Liens Placed on Property after closing due to previous owners

What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state? Iowa

We bought a house in Nov. 2004 A title search was performed on the house and no liens were found. In January a lien was placed on the property for failure to pay a sewer bill from April 2004. In May 2005, another lien was placed on the property for failure to pay sewer bills from Oct 2004. Since these have been turned into liens, we are told we need to pay these, even though we were not the owners when the services were used. Are we responsible to pay these liens or is someone else legally obligated to do so? Thanks in advance for your help.

Mark

Someone else = your title insurance company.

Not necessarilly. In many markets, the title company only clears the "standard exceptions" based on being provided current municipal status letters. Water status, tax status, HOA payment status, if applicable. Did someone (the closing agent?) fail to review or order water and sewer status and - pay off any arrearage at closing? Check your closing statement. Were you, by chance, shown a credit on the closing statement from the seller that covered the amount owed so you could pay it at next billing?

There is no reason an unpaid municipal bill should not have been addressed on the closing statement.