§ 144.380 RSMo — Liens on property, notice to taxpayer, duration effect — improperly filed liens, notice to director, contents — release of lien, procedure — fees — duties of director

1. In any case in which any assessment of tax, interest, additions to tax or penalty imposed under sections 144.010 to 144.510 has been made and has become final, the director of revenue may file for record in the recorder's office of any county in which the taxpayer owing such tax, interest, additions to tax or penalty resides, owns property or has a place of business a certificate of lien specifying the amount of the tax, additions to tax, interest or penalty due and the name of the person liable for the same. Included in the assessment, the director shall notify the taxpayer of the department's intent to file prior to the filing of such certificate. Such notification shall contain an explanation of the taxpayer's right to protest or contest such proposed assessment. The director shall within twenty days after filing such certificate notify the taxpayer by first class mail postage prepaid.

(1) The lien shall arise on the date such assessment becomes final and shall be continuing and shall attach to real or personal property or interest in real or personal property owned by the taxpayer or acquired in any manner by the taxpayer after the filing of the certificate of lien. Unless sooner released or discharged, the lien shall expire ten years after the certificate of lien was filed, unless within such ten-year period, the certificate of lien has been refiled by the director of revenue with the recorder. Unless sooner released or discharged, a timely refiled certificate of lien shall be treated as if filed on the date of filing of the original certificate of lien and shall expire ten years after the refiling. A certificate of lien may not be refiled more than one time.

(2) If any taxpayer fails to pay any tax, interest, additions to tax or penalties imposed by sections 144.010 to 144.525 when due and the assessment for which has become final, the director may file for record in the office of the clerk of the circuit court of any county in which the taxpayer resides, or has a place of business, or owns property, a certificate of lien specifying the amount of the tax, interest, additions to tax and penalties due and the name of the liable taxpayer. The clerk of the circuit court shall file such certificate and enter it in the record of the circuit court for judgments and decrees under the procedure prescribed for filing transcripts of judgments. If the taxpayer does not reside, have a place of business or own property in the state of Missouri, the director may file for record a certificate of delinquency in the office of the clerk of the circuit court of Cole County. From the time of the filing of the certificate of lien or certificate of delinquency with the clerk of the circuit court, the amount of the tax, interest, additions to tax and penalties specified therein shall have the full force and effect of a default judgment of the circuit court until satisfied. Execution shall issue at the request of the director of revenue or his agent as is provided in the case of other judgments. No exemption shall be allowed from the levy of an execution issued for such delinquent tax, interest, additions to tax or penalties and no bond shall be required of the director of revenue, his agent or of the sheriff before making the levy.

(3) The remedies in this subsection are cumulative and in addition to other collection methods given the director of revenue. No action taken shall be construed as an election on the part of the state or any of its officers to pursue any remedy or action hereunder to the exclusion of any other remedy or action for which provision is made.

(4) If any certificate of lien has been erroneously or improvidently filed, the taxpayer or any other person affected by the lien may notify the director of revenue. The taxpayer or other affected person shall provide the director with the reasons the filing of the certificate of lien is erroneous or improvident as to such person (including that the affected person's name or other identification is similar to the taxpayer's) and a list of creditors with current addresses who are affected by the department's action. Upon receipt of the creditor list, reasons and verification of the erroneous or improvident filing, the director shall release the lien as to the taxpayer or the affected person, as necessary, and notify all creditors, stating the certificate of lien was filed erroneously or improvidently. If the certificate of lien was erroneously or improvidently filed after August 13, 1987, the director shall forthwith make a determination in writing which shall become a public record in the same place the certificate of lien is noted under subsection 5 of this section that the same be expunged from the record and give written notice thereof, duly certified, by certified mail to the recorder of deeds in the county where the same is recorded and upon receipt by the recorder of deeds of the certification the recorder shall immediately cause such record to be expunged. The director shall take whatever steps are necessary to ensure the lien is expunged. The director shall pay a three-dollar fee charged by the recorder when an erroneously or improvidently filed lien is expunged.

2. The lien imposed under subsection 1 of this section may be wholly or partly released by filing for record in the office of the county recorder a release thereof executed by the director of revenue upon payment of the tax, interest, additions to tax and penalties or upon receipt by the director of revenue of security sufficient to secure payment thereof, or by final judgment holding such certificate of lien to have been erroneously or improvidently imposed.

3. The director may release any part of the property subject to the lien by filing with the county recorder a copy of the original lien document and an affidavit containing a legal description of the property and stating that the property is to be released from the lien. The county recorder shall note the partial release in the same manner as provided in section 443.090 . The release of any specific property shall not affect in any manner other property subject to lien.

4. Each county recorder shall receive a fee of three dollars which shall be charged for the filing of each certificate of lien and a fee of one dollar and fifty cents for each release of lien filed for record. Such amounts shall be paid to the county recorder from funds appropriated to the department of revenue for that purpose. The county recorder shall be reimbursed by presenting a statement, showing the number of certificates and releases filed, to the department of revenue each calendar quarter. The department of revenue is authorized to collect an additional penalty from each taxpayer equal to the cost of filing a certificate of lien or release of lien with respect to such taxpayer.

5. The director of revenue shall establish and maintain records for all certificates of lien filed under this section. The director shall also maintain records of all releases of lien filed under this section. The provisions of section 32.057 to the contrary notwithstanding, the records prepared by the director under this section, to the extent such information is or may be on file with the recorder, shall be open to public inspection. Such records established and maintained by the director shall not be the official record and are not conclusive evidence of any liability of any taxpayer to this state.

6. If any action is taken by the director under the provisions of this chapter; including, but not limited to, section 144.425 , to alter or abate any assessment upon which a judgment has been filed under the provisions of subsection 1 of this section, the director is authorized to file a modification or satisfaction of such judgment.