ComplaintsforTown & Country Title Co
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Complaint Details
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Initial Complaint
11/15/2022
- Complaint Type:
- Billing Issues
- Status:
- Answered
We closed on our home 06/13/22. Several weeks later we received a sewer bill for the unpaid sewer from the previous owner. This closing should not have happened with an unpaid utility bill. The sewer company sent the bill to collections and have been unable to collect from the previous owner so now we are responsible for a bill that we did not incur all because the title company is either too lazy or too stupid to pick up the phone and check on the sewer bill. According to the sewer company (*** ***** ********* ******** ** ************), pursuant to Section 11-139-8 of the Illinois Municipal Code, homeowners who sell their property cannot leave behind an unpaid sewer bill.Business response
12/05/2022
As a title company we only report and pay recorded liens. We specifically issue a title commitment that is sent to the buyer prior to closing with the following requirement and notification:
NOTE FOR INFORMATION: Attention is directed to ordinances and regulations relating to connections, charges and liens for use of any public sewerage, water or other utility systems serving to land referred to herein. We call your attention to the fact that all sewer and utility bills should be obtained from the offices supplying the service. We indicated only recorded liens.
The buyer was notified by virtue of the title commitment that we do not call to obtain final bills. That is the responsibility of the seller and the buyer and their real estate agents. The buyer should simply call her real estate agent and inform her the seller did not pay their final utility bill. The seller's real estate agent could then contact the seller and require them to pay it. This is standard practice in our industry. The seller signed a sales contract with the buyer agreeing to pay all final bills. If the seller decides not to pay, then the buyer has legal recourse and can sue the seller for relief. In any event in no way is the title company responsible for this bill. This is a case of the seller and buyer wanting to dump their problems on someone else. Please let me know if you have any questions or need anything else.
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Customer Complaints Summary
1 total complaints in the last 3 years.
0 complaints closed in the last 12 months.