Underpaid Property Taxes

[cwilliams]

I bought a house in southwestern Ohio a year ago, seemingly without incident. The sellers put three months worth of property taxes into escrow, at the then current tax rate (which hadn't been updated to include the value of the house - just the land).

When I got the tax bill, this year, for last years taxes, it had gone up dramatically. Basically, the sellers effectively underpaid into escrow almost $800 for those first three months of '99.

Aside from the fact that my realtor let me down on this one, am I entitled to demand that the former owners pay the full amount of taxes due during their ownership of the house??

 

[Tracey]

Does your purchase/escrow agreement say they pay the first 3 months' taxes, or that they pay $xxx towards the first 3 months' taxes? If number 1, sue in small claims court. If number 2, sue the escrow company and/or your agent for screwing up. You'll have to check the escrow company's liability for incorrectly figuring escrow fees.



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This is not legal advice and you are not my client. Double check everything with your own attorney and your state's laws.