mrfancypants
New Member
I recently looked up my credit reports from all 3 major reporting agencies and found that one agency (Experian) is listing a state tax lien filed/reported against me in 2002. Having never pulled my own report from Experian, this is the first I'd ever heard of this lien. I contacted the court in which the lien was filed and the Maryland Comptroller's office and was told the lien was due to my having filed a 1997 federal tax return using a Maryland address but not having filed a Maryland state return. The taxes they say I owe are based on what I reported on the federal taxes taxed at what seems to be a very high rate and then with penalties on top. I'm fairly sure I didn't live in Maryland at all during 1997 (though I'm not positive of this as neither my records nor my memory is complete given the 11 year gap here). From what I recall, the federal return in question was filed against the 1997 tax year but was prepared in 1998, when I did live in Maryland. Unfortunately, given that this is more than 10 years ago, I don't have my old records to prove non-residency, the company I worked for at the time is out of business (so I have no idea where I'd get replacement W-2s, even the IRS's transcripts don't go back this far), etc.
Given my lack of records and memory recall due to the age of this item, is there anything I can do to get this lien removed or released short of paying it? The amount is substantial ($11k) but not back-breaking and one way or another I'd prefer to deal with it so this does not come back to haunt me should I seek a home loan or other credit in the future that this may interfere with. On the other hand, I'm obviously not happy about the idea of paying that much money for a debt that I don't feel is validly owed.
Given my lack of records and memory recall due to the age of this item, is there anything I can do to get this lien removed or released short of paying it? The amount is substantial ($11k) but not back-breaking and one way or another I'd prefer to deal with it so this does not come back to haunt me should I seek a home loan or other credit in the future that this may interfere with. On the other hand, I'm obviously not happy about the idea of paying that much money for a debt that I don't feel is validly owed.
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