What is a lien? How can I keep the house i live in???

Question

I am writing to you because i don't know who to turn to. someone here might have contacts and resources that i do not. II live in philadelphia.Well my family is in need. I am 20 years old and have 2 children. A lien has recently been placed on the house where i live. My father owns the house. He will not put the house in my name and refuses to pay the taxes. I do not want my 2 year old daughter and 1 year old son to go to a shelter. please i need answers please help. all i want is for him to out the house in my name so i can make an agreement to pay so my children and i will not be in the street. He hasn't paid the taxes since 1996 or 1998. He is not interested in helping me. PLEASE I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO....... Is there anyway i can fight him for the house???

Answer 1

Fight him for the house?

You have no legal claims to the house at all.   You have nothing to fight for.

Your father can not sell or transfer the house until AFTER the lien has been taken care of.

You are perfectly free to go down and pay the taxes for him, he does not have to transfer anything to you in order for you to do this.

Just pay the tax, that way you both have what you want.

Answer 2

get legal advice URGENTLY.  this sounds too serious to discuss here.  

is your father ill?  because that might help you.

a lien is a charge on the house for money owed usually.  if payments are then made and kept up to date then usually nothing else happens.  they will get their money when the house is sold.  or you can make extra payments to pay off the arrears.

i still advise to get   LEGAL ADVICE URGENTLY.

Answer 3

From my unprofessional view - you're in a real pickle.

Consider contacting a real estate lawyer. They'll know if you have any options. Good Luck.

Answer 4

If he owns the house I don't think you can force him to give it to you unless he has a mental problem or something.

  I would call the tax authorities. They might have a deal of some sort that allows them to delay the eviction for a while.

Answer 5

If you want to stay in the home, get with the taxing office. Here's the Philadelphia revenue web site: http://www.phila.gov/revenue/

Talk with them to see what you can do. You may have to pay the taxes. I don't know if you pay and rent for the place. If you don't it will be easier for you to pay those taxes.

If you are paying rent, you may be able to pay those taxes in lieu of the rent but you should get with a real estate attorney to see what avenues you have.

Best of luck.

Terrence Charest, e-Pro

EDIT: If you pay the taxes, DO NOT place payment under your father's name put it in your own.

Answer 6

This is a really bad situation, but I think you already know that.

Here's the problem: your dad owns the house, but he has to keep paying the city taxes each year. If he doesn't pay the taxes, the city can (and apparently has) file a tax lien - that means that the city has the legal right to take the house away from your dad because he hasn't paid the taxes on it.

If your dad were to put the house in your name, YOU would have to pay all of those years of taxes that were due, as well as the penalties for not paying them on time. Over the course of ten or twelve years of nonpayment, you could be looking at thousands of dollars that would have to be paid before you could get the deed in your name. They would want all of that money then and there.

I hate to say this, but the city can come and evict you from that house any time now...you might be better off finding another place to live, and soon.

Good luck.

-Stuart

Answer 7

A lien being placed on the house stops your father from transfering it to your name until those fee's are paid.  Depending on your states laws since he hasn't paid the property taxes in so long they might have the Power to sell the place for the amount of those fee's.  

You need to contact the county assessor with the parcel number find out how much the taxes are come up with some arraingement to get them paid.  GOOD LUCK!

Answer 8

There is nothing you can do at all. The house is his. Period.

You could do something if you were on tittle but, you are not. You don't neceserally should go to  a shelter. Just rent a little apartment for you guys. You will be okey. Forget the house you can't do anything.