housemate drama

taram_2

My previous housemate and I weren't getting on very well due to her behaviour so I decided to leave. We had a rental contract from July 2011-Jan 2012 so when I left in October I paid up the rest of my contract, handed the keys in, got the estate agent to check the house etc, paid all bills, including 2 months council tax extra so up to end of November. Estate agent was happy, I was happy.

Done I thought, I can move on! Brilliant!

Now the housemate is claiming I owe her council tax in Dec and Jan, and half the cancellation for the internet, which is 100+ for my share as she foolishly took out an expensive 18 month contract, despite knowing we'd be there for 6 months. She's bringing me to the small claims court she says!

What can I do? She knows where my new house is!

clutton_2

pay her the money

McKneff

Yes, I agree. not sure about the internet charge though,

The rest, you owe it so...............

bristol_pilot

You could go into the council offices and ask them about the council tax. The staff there will give you the definitive answer. (I suspect you will not be liable, especially if the tax was solely in the ex-housemate's name and you were not living there - but you need to check). If it turns out you are liable, pay it to the council, not to the ex-housemate who could simply pocket it and still leave you owing the money!

If the internet contract is in the ex-housemate's name alone...tell her to get lost; if it's in joint names you'll have to pay up. Taking someone to the small claims court is very easy, if she does this it is essential that you show up for the hearing or she may get judgement by default. If you lose in the small claims court it is not the end of the world, you only get a CCJ registered against you if you then don't pay into court.

taram_2

She had been living there a two weeks before I moved in as a housemate, hence she took the contract out for the internet.

I'm glad to hear about the CCJ is not automatic, I'll pay if I have to, just wasn't sure I would have to since I haven't had a rental agreement there since October.

TrickyDicky101

Is the internet contract solely in her name then? If so, don't pay it.

BitterAndTwisted

I'd be writing her a polite note explaining why you don't think you owe her anything. Having to take such drastic measures as moving out and finding somewhere else because of their behaviour must be worth a couple of quid. Admit nothing in case she waves your letter in court. I think it's extremely unlikely that she would spend half of what she claims you owe her by starting proceedings, but you just never know. This bint's got form, after all.

BitterAndTwisted

Actually, you do still have a rental agreement, you've just paid the rent in full to the end of your joint AST

bristol_pilot

Whose name was/is on the council tax bill?

Lavendyr

taram wrote: »

Now the housemate is claiming I owe her council tax in Dec and Jan

Depending on your arrangement with council tax, you typically only pay 10 out of 12 months (i.e. the cost is spread over 10 months) with nothing to pay for 2 months of the year.

Also, from the council's perspective, you should make sure that your name came off the property on the date you left as otherwise they could hold you liable.

Therefore as long as you informed the council that your occupancy ceased on the correct date, you should no longer be liable for CT from that date. Anything else is up to her.

taram wrote: »

and half the cancellation for the internet, which is 100+ for my share as she foolishly took out an expensive 18 month contract, despite knowing we'd be there for 6 months. She's bringing me to the small claims court she says!

Likewise, whose name was on the contract? If just hers, the company can't hold you liable. She could try and take you to court over it but I can't see how she'd succeed...

taram_2

Everything was in her name, except the council tax bill which was in both of ours.

When I left the council took my name off automatically, but she didn't tell me this and I paid October/November/December before I realised. I rang the council to double check my name was off the bill (she had said she put me on all the other bills after I'd left- even though I was paid to the companies, and had them check the meters to prove it) and they said I had been taken off in on 29th September, when I signed for my new house.

There's lots of other factors in play, like we had a third housemate who left after a month who she works with and has never asked for a penny off, including the month's bills when she was there. So apologies if I come across bitter and angry over a single month's council tax.