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Who is responsible for a previous owner's outstanding ad-valorem taxes?

Hello,

I bought a used car for cash, when I got to the DMV and tried to get the tags, I was told that there are outstanding taxes that the previous owner incurred for not renewing their tags on time. The previous owner’s birthday was in 2/09, the car was repossessed in 5/09, I bought the car in 7/09. I called the dealer back…basically they are not responsible to pay this and hang up on me. I don’t understand how I’m responsible for something that was incurred prior to me owning the vehicle. Is this legal??

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Attorney answers (1)

Reputation Level 10
Taxes such as these typically follow the vehicle, meaning that whoever owns the vehicle is responsible for its taxes, past and present. You may have a potential claim with the dealer but other factors such as whether you were assured that all the taxes were paid would be relevant. If you would like to know more, please contact my office.

****Disclaimer***answers provided on this site are not intended to create an attorney-client relationship in any way. If you wish to discuss this issue further, please contact our office privately.

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