so true and very interesting story!

JGibbs wrote: That makes sense Lexie and Frugal Fran. I thought public shame might be a factor because my mother is a bit of a gossip, and some very wealthy people in my home town are listed from time to time and it's quite the scandal. Actually, just about anyone gets gossiped about for being listed as delinquent. Sure enough, if they have the money the taxes seem to get paid, at least enough to get them out of the paper. But it's a small town where there's not much else going on.

Lexie, I wonder why his heirs don't want the property? I take it there isn't enough money in it to pay the taxes, then sell it quick. I figured resort towns would be expensive to live in, so it sounds like a good investment. It's a shame he didn't leave it to a charity.

Ahhhh. There's a story there somewhere JGibbs. I hope to find out one day. The property is expensive and it's really strange that his children haven't done anything. I've tried to contact them via every communication device possible and have had no response. We would consider buying the property if it's not unreasonable. Like I say, there's a story there somewhere.

That makes sense Lexie and Frugal Fran. I thought public shame might be a factor because my mother is a bit of a gossip, and some very wealthy people in my home town are listed from time to time and it's quite the scandal. Actually, just about anyone gets gossiped about for being listed as delinquent. Sure enough, if they have the money the taxes seem to get paid, at least enough to get them out of the paper. But it's a small town where there's not much else going on.

Lexie, I wonder why his heirs don't want the property? I take it there isn't enough money in it to pay the taxes, then sell it quick. I figured resort towns would be expensive to live in, so it sounds like a good investment. It's a shame he didn't leave it to a charity.

I don't think it's about the humiliation either. Those notices do make for interesting reading though. Look at them sometimes. You would be surprised who you see there. In some cases, like in our resort town here, the primary owner has passed away, the children don't want the property and it just sits there accumulating back taxes year after year. Those names are always in the paper.

JGibbs wrote: That is a good point, Goldbug, and something I didn't consider before. There needs to be a better way to deal with the whole thing. Maybe the whole point of publishing the info in the newspaper is more about humiliation than providing notice.

I don't really think it's about humiliation. Newspapers used to be the best way to circulate announcements like this. They reached a lot of people and it wasn't expensive to put a notice in them. I think this is a matter of municipalities needing to catch up to the times.

I do think some areas do notifications online as well.

That is a good point, Goldbug, and something I didn't consider before. There needs to be a better way to deal with the whole thing. Maybe the whole point of publishing the info in the newspaper is more about humiliation than providing notice.

JGibbs wrote: My best guess is that the city involved puts delinquent accounts in the newspaper and that is considered sufficient notice.

I think that is how it works, but in this day and age is that really enough notice? Newspaper circulations are shrinking, and most people get their news and notifications online. Should there be another way people get notified?

CentsibleSaver wrote: How is the innocent non-delinquent person put on notice of a lawsuit or lien if the bank is sending the information to the wrong person? I bet this would be a nightmare to have on your credit report. It would probably take ages and plenty of hoop jumping to prove it wasn't your debt.

My best guess is that the city involved puts delinquent accounts in the newspaper and that is considered sufficient notice. You could prove it wasn't your property by supplying an electric bill you'd paid in your name showing you lived elsewhere I guess. That's assuming the property deed won't help.

How is the innocent non-delinquent person put on notice of a lawsuit or lien if the bank is sending the information to the wrong person? I bet this would be a nightmare to have on your credit report. It would probably take ages and plenty of hoop jumping to prove it wasn't your debt.

Tishbel wrote: That's actual scary thinking about it. If anything is removed it means that someone managed to get a tax lien added to their credit record despite the debt belonging to a person with a different name and address. With credit agencies assuming that anyone in a property must be associated with the former owners I can see how debts might end up against the wrong names, but addresses?

I can see that happening really easily. If someone is in a rush and all they know is the address a debt is against, they might just look up the current owner's name and mark them as the person to be contacted. Then it gets into the system with the person's name against it and from there into the credit records.

That's actual scary thinking about it. If anything is removed it means that someone managed to get a tax lien added to their credit record despite the debt belonging to a person with a different name and address. With credit agencies assuming that anyone in a property must be associated with the former owners I can see how debts might end up against the wrong names, but addresses?

FrugalFran wrote: That's interesting, but what does this mean?

"This summer, if a lien or judgment does not match three of their four criteria of name, address, social security number or birthdate, it will no longer appear on a credit report."

If all that criteria does match, does the lien or judgement stay on the credit report? Wouldn't that information be accurate in most cases?

I'm like you Fran. I don't see how the information could not be correct. Someone would really have make some errors to screw up the information that would cost them money. I'm sure it does happen but most likely would never happen to me. LOL!!

It should be good news across the board. The people who have had false claims attached to their records get them removed, and if it makes credit scores more accurate it will make it easier for companies to offer accurate rates.

You would think. But from the article: The companies are dropping this information following a settlement with lawmakers in more than 30 states. Attorneys general alleged liens and civil judgments were often attached to the wrong people, unfairly hurting their ability to access credit for a home, car or gym membership.

I don't know exactly what they mean by civil judgements, like if you lose a civil legal case which is typically under the $5,000 mark, as they didn't clarify. But tax liens, I can understand how personal information can get skewed easily. It's hard to explain if you haven't been as involved in real estate as I was, but information regarding the parcel owner, how parcels can be divided, and how the county, state and federal agencies (depending on the type of property and its use) assess everything can easily get mixed up between all the different agencies that can potentially be involved.

That, and if you own properties in different counties of a state and even different states........yeah, I can see how personal information can get input wrong into all the different systems.