Sure, but that isn't the former owners problem.

Are you thinking of expired cards? That is different.

I can be in some cases. I got mugged and my card was used to pay for parking garages for 1.5 years until it expired even though it was canceled and blocked by the issuing bank. They said that for some transactions, the blocking mechanisms are so expensive its more economically sane to them to refund whatever was drawn.

Ugh. Did that require you to protest each charge? Or did you get a charge and credit on every bill?