Used Equipment and Responsibility for the Prior Owner's Service Bill

My question involves business law in the state of California.

I bought a large floor model Xerox copier/printer on eBay several years ago. I used third party service so I never had occasion to contact Xerox. Recently I did contact Xerox to purchase a part. They said the machine is still in the previous owner's name and there is a service bill due on the machine. They want me to pay it. I'm pretty sure I will be able to purchase the part without paying the old service bill. But I'm curious about my legal position.

Although Xerox didn't say it, apparently the machine is paid for. I figure that because the service bill was all they talked about. If there was a balance on the machine itself, I figure they'd have mentioned it. Apparently the machine is in the name of Firm A who gave it to Firm B to settle a debt between the two of them. Then Firm B sold it to me on eBay. I have had no contact at all with Firm A, but the circumstantial evidence (not stated here for brevity) seems to indicate that what firm B said about how they acquired the machine is true.

The machine was worth $40K when new, is probably worth about $10K now and I have absolutely no idea of how much the unpaid service bill is.

You can be pretty sure that you don't owe Xerox any money.

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Quoting adjusterjack

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You can be pretty sure that you don't owe Xerox any money.

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I agree, but on the other hand Xerox doesn't have to deal with you, either.

Got it. I had thought I might be in a situation similar to buying a piece of real estate without clear title because there was a lien. But I guess not. Thanks, guys.

No it's more like buying a cell phone that someone has arrears on the service with. The carrier won't turn it on again even if the name is changed. You can always try writing or calling your way up the chain at Xerox service to see if they would like to keep you as a customer of a used machine but they're under no obligation to do so.