Federal Tax Lien prior to a quit claim

[Maria McGary]

Hi - I am in the process of trying to buy a property from a married woman in a contract for deed arrangement. The deed is in her name only.

In researching the chain of title myself, I found that after she purchased the property with a warranty deed, she quit claimed the deed from herself to her husband and her. I found a Notice of Federal Tax Lien on her husband recorded several years later. And a week after the Notice of Federal Tax Lien was recorded they quit claimed the deed back to her as a sole person on the deed.

Because both husband and wife were on the deed when the Notice of Federal Tax Lien was recorded, I am assuming that means if I buy the property from the wife (the Contract for Deed would just be for a year), the Federal Tax Lien of the husband could attach to the property and I could potentially lose it. Is that correct?

Any help/insight is greatly appreciated.