Unpaid water bill

gegenmann

Have received a letter from a solicitor working on behalf of Southern Water advising that I owe £522.00 dating from 2006-2009. I understood that my rent at this property included water bills. i cant raise any evidence to back this up as the agent for the property no longer exists and my rental agreement is completely illegible through water damage (ironically). Is there anything I can do?

Cardew

Welcome to the forum.

It would be most unusual for water charges to be included in the rent.

Southern Water are not interested in a 'third person' dispute between you/letting agent/landlord. As far as they are concerned you used the water and in the absence of the landlord agreeing to pay the outstanding debt, you are liable.

Even in the unlikely event the rental agreement did say that the landlord would pay, Southern Water will still get the money from you, and it is up to you to take Civil Action to recover that money.

Sorry

macman

Your rental contract was with the landlord, not the agency. Can you not trace the former?

ValHaller

Anything more than 6 years old is statute barred - cannot be enforced in a court. I suggest that if you cannot prove that the Landlord was liable, you take the hit. Write back to the solicitor and ask for bills covering the period in question. Then write again and offer to settle bills from 6 years before they wrote to you by installments. Meanwhile save towards paying the bills off.

Probably you only owe half the claimed money anyway.

It is worth a shot trying to contact the landlord - he may have proof he paid or just be plain decent about it - but expect to be disappointed - he is unlikely to put his hand up to owing the money or give you any proof that he is responsible.