Recent Answers to Release of Lien Law Questions

Jorge G.

Answered Sep 19, 2025

The standard practice is that any lien against the property should be paid off at or before closing. You should also have obtained title insurance, which generally covers liens that were not satisfied. You should have received a copy of your title insurance policy sometime after closing, and the lien coverage (or any exception) should appear on the policy. At this point, you should contact an attorney to review all of your closing documents and advise you on the best course of action.

Dolan W.

Answered Dec 31, 2024

Hello! My name is Dolan and thank you so much for coming to the site. Once you’ve identified the lienholder (usually it's the county assessor), you’ll need to resolve the outstanding debt. Depending on the circumstances, this might mean paying off the unpaid taxes yourself if they were not cleared during the sale. If you’re paying the lien yourself, make sure to get documentation from the lienholder showing that the debt has been satisfied. Usually, this may just require going online to get a receipt or proof that the property has a zero balance. What else you can get is a lien release or satisfaction of lien. The lienholder is responsible for filing the release with the county recorder’s office (these are often in the same agencies), but it’s always a good idea to follow up and make sure it’s actually recorded. Let us know how else we can help! Thanks!

Thomas D.

Answered Sep 27, 2024

You have several alternatives. Did your original title policy insure against liens? If so, I can work with the title company to have the lien removed. Second, if the lien is old, it may have already expired and can be removed as a matter of law. Third, there are procedures in every state to remove a lien if the lienholder cannot be located. Finally, we may be able to have the title insurance company insure over the lien. Tom

T. Phillip B.

Answered Jan 11, 2022

I'm assuming this is a UCC Lien on the business assets. You can file a release yourself with the IL Secretary of State. There's also an affidavit that will go with it.