Previous owners hiding a problem

[riddlep]

What is the name of your state? Michigan

Bought our house back in 2003, previous owners disclosed to us that the basement drain overflowed once in the 5 years they lived there, and all they had to do was snake it and it was fine. About a year later, the drain started to overflow again, little did we know that the drain (which was covered by a basement carpet clearly placed to hide the problem), was overflowing because the main sewer line going out to the city sewer is broken. Every plumber I have had come and look at it says that there is no way this is a new occurance, the clean-outs had been previously opened, and the previous owners even cut out a section of the tile around the drain to keep the water and sewage contained to a point, we didn't know this until the drain overflowed and we took out the carpeting. Many of the other houses on our block have had the same problem, is there anything that the previous owners are liable for even though we bought the house 2+ years ago?

[seniorjudge]

If you can prove that the prior owners KNEW of the broken sewer line and intentionally hid it, then you have a case.

[riddlep]

We have tried to find a plumber that did previous work on this house, we have even called the previous homeowners to see if we could trink them into giving us a name of a plumber that they may have used, but unfortunately i think the only way to prove they knew is either have them confess, of find a plumber they used and they maybe impossible, any ideas?