‘Bogus’ Liens Target Of Bill

Legislation to make it harder to file bogus liens against public officials was introduced Tuesday, but not without some questions.

Rep. Tom Dorr, R-Post Falls said, “It appears as though this is trying to limit the ability of private citizens from placing liens against public officials. Does that liberty still exist for the state to place these liens against private individuals?”

Deputy Attorney General Bill Von Tagen replied that the legislation applies only to liens that have no legitimate legal basis. They have increasingly been filed against public officials as what Attorney General Al Lance calls “terrorist devices” designed to intimidate the officials or press a grudge.

But if the state were to try to file a bogus lien, it, too, would be limited by this bill, Von Tagen said.

Rep. Ralph Gines, R-Boise, said that while some liens are spurious, “there are still rights under common law people have, and one of them is the right to file a lien. I don’t like saying that we’re going to limit it.”

The House State Affairs Committee voted unanimously to introduce the bill.

, DataTimes