Dispute with ex-flatmate over gas and electricity bill- advice needed

lwwatson

Thanks, I may need to use that! She's agreed to meet tonight and is going to bring internet printouts of her account, will this have the necessary information same as a bill? Hopefully, just want this sorted out to be honest!

HappyMJ

lwwatson wrote: »

Thanks, I may need to use that! She's agreed to meet tonight and is going to bring internet printouts of her account, will this have the necessary information same as a bill? Hopefully, just want this sorted out to be honest!

Of her electric account or her bank account? If it's the electricity account both sides will be needed of each quarters bills to see if readings are actuals or estimates. The bank statement is useless as she could have overpaid as you allege and got a cheque back.

lwwatson

Electric accounts I believe, we're meeting sunday or monday now as tonight doesn't suit, will have to wait and see what she brings

spinningsheep

Hi Luke, as i understand it you were sharing a flat, who's name was the tenancy in? Were you all on it? If this other girl owned the flat she should have entered your deposit into a deposit scheme, was this done? Also, who's name was on the utility account? If it was her's alone, this is a separate issue,she owes you the deposit (or 3 times it awarded by a court if you pursued it should it not be in a protection scheme) and the matter of your portion towards the utility bills is a civil matter, which she could indeed pursue via the county court, but as someone has kindly pointed out in that letter, she would indeed need to provide documentary evidence to support her claim, which is all you are asking for now. If the bill has several names on, I believe this means you are all "jointly and severably liable" meaning the utility company can pursue anyone who's name appears on the bill. Hope you get somewhere!

grahamc2003

lwwatson wrote: »

Thanks, I may need to use that! She's agreed to meet tonight and is going to bring internet printouts of her account, will this have the necessary information same as a bill? Hopefully, just want this sorted out to be honest!

It depends exactly what she means by 'internet printouts', which may or may not include the bills.

If she doesn't bring you exactly the informationI outlined in post 4, then you can't work out what you owe. What she may have paid to her supplier is largely irrelevant, so if she just brings her payments or statement of account, how can you work out what you owe from that? She may have built up a large credit from her payments during your stay - surely you don't want to pay for that do you?

Ifyou want it done with, then just pay what she asks. But if you want to pay your fair share, you'll just have to get the required info.

Also, I'd ask for your deposit back when you meet her, irrespective of the bills. If it does get to court (which is very easy for you to do, online) landlords withholding deposits without good reason, nor following deposit procedures, puts you in an unassailable position imv.

lwwatson

Thanks for the help. The flat belonged to a landlord who I never met, she was already renting the place when I moved in and I dealt entirely with her, paid her the deposit etc. The utility account is in her name alone and was dealt with entirely by her.

Like I say, I do want to resolve the matter and I have no problem paying what I owe but I intend to be only paying exactly what I should be and I can't work out what that should be based on the information I've been given. I'm meeting her on monday now so I guess I'll just have to see what information she brings and take it from there- if it is just a page showing payments made then that is not good enough.

spinningsheep

lwwatson wrote: »

Thanks for the help. The flat belonged to a landlord who I never met, she was already renting the place when I moved in and I dealt entirely with her, paid her the deposit etc. The utility account is in her name alone and was dealt with entirely by her.

Admirable as that is, if she continues to be difficult, you can use the situation as leverage. You have no legal obligation to pay her squat, she was the tenant, the account was in her name, she is responsible to pay all charges on the account. Morally you are offering to pay YOUR fair share, but you want proof of exactly what this fair share was. If she continues to lead you a merry dance on providing this evidence, it may be worth asking her whether her landlord knew she was subletting? Just a thought! :A The deposit though, if you did not have any kind of AST, I think you would be classed as a lodger, in which case you have very little in the way of rights, which may also include enforcing any return of the deposit, you may have to chase her via the county courts as a last resort.

lwwatson

OK, so she's handed me over bills now but the issue is still not sorted. She is claiming the direct debits are over and above the actual amounts which just doesn't seem correct to me

I have online prints from her which show that the "summary of my bill charges" for gas and electricity from these periods is:

ELECTRICITY

13/11-31/3- £121.36
1/2-6/2- £7.76
7/2-22/2- £18.53
23/2-31/3- £34.80

GAS

13/11-31/1- £372.92
1/2-6/2- 18.17
7/2-22/2- £39.10
23/2-31/3- £57.63

We went through these figures (taking off the relevant amounts for the time in November I wasn't there) and it comes to around £600 for the period I was there. She says that these figures do not include the £60 monthly direct debit that we paid, and that these are over and above. I'm not clear on this but the way they read to me is that they are overall amounts and that the D/D money is not taken off automatically but I'm really not sure. The company is Scottish Power

She also gave me a printout of a sheet that says Bill & Payment History and this shows as follows:

Date:       Bills/Charges     Payments     Balance
 
5/4/11                        £180        £180.04 in credit
4/4/11      £92.43 (actual)               £0.04 in credit
1/4/11                        £249.26     £92.47 in credit
1/4/11                        £177.33     £156.79 in debit
7/3/11                        £180.00     £334.12 in debit
24/2/11     £57.63 (actual)               £514.12 in debit
8/2/11      £25.93 (actual)               £456.49 in debit
7/2/11                        £60.00      £430.56 in debit
 
There's a gap in the info (page she ain't given me) here then it goes on
 
5/1/11                        £60.00      £3.72 in credit
6/12/10                       £60.00      £56.28 in debit
12/11/10    £178.02 (estimate)            £116.28 in debit

If there's any other info required then I can give it but my main question is whether the direct debits are charged separately from the other amounts, as this is what's making a huge difference to how much money I owe (or don't as the case may be)

Thanks for your help

DVardysShadow

Not good enough. You require actual bills with readings and dates. She is taking you for a mug by saying that the bill is over and above the direct debits. Don't pay her a penny until you see proper bills with meter readings.

laurel7172

What is the agreed meter reading when you moved in, and when you moved out? Multiply the difference by the price per unit, divide by three, add on your share of the standing charge and deduct what you've paid already. It would be nice if everything else added up, but it isn't necessary.

Anyway, I notice that £116 was owed on 12 November, and that the account was £180 in credit on 5 April. That's £300 immediately that you shouldn't be paying one third of...