Question asked on Dec 09th, 2016

Q:  The house is owned solely by my husband. I signed a quit claim at purchase and again in anticipation of sale. I paid the attorney a retainer at the time and now he claims I owe additional money which was never billed until now. I dropped the divorce action a few weeks after starting it and my husband and I reconciled. I’ve been speaking with the attorney trying to get him to drop the lien and he has been putting me off. Yesterday, he had his secretary tell me he would no longer speak to me unless I wanted to “settle” with him regarding the money he says I owe.

A:  The facts are a bit convoluted, but if a lien was filed 10 years ago and was against a house not in the name of the person (you) against whom the lien was targeted, it is probably invalid on several grounds, and the person with standing (your husband) should probably send a demand to the lawyer to lift the lien or face an action to quiet title and seek damages against the attorney for clouding title to the property without a valid basis.

Marshal S. Willick