Hey guys, I tried to apply for a mortgage thinking i have good credit and a 700's credit score. I was denied as my credit score apparently dropped to the low 600's (now around 640) and I had a public record and a collection for a property tax lien that the county (fulton county, GA) turned over to a collection agency. What happened is that i bought my first ever property last year, a short sale condo in Atlanta that I bought with cash. I decided to keep it and rent it out (legally) even though i was leaving to go to grad school in New York. It was the first time i ever owned a home/condo and I stupidly just didnt think about the property tax and had no loan so no escrow account that just paid for it. Turns out the city was sending me several tax notices (to my tenant i suspect), but i never saw or heard of these while living in NYC. I paid the minute i heard about the tax lien, however by the time i found out about it, the city has already turned it over to a collections agency and put this on my credit. I disputed with the collections agency and it has been removed, i think they simply didnt have the record and couldnt verify. However the public record for tax lien is preventing me from getting a mortgage and is going to stay on my credit for 7-10 years!!! It seems to only have been reported to Transunion as a "record of deeds", filed on 12/21/2010 with a balance of $780. I attempted to dispute this with the Credit Agency and of course it came back confirmed. From reading various board, i assume the next best thing i can do is try to find email/mailing address for someone at the county assessors office and write a goodwill letter? I found the email for the tax administrator for delinquent property taxes and also the main tax office administrator. unfortunately i dont see these people giving two ****s about my credit problems and actually wasting their time on it, but i guess its worth a try ? Do you guys agree that this is the best next step? Any input would be much appreciated!!!!!!!!! -Mike
I am not sure you will be able to remove a property tax lien from your credit. Once you paid the past due property taxes you should be able to purchase a home. If you need extra boost in your credit score to qualify for your home loan then I would ask a friend or family member to add you as an authorized user to one of their existing credit card accounts. The higher the credit limit and the longer the payment history the bigger the boost in your credit score. Make sure they have perfect payment history and can maintain a low balance (10% or less of the credit limit). Thanks! Heather with BoostMyScore.NET
The GW letter is worth a try, but I frankly wouldn't hold your breath waiting for a response. I know it stinks, but you may be stuck with the paid tax lien on your credit reports until it falls off on its own.
