A Texas physician and his wife face the loss of their family home after a federal judge ruled they owe more than $2 million in unpaid taxes spanning nearly a decade, greenlighting the U.S. government’s bid to foreclose on the property.

On Monday, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone entered default judgment against Dr. Manuel Aranda Jr. and his wife, Melissa Marie Aranda, after the couple failed to respond to a federal complaint accusing them of neglecting to file tax returns since 2013.

Millions in Debt and Interest

According to the ruling, the Arandas’ tax bill amounts to $2.1 million, including taxes, penalties, and interest for the years 2016 through 2022. Judge Cardone also awarded the government prejudgment interest at 7% dating back to January, as well as post-judgment interest until the debt is satisfied.

The government argued that beyond foreclosure, the court should force the couple to file taxes and submit estimated payments for the next five years. But Judge Cardone rejected the request, saying the law did not authorize such sweeping injunctions in this case.

Limits on Government’s Reach

The court stressed that injunctions of this kind are typically reserved for tax professionals engaged in shelters or schemes, not individuals delinquent on personal filings.

“Tellingly, neither situation applies here,” Judge Cardone wrote, noting that the government’s reliance on Internal Revenue Code Section 7402(a) stretched the statute beyond its scope. The code, she explained, empowers courts to enforce tax laws but does not give judges authority to impose forward-looking obligations on taxpayers who failed to comply in the past.

The government, she added, could not point to any precedent to support such a demand.

Silence in the Face of Litigation

The Arandas were served with the suit in November, but neither appeared in court nor filed a single response. Judge Cardone found no evidence suggesting their silence stemmed from mistake or confusion, concluding that default judgment was proper under every factor considered.

Representation

The U.S. government is represented by Ramona Stephens Notinger of the Justice Department’s Tax Division. Counsel for the Arandas could not be identified, and neither they nor the DOJ immediately returned requests for comment.

The case underscores the heavy consequences of ignoring tax obligations — a cautionary tale where silence, in the eyes of the court, became as damning as the debt itself.