Nashville, TN asked in Real Estate Law for Tennessee

Q: I sold my house and 3 months later the closing lawyer notified me that I still owe real estate taxes on the house I sold

I thought the closing lawyer was supposed to research taxes and liens on the property and make sure everything was pd. The new owner got a real estate tax bill in his name for the taxes that weren't pd. I didn't realize that all taxes due on the property were deducted from my settlement at closing and now I don't have the money to pay the past due taxes on the house I sold. What are my options?

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1 Lawyer Answer
Anthony M. Avery
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Answered
  • Knoxville, TN
  • Licensed in Tennessee

A: Read your contract for sale and your deed. Those instruments may or may not require you to convey free of any tax encumbrances. If it is a warranty deed, you might be liable for taxes up to the sale date. But ultimately I hope you took your money from the closing. If not , you should not have signed the deed. The closing lawyer probably does not represent you. A decent lawyer at a small fee should be able to tell you if you have to pay something or let the buyer sue you.

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