Tax Assessment after Purchase

[ceh789]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? MN

I purchased my home April 24, 2008.

The previous owner bought it in October 2007 as a forclosure and flipped it. During the time they owned it, it was registered as a vacant building. The certificate of occupancy was restored and the house was removed from the vacant building registry before I closed on it, as conditions of my mortgage.

In August of 2008, the city placed an assessment on my property for an unpaid vacant building fee. This assessment has not yet been resolved.

I have made many calls and visits to city and county offices with no resolution. Currently, I am working with the Title Company who did the Title Search and closing on my transaction but it has been over 2 months since I first contacted them with no resolution.

My questions are:
* Do I owe this money? Was this correctly applied to my tax bill?
* Do I have a claim on my Owners Title Insurance policy to cover this cost?
* Is the Title Company the correct people to work with to get this resolved? If not, who should I contact?

Thank you in advance for any advice you can offer.