Any major derogatory is one that is going to come back as a complaint anyway every single time.
The score itself may not factor it nearly as highly when it's that old (my FICO '08 scores didn't appear to care much at all about my old IRS tax lien, or even my 3 year old State tax lien in comparison to EQ '04 at least) but when it's such an easy thing to pick on for anyone's credit report that has a public record or similar major derog, it's going to be pointed out always.
Wouldn't worry about it, I'd very much like to hear what happens to your score when it does finally come off: I just had my old one fall off but I had a new one on there which I just got airstruck of TU (that dispute came back lighting fast compared to the EQ one where I even gave them the IRS withdrawal form, sigh) and it's such a relief to make it that much further towards a clean sheet.
Will be tossing a flier GW letter at my State lien too, fingers crossed haha, but I'm stuck with a collection for a while anyway so meh.
@JUNE2012 wrote:Thanks for that information Revelate, I will definitely keep you informed when It finally comes off in Dec. It's a state Tax lien that I didn't even owe, I just filed late, and they ended up owing me money! I wish I could get this removed early but I heard California is kind of strict. Good luck with your GW letters for you tax lien:-)
Well given that my own state lien is from Cali, I'll definitely let you know if I get a positive result 
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My own excuse is nowhere as good as yours, but if it's falling off so late it probably doesn't matter unless you have a short term need for some application: certainly in your case I'd be taking the "lien filed in error" tact like I did with the IRS who filed a lien two weeks after I used one of their payment services... even the IRS officer was apologetic on that one.: that would be a first for me in talking to them haha, almost worth it for that alone.