If the state has a lean on your home over a legal matter and no payments have been made on the lean, and it has been 20 years, is there a time that the lean would expire?

[momma1]

Will this lean legally expire due to a 20 year lean with no payments made? Does this lean on the home/property continue as long as the taxpayer is alive,and is his x-wife able to keep the home after her x-husband passes with her name still on the home.

[BobKamman]

This is a forum for tax questions.  Ask a lawyer in your state.  

[qbteachmt]

A lien is a legal encumbrance that was placed on the title and reflects that money is owed against this property. That way, the property cannot be sold or transferred without the money being paid. In other words, you can lose the house to a lien. It's similar to having a mortgage or "securing debt" in that the property is involuntarily pledged against that amount needing to be paid.

These people with the property that has a lien, have a significant issue to resolve.

[BobKamman]

A judgment lien could have expired when the judgment itself expired according to state law and was not renewed.  A tax lien (other than property taxes) would have expired when the statute of limitations for collection expired.  You have a question for a local lawyer, not a tax forum, where a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.  

[dd4vols]

I'd 'lean' on an attorney for an accurate legal response....