Sec. 301.7425-1 Discharge of liens; scope and application; judicial proceedings.
(a) In general.
A tax lien of the United States, or a title derived from the enforcement of a tax lien of the United States, may be discharged or divested under local law only in the manner prescribed in section 2410 of Title 28 of the United States Code or in the manner prescribed in section 7425 of the Internal Revenue Code. Section 7425(a) contains provisions relating to the discharge of a lien when the United States is not joined as a party in the judicial proceedings described in subsection (a) of section 2410 of Title 28 of the United States Code. These judicial proceedings are plenary in nature and proceed on formal pleadings. Section 7425(b) contains provisions relating to the discharge of a lien or a title derived from the enforcement of a lien in the event of a nonjudicial sale with respect to the property involved. Section 7425(c) contains special rules relating to the notice of sale requirements contained in section 7425(b). Section 301.7425-2 contains rules with respect to the nonjudicial sales described in section 7425(b). Paragraph (a) of section 301.7425-3 contains rules with respect to the notice of sale provisions of section 7425(c)(1). Paragraph (b) of section 301.7425-3 contains rules relating to the consent to sale provisions of section 7425(c)(2). Paragraph (c) of section 301.7425-3 contains rules relating to the sale of perishable goods provisions of section 7425(c)(3). Paragraph (d) of section 301.7425-3 contains the requirements with respect to the contents of a notice of sale. Section 301.7425-4 prescribes rules with respect to the redemption of real property by the United States.
(b) Effective date.
The provisions of section 7425, as added by the Federal Tax Lien Act of 1966, are effective with respect to sales described in section 7425 occurring after November 2, 1966. The notice of sale provisions of section 7425(c)(1) or (3) do not apply to sales occurring after November 2, 1966, if the seller of the property performed an act before November 3, 1966, which act at the time of performance was required and effective under local law with respect to the sale. An example of such an act is publication of a notice of the sale in a local newspaper before November 3, 1966, if local law requires such publication before a sale and the publication is effective under local law. Accordingly, in such a case, it is not necessary to notify the Internal Revenue Service pursuant to the provisions of section 7425(c)(1) or (3). With respect to a notice of sale required under section 7425(c)(1) or (3)--
(1) Any notice of sale given to an office of the Internal Revenue Service or the Treasury Department during the period November 3, 1966, through December 21, 1966, shall be considered as adequate;
(2) Any notice of sale given during the period December 22, 1966, through January 31, 1968, which complies with the provisions of either--
(i) Revenue Procedure 67-25, 1967-1 C.B. 626 (based on Technical Information Release 873, dated December 22, 1966), or
(ii) Section 301.7425-3, shall be considered as adequate; and
(3) Any notice of sale given after January 31, 1968, which complies with the provisions of section 301.7425-3 shall be considered as adequate.
(c) Judicial proceedings
(1) In general.
Section 7425(a) provides rules, where the United States is not joined as a party, to determine the effect of a judgment in any civil action or suit described in subsection (a) of section 2410 of title 28 of the United States Code (relating to joinder of the United States in certain proceedings), or a judicial sale pursuant to such a judgment, with respect to property on which the United States has or claims a lien under the provisions of this title. If the United States is improperly named as a party to a judicial proceeding, the effect is the same as if the United States were not joined.
(2) Notice of lien filed when the proceeding is commenced.
Where the United States is not properly joined as a party in the court proceeding and a notice of lien has been filed in accordance with section 6323(f) or (g) in the place provided by law for such filing at the time the action or suit is commenced, a judgment or judicial sale pursuant to such a judgment shall be made subject to and without disturbing the lien of the United States.
(3) Notice of lien not filed when the proceeding is commenced
(i) General rule.
Where the United States is not joined as a party in the court proceeding and either a notice of lien has not been filed in accordance with section 6323(f) or (g) in the place provided by law for such filing at the time the action or suit is commenced, or the law makes no provision for that filing, a judgment or judicial sale pursuant to such a judgment shall have the same effect with respect to the discharge or divestment of the lien of the United States as may be provided with respect to these matters by the local law of the place where the property is situated.
(ii) Examples.
The provisions of subparagraph (3) may be illustrated by the following examples:
Example 1. A, the first mortgagee of an apartment building located in State Y, commenced a foreclosure action on the mortgage prior to the time that a notice of a Federal tax lien, on that building, had been filed. Under the law of Y, junior liens on real property are discharged by a judicial sale pursuant to a judgment in a foreclosure action. Therefore, the Federal tax lien on the building will be discharged by the judicial sale. This result is the same whether the tax lien arose before or after the date of commencement of the foreclosure action and whether notice of the tax lien was filed at any time after commencement of the foreclosure action.
Example 2. On January 10, 1969, B dies testate and devises Blackacre to C. At B's death, Blackacre is subject to a first mortgage held by D. Realty is subject to administration as part of a decedent's estate under the laws of State X. However, C takes possession of Blackacre with the assent of E, the executor of B's estate. On January 5, 1970, D commences a foreclosure action on the mortgage. Under the law of X, junior liens on real property are discharged by a judicial sale pursuant to a judgment in a foreclosure action. After commencement of the proceedings, an assessment for estate taxes is made and, thereafter, a notice of lien is filed in accordance with section 6323. The special lien on Blackacre, arising at the date of B's death, for estate taxes under section 6324(a) will be discharged by the judicial sale because there are no provisions for filing a notice thereof under law and junior liens are discharged by the sale under local law. The lien is discharged even though the executor failed to obtain a discharge of his personal liability under section 2204. Furthermore, the general lien on Blackacre under section 6321 will be discharged by the judicial sale because the foreclosure action was commenced prior to the time that a notice of lien was filed.
(4) Proceeds of a judicial sale.
If a judicial sale of property pursuant to a judgment in any civil action or suit to which the United States is not a party discharges a lien of the United States arising under the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, the United States may claim the proceeds of the sale (exclusive of costs) prior to the time that distribution of the proceeds is ordered. The claim of the United States in such a case is treated as having the same priority with respect to the proceeds as the lien had with respect to the property which was discharged from the lien by the judicial sale.
[T.D. 7430, 41 FR 35178, Aug. 20, 1976]
