Problem with Previous House-Mates

PhoenixFlame

This is my first post on this forum, and I wish it was a different subject, but I am afraid I have been rather silly.

I moved in with some friends around six months ago and when it came to discussing bills, housemate A said that we could put all the bills in his name as he had the best credit history and it would make things a lot easier.
The rest of us agreed and thought he was a jolly nice bloke for doing such a thing.

Six months on, and he and his partner have moved out and signed over the bills to another house-mate. We get a gas bill a few days later along with a rather miffed reminder letter. We owe over a grand and the gas bills haven't been paid since October. We had been giving the money he asked for every month to pay for the bills, so this should not have been a problem.

Now, we *should* have been suspicious when we never saw any of the bills, but he was our friend, so we thought we had no need to worry. Yes, very silly of us indeed.

Now I just feel a bit... well, lost. Getting the money for this bill from them is going to be like getting blood from a stone. What options are open to us?

Thank you very much in advance.

Markyt

If it is just in his name, then it is his bill - nothing to do with you at all, legally speaking. Ring the supplier, and arrange a change of account holder. Let them chase him for the money.

david29dpo

I am pretty sure any bill in his name he is liable for, not you or the others.

talulahbeige_2

Tell them he has moved, give them a forwarding address and a reading from now. They can work out an estimation of what the read would have been when he left and they will then chase him for the bill.

Although you mentioned it was now in another housemates name, did you just change names or did the utility company offically start a new account?

Sammy85_2

Please please please make sure you have a reading from the date you took over the bills..

We forgot when we bought our house and were lumped with a big bill from the previous owner plus baliff visits whilst we fought it! In the end we had to pay up as we couldnt prove that we hadnt used it.

Any bills run up whilst it was in his name are exactly that, his. Pass on his details and let them chaise him. If you continue to receive bills after you have notified the company then write on the envelope "not at this address" and put them back in the post box.

DVardysShadow

Markyt wrote: »

If it is just in his name, then it is his bill - nothing to do with you at all, legally speaking. Ring the supplier, and arrange a change of account holder. Let them chase him for the money.

No, don't arrange a change of account holder - the present account is fine, it is in the name of the person with the money. Leave the utilities to chase him and give them his forwarding address.

What you must do is take opening readings and start a new account.

PhoenixFlame

talulahbeige wrote: »

Tell them he has moved, give them a forwarding address and a reading from now. They can work out an estimation of what the read would have been when he left and they will then chase him for the bill.

Although you mentioned it was now in another housemates name, did you just change names or did the utility company offically start a new account?

Unfortunatly we don't know their new addresss, and neither does the landlord.
The account was switched to another housemate before they left but I think it was just a name change.

Sammy85 wrote: »

Please please please make sure you have a reading from the date you took over the bills..

We forgot when we bought our house and were lumped with a big bill from the previous owner plus baliff visits whilst we fought it! In the end we had to pay up as we couldnt prove that we hadnt used it.

Any bills run up whilst it was in his name are exactly that, his. Pass on his details and let them chaise him. If you continue to receive bills after you have notified the company then write on the envelope "not at this address" and put them back in the post box.

I shall make sure I arrange a readin asap. I never thought of that. Thank you.

DVardysShadow wrote: »

No, don't arrange a change of account holder - the present account is fine, it is in the name of the person with the money. Leave the utilities to chase him and give them his forwarding address.

What you must do is take opening readings and start a new account.

Won't we still be lumped with the old bill even if we start a new account?

Sammy85_2

Take the reading yourself, photograph with date in the corner is best, no arguement then (hopefully). It can take weeks to get a reader man to come out.

You are not liable for the old bill UNLESS it was in your name, you say it was in your house mates name, therefore it is his bill.

PhoenixFlame

Sammy85 wrote: »

Take the reading yourself, photograph with date in the corner is best, no arguement then (hopefully). It can take weeks to get a reader man to come out.

You are not liable for the old bill UNLESS it was in your name, you say it was in your house mates name, therefore it is his bill.

Ah ok, thanks for that. I shall get that done now.

DVardysShadow

PhoenixFlame wrote: »

Won't we still be lumped with the old bill even if we start a new account?

Not according to what normally happens.

You have been scammed by your housemate. Nothing unusual in that, it happens all the time over utility bills. Except the normal way the scam is done is to put the bills in the name of the most wide eyed innocent and the others do a bunk not having paid their share. Your housemate did it the other way around and took the money but didn't pay the utilities.

Now when it happens the usual way around, the utility companies will ONLY pursue the named account holder. If anything different happens here to you, it will be a very interesting precedent and you should post back!

But do your best to find where your housemate has gone and dob him in

System

This happened in one of the house i shared, only problem we had was regarding baliifs as apparently unless you have receipts and can prove belongings are yours they can apparently take them?