Who pays service charges?

[lalalonglegs]

I am considering buying a flat at auction but, in the legal pack, there is a statement of unpaid service charges which mounts up to several thousand pounds. If I were to buy, would I be liable for those?

wouldn't that put the ownership into question (i.e. the freeholder could take steps to take it back?)

because I lived somewhere where one leaseholder wasn't paying, the rest of the leasholders wanted the freeholder to evict them (for other reasons too, bu the non payment was the most sturdy reason) but it apparently costs a lot for freeholders to do that so instead the freeholder just didn't maintain the building as not everyone had paid up. The non payer didn't care and the rest of us (and the building) suffered :-(

IMO if it has been allowed to accumulate the freeholder may not be very attentive. Where I live now the freeholder has evicted a leaseholder who seriously broke the contract/lease, which I find reassuring