All Forum Posts by: Brendan Wood

I talked with the city the day I bought it and, in retrospect, knew this could be an issue at that point. They said there would be a final bill sent to the previous owners (2-3 months after closing), and if they didn't pay then it would fall to me. I didn't truly connect the dots until I got the notice. Some lessons aren't fun to learn, but there is no other way when you try something new (and are too stubborn to ask for help before things are on fire).

I'm glad to hear it worked out well for you, even if it took some effort.

Update/Conclusion: I attempted to contact the previous owner but got radio silence. In the end I had to pay it, learn from it, and move on. 

Thank you for all the advice!

I didn't realize that the bills ran with the property, but that's good to know. After talking with the city yesterday I found I have a week before they act on so I have some time to try and get the seller to pay it, although it's likely that it will fall to me. I also learned this wasn’t the first time the seller’s agent has done this (leaving the final bill for the new owner) and my chances of success are minimal.

I don’t think $421 is worth suing over in this case, even if it hurts. A nice note to the seller seems to be my best course of action. Thank you for the advice! I really appreciate it.

I bought my first house July 1st, and at the time everything looked settled up and I appeared to have it free and clear. While switching the water/sewer to my name I learned they have a 3 month delay on the billing so the past due bill the previous owner paid at closing wasn't the last one. Yesterday I was reminded of that fact when the city (Norwood, OH) placed a notice on my door stating my water is to be shut-off "as soon as one day". At no point were any bills sent to the house with my name on them (as they were still under the previous owner & tenants names), so I didn't know of this all until this past Friday when the neighbor mentioned it. When I called the city then, they claimed the owner thought they had put money in escrow for it (which they hadn't) and if they hadn't then it falls to me.

So I'm curious what my rights are in this case?

Do I have a leg to stand on in arguing the bill should be forward on to the previous owner?

How have you dealt with similar situations, or how would you approach one like this?

I imagine that I might be learning a lesson and having to just pay it so it doesn't rack up more fees & inconvenience, but I'd love to find a way to resolve this without having my bank account take the hit or lose too much time over this. Thank you in advance for any advice!