Local government put a lien on my home because the previous owner didn't pay their sewage bill. Is this even legal?

[Sowanaski]

I woke up this morning and checked my mail and found a letter addressed to me from my local government. The letter was a notice of water shutoff and lien being placed on my home due to a delinquency of payment. The billing period cited for nonpayment was from January 2020 to April 2020. My wife and I bought the house at the end of March 2020. The letter stated the charges are against (previous owner's name). The letter was, however, addressed to me. I have until the end of the month to pay the balance, or they are going to start an eviction process and sell our home. I called the office for my local government and told them I did not own the property at the time of the bill and did not receive any notice there was an unpaid balance until today. I also expressed that I should not be responsible for payment due to not owning the home at the time. The person on the phone told me that the way the law works in Pennsylvania allows for this sort of thing. I was told to speak to my realtor, and when I called them they told me to contact the closing agency. I can't find our documentation so I can call them.

This can't be legal for the local governnent to do. I've paid all my bills early every single month. How can they get away with pushing someone else's debt onto me?

[Anonymous]

In the UK when property is bought people generally employ a conveyancer who is, I think, responsible for making sure that there are no problems associated with the property, I don't know the exact scope of this work or specifically what is included but it seems to me to be well inside the realm of possibility that you have employed such a person and you may be able to sue them for not having done their job properly.

The rules vary in different places but it is not uncommon in the world for properties to, if not literally, then effectively be their own legal entities, like a company is a legal entity and for debts to belong to the property rather than the person who took out the loan.

You 'should' have been aware of this before you bought the property, so either you have not been 'duly diligent' or those in your employ have not been.

UItimately it would appear that you are responsible and you are being held to account and you are going to be the one who suffers if you do not pay the bill.

I would suggest that you do your homework and find out what the situation is, first and foremost confirm if they can take the action they say they can take against you, if they can and it certainly sounds as though that is the case, then if I were in your place, I would pay the bill and I would then attempt to recover my losses from my conveyancer, if it were financially and emotionally etc viable to do so having factored in the difficulties, time and cost of persuing legal action against them.

Most likely you will end up having to simply eat this loss and consider it a lesson learned, a cost of doing business and be thankful that the debt is so small.

[WindAtMyBack]

If they told you it's legal it probably is. Did you do a title search before buying the house. Did you buy title insurance?

For now I'd just pay the bill. Then talk to the real estate agent and/or seller. Maybe you can get reimbursed. Just be glad it was only a sewage bill and not a huge mechanics lien or something.

[Sowanaski]

This was my first ever home that I bought myself. I dont even know what a title search is.

[WindAtMyBack]

A title search is for just this type of thing.

The agent should have informed you. If you took out a loan I'm surprised the bank didn't require it to get the loan.

[Yabbut]

Did you have a contract with the seller? This happened to me with a water bill. I called my realtor, he called the seller's realtor. She took care of it. Otherwise, I could have sued the seller for breaching the contract. It clearly stated all final bills would be paid.

[Anonymous]

In some states it is legal. Just like owed property taxes. In some states the buyer has to pay them before they can even enter the property. In my state, it is illegal for the local/state government to do that. What my state does is prevent them from owning property and/or being able to get local/state services. Water, electric, sewer, garbage pick up.

[Opinion Owner]

I mean the former owners.

[rigmarole]

That's why title searches are done... Generally unresolved title issues prevent sale of the property until the debt has been resolved. Someone didn't do their due diligence before signing a contract...

[DryGermanGuy]

Welcome to America, home of predator capitalism. I hope you are not part of an HOA? They can pull this shit for not liking the color of the flowers your wife planted.

[Staximus]

I don't think that's legal. Call an attorney