5 year old Southern Water debt - letter from Uk Search Limited. Advice please?

ruintooeasy

hello,

i've been at my current address for two years and have been paying my water rates to southern water, however i have just gone on the electoral role (trying very hard to sort my credit out over the last couple of years). years ago when i was a student i didn't pay my water rates (i know!) and now i have received a letter from UK Search Limited demanding payment. I moved out of the property in 2007 so this debt is 5 years old. I know i owe the money but i am struggling financially enough as it is, and it's so close to being statute barred. what would you do? please advise.

many thanks

ruintooeasy

just bumping to see if anyone can help?

sharp910sh

Call up the water company, explain your situation and try set up a payment plan. The debt is not statute barred.

iolanthe07

I know i owe the money

Try to come sort of arrangement to pay it off, a little bit each month. Now they know where you are they will keep asking, and if they apply for a CCJ before the six years are up then the debt will not become Statute Barred.

jodie_watson

hi ive just googled uk search limited myself and come across this. today my mother received a letter like yourself also claiming the account was from 2007! my mum has lived at this address for 17 years this year and had never heard them before, we asked them to supply evidence of letters being sent as they claim they were going to the wrong address and they said to us that they cant supply evidence southern water should be able to so contacted sw and they cant as the system is blank for us! now uk search are tripping themselves up saying it was from 2007 and then telling us it was from 2 months ago! when we have been paying every month for the last 17 years!! they gave us an address for a different part of where we live and then told us our address so they have 2 addresses trying to tell us we lived somewhere when weve lived here for 17 years! it seems bogus to me! have you had any luck with it? as we are unsure to pay as they cant show us evidence and we dont think we owe this as have paid the water man and on card at a shop since forever! any advice? thanks! hope you sort it!!

flubberyzing

Jodie: If they can't, or won't, provide any proof. Ignore them. Without proof they don't have a leg to stand on.

jodie_watson

could they take us to court? even if they wont supply evidence? thanks for your reply

FireWyrm

Sure, they can take you to court, whereupon the judge will ask for their evidence that you or your family are the debtor in question. When they cant provide it, the judge will go red and shout allot.

You cant be charged for something you didnt get and it is for the DCA to prove your debt, not to prove you dont owe it.

A search of the forum will reveal various template 'Prove It' letters which you can use to ask for their 'evidence' and to help put this to bed once and for all.

Better yet...here you go : https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2607247

jodie_watson

hi thank you firewyrm i will have a look through. thanks for your help

jodie_watson

i just googled their phone number and alot of people have said the same thing they are devious, they are claiming to be people from sky and others claiming the youngest member of families is in debt and ringing none stop. and when you phone the number they answer straight away it doesnt go to an automated system like normal companies i really think this is people trying to get easy money and considering going to the police

Lensman_2

OK - let us rewind a bit here. No need for judges going red (the ones I have been in front of do anything but).

You are assuming that this is your water debt. It may not be. You should ask for proof.

Start with the prove it letter.
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=11570893&postcount=2

If you are more than 50% sure that this is yours then a SAR to the water company that provided you will be £10 well spent - unless you are certain that the last payment was a lot less than less than 6 years ago.

Check your credit file to see if it is on there too.