Problems with water bill & Mackenzie Hall Dept Collectors

boshdmg

Hello

I woke this morning with a nice red "Notice of Court Action" letter from Mackenzie Hall, for a sum of £400 that is supposedly over due on my account with Northumbrian Water, and the letter says that I must pay by the 22nd of the September to avoid the action, it’s the 23rd today!

This is also the first I have ever heard of this dept, I haven’t received any prior warnings, no red bills, nothing. I rang up Northumbrian water and they couldn’t tell me any thing, so I contacted Mackenzie Hall and they treated me like some sort criminal and basically weren’t interested in anything I had to say, all they could tell me was the address the charge was concerning, but not the period that I edgily have not paid the bills for. The address they mentioned was somewhere I have not lived for 3 years, and that i am certain the water bill was paid for.

I then took this info back to Northumbrian water and they still couldn’t tell me anything, they said the account was locked and they referred me to a third party Alexander James, who are the solicitors handling the case, which aren’t open till 9 on Monday.

My fear is the next tenants did not bother to put the water account in their name and did not bother to pay the bills. Am I still liable?

I am also worried about how I will prove I wasn’t living there, like all students I’ve had many addresses since then and I didn’t keep my tenancy agreements etc. What do I do?

cliffjudith

Sounds like tyhey are harrassing you. There is legislation to prevent this. get some advice from a solicitor and threaten to take legal action against them as you have not been informed of charges and they do not relate to you.
Go for the top person you can get, phone him/her and if you cannot get through to the right person, email and write a letter keeping a copy.
Might be useful to put an invoice to them for the time and trouble that has been caused.
Good luck.

boshdmg

thanks cliffjudith,

I would like to have the balls to threaten legal action, but i dont want to have to pay for a solicitor, i just want this out of my life asap. Iv now rang all aparties concerned and it turns out my name is on the bill to this day, and they claim i am liable for all the charges unless i can prove i am\was living else where, which i have been doing since Jul 2003


I can do this for the last year or so, as i still have my tennancy agreement for my current house. But i have nothing that legally proves my exact move out date or where i was leaving immediatly afterwards in jul 2003. My landlord at the time is not contactable. The best i can do it a letter from the agent who found the tennants who moved in after me, and a closing elecrity bill in my flatmates name.....Northumbrian Water \ Alexander James claim this is not enough evidence.....but surly they are trying their luck, there case wouldnt stand up in court?


Would they have to take me to court to prove the debt it mine before the send the baliffs out?

aniusbolh

Go to the following site to read about Mackenzie Hall and their methods :

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/debt-bailiffs-advice/2039-mackenzie-hall-do-any.html

Also go here to find out about the 1980 Limitation Act regarding debt that's over 6 years old.

This probably doesn't apply to your particular debt if it was incurred in 2003 but it's worth being aware of to anyone with old debts :

http://www.nationaldebtline.co.uk/england_wales/factsheet.php?page=25_liability_for_debts_and_the_limitation_act

Good Luck !

boshdmg

After many letters and phone battle, i got Northumberland water to drop their claim......in the end it turned out they owed me £14!!!!