How to Remove a Lien Amount from Your Bank Account?

Yes, it is possible to remove the lien amount from your bank account, but it must be done only after sorting out the cause of the lien amount being placed on your account. The lien amount refers to the portion of the money in your bank account that is blocked temporarily by the bank to pay off any pending bills or comply with any court orders. Contrary to a frozen bank account where you can access nothing, a lien is a partial restriction on the account only on the specific amount.

Learning about why the lien is placed, what it entails, and how you can go about having it removed will enable you to be better positioned to sort out the issue and reclaim your account much faster. Knowing why you have a lien on your account and how it can be sorted out effectively will make your work much easier.

Key Takeaways
 

• The lien amount will block your money for a certain period of time until all the disputes are sorted out.
   
• Liens are withdrawn by banks when dues, obligations, and verification process have been successfully fulfilled.
   
• Get in touch with your bank and provide them with necessary paperwork.
   
• It is not the case that all bank liens will be automatically withdrawn.
   
• Check your account once the repayments are done and all the disputes are sorted out.

Lien Amount and Why Is There a Lien Placed on the Bank Account?

Lien amount is a certain amount in your bank account which the bank freezes until the issue for which it has been frozen is sorted out. Lien on the bank account means the legal or contractual right of the bank to freeze an amount in your account in order to cover any outstanding payments or due legal obligations.

A lien on the bank account is not at all same as freezing of the bank account. The difference between the two lies in the fact that in the case of lien on the bank account, the only restricted amount becomes unavailable while in the case of freezing of the bank account, no withdrawal can be made till the time of removal of the restrictions.

Also Read: How to Unfreeze a Bank Account: Complete Step-by-Step Guide

There are many reasons why a bank can put a lien on accounts, such as:

• Loan default: Failure to pay back a loan will prompt the bank to freeze money in your account.
   
• Secured loans: Banks can place a lien on deposits used as security for loans.
   
• Credit card balance: Failure to pay back credit cards belonging to the same bank will prompt a lien depending on the conditions of the account.
   
• Judicial orders: The courts may order banks to freeze funds when there are legal proceedings against a person.
   
•  

The direct impact of a lien on bank account will be on accessing the blocked amount. In general, the only available amount will be what is left after deducting the lien amount from the total amount. If the lien amount is equal to the total amount in the bank account, it becomes impossible to carry out transactions like withdrawal of cash, UPI payment, clearing of cheques, and online transfer because of lack of funds.

Read More - How to Close an ICICI Bank Account
 

If the account where the lien is placed is one which normally earns interest, then in most instances, the interest on the amount blocked still gets accrued. However, the amount stays blocked till the time the lien on the bank account is lifted. This largely depends on the policy of the bank and the purpose for which the lien was placed in the first place.

Can a Bank Release the Lien Amount? Can I Unblock My Lien Amount?

To answer the question whether a bank can release a lien amount, the answer is 'yes,' but the reason that the bank had placed the lien on your money in the first place would have to be sorted out. There is no way the bank can unblock a lien amount just like that.

Lien is released by banks under the following conditions:

• When all the amounts due on loans or credit cards have been paid.
   
• When the loan that was taken as collateral has been paid off.
   
• When the tax recovery notice or the court order has been withdrawn or settled.
   
• When the investigation is complete.
   
• The lien was put for some error of the bank.

To expedite the process, you might have to provide documents such as:

• Certificate of Loan Closure/No Dues Certificate
   
• Payment slips/transaction slips
   
• Court order releasing the lien, if any
   
• Tax clearance certificate
   
• Proof of identification and account particulars

If you're asking yourself, ‘How can I remove lien amount?’ then the first thing to do is to talk to customer support at your bank and get the reason for the lien and any documentation that needs to be done for the lien to be removed. If the matter is not sorted out over the phone, visit your home branch and talk to the branch manager or the customer service officer.

In case the lien amount is due to unpaid dues, pay off your dues as quickly as you can. Once you have paid, send the proof of payment to the bank and ask for confirmation that the process of lien removal has begun. If the lien is because of a dispute or incorrect restriction, submit evidence and ask the bank to remove the lien.

In cases where there is no prompt reaction from the bank, then make use of the complaint procedure of the bank. If the problem is not sorted out, you can take help of the nodal officer of the bank or even file a complaint to the banking disputes settlement body depending on the location of your area.

Time frame to lift the lien varies. While temporary banking mistakes can be sorted out in 24-72 hours, liens on loans and legal liens would take several business days or even more than that depending upon the verification of all documents.

Steps to lift lien quickly:

• Clear outstanding dues promptly.
   
• Have all receipt and documentations ready.
   
• Answer all verification notices at once.
   
• Keep following up with your bank till the lien amount is released in writing.

Thus, ‘How do I unblock my lien amount?’ The answer is by resolving the issue, providing the documents and working closely with your bank till the lien is lifted. Once your bank verifies the details, the funds would be released for use.

Is the Lien Automatically Stripped? When Will a Bank Lien Be Stripped?

Customers have many questions regarding this issue. For example, ‘Is a lien automatically stripped?’ The answer to this question will depend on the reason for putting the lien there in the first place. In certain instances, a lien on a bank account will be stripped automatically when the obligations are satisfied.

Cases of Automatic Removal of Bank Lien

There could be some instances where there will be an automatic removal of the bank’s lien such as:

• Completion of temporary verification or restriction for administrative purposes.
   
• Removal of fixed deposit held as collateral once the loan against it is paid off.
   
• Expiration of lien based on employment or subsidy as per relevant provisions.