surprised me but given it seems to hate CFA's and mine doesn't report to TU, and EX v2 doesn't appear to worry about such things, maybe that explains it all.

As for updates, MF doesn't update on deletions with the exceptions of TU which will update on a random score change every so often, and EX MF will do a full SP of the file every so often because of idiosyncracies in the OEM product.

EQ which has been sort of the gold standard for at least as long as I've been around, doesn't track tradeline deletions at all but it will be caught on the next balance update or other trigger.

[Anonymous]

Gonz, you can get your 3 FICO 08 scores from CCT for $1 if you are interested.

[Gonzozap]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Gonz, you can get your 3 FICO 08 scores from CCT for $1 if you are interested.

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I did a CCT trial not long ago.  The scores were nowhere near my true FICOs. My alleged TU FICO from CCT was 100 points lower than my FICO from myfico and from my Amazon card.  Those were not FICO scores. A few years back, they settled a $20 million class action case. I am of little faith.