Outstanding Utility Bills on our Apartment

We purchased our apartment 4 years ago and used a Solicitor in Marbella.  Our deeds state that we purchased with no  outstanding bills on the property.  As this was a fairly new apartment the local taxes had not, at that time been set and no bills had been received.  At the beginning of this year we received our local tax bills and have paid them but as the earlier bills did not apply to us but to the previous owner, we contacted our Solicitor and she advised us not to worry as money had been retained by the previous owners solicitor to pay for these.  It has now been approximatley 8 months and despite chasing our solicitor these bills are still outstanding and we have been told that if they are not paid by the previous owner after 3 years they will become our responsibility.    Our Solicitor appears to be useless and just keeps pointing to the deeds and saying 'no charges on the property' but the Local Tax Office advise us differently - what can we do?

Taxes older than 4 years are expired.

Utility bills cannot be charged against you. Just Community of owners´fees.

The deeds might have the old owners lawyers details if they did not sign the deeds themselves, try contacting them directly.

Joan

I bought my apartment three years ago, the solicitor that was recommended to me was useless, I encountered numerous problems, from him wanting to charge me €30 each for me and my wife to get Bank cards, which are free, to him saying that all the bills were paid i.e. electric etc. My friend had moved in as a long term let and 2 months later the electric was cut off! My bank were brilliant and got it sorted within 3 hours and so that the bills came out direct debit. The final straw was when I received a bill from the Benalmadena council for over €6,000 euros. It was in the name of the previous owner so I contacted them and they said it was nothing to do with them. I got in touch with another solicitor, which are very good and they said that because my old solicitor did not make sure there was any outstanding bills against the property there is nothing I can do even though the bill is in the old owners name.

Since this has happened to me I have found out that several people in the area have had the same problem, the debt goes against the house, my neighbour had the same for around €3,000. I will have to pay mine in the long run.

 I have heard that if you purchase a 2nd hand car in Spain, debts can come with it too.

Anyone know if this is true?

Thinking of buying a car in Spain and don't want to get caught out!