Old landlord suing my guarantor...

rrtt

Silentmike, you were perhaps going thru quite an emotional and stressful time with the breakup of your marriage when this happened. You've made a mistake and learned the hard way - hands up anyone on here who hasn't?

You need to pick up the pieces promptly and take the repayment on for yourself so your Dad doesn't get the repercussions. Might be best to approach whoever you have to repay in a conciliatory rather than antagonistic manner; you might then stand a better chance of them allowing you to repay in installments if your finances won't stand a one-off repayment.

There'll be other areas of this site for you to get help from re repayments if doing so will be difficult for you - do NOT go to a loan shark - ie frying pan into fire ...:eek:

silentmike486

Thanks for all your responses. Heres the situation as it stands now -

The utility warehouse admitted their error, and are replacing the meters again free of charge. As yet, they haven't wiped out their 'legal bill' of £700 which they are still trying to charge the landlord with. This is my next intended step - how can they admit the mistake, change the physical meters back free of charge, but still try to charge me for the legal fees incurred due to their mistake?

The solicitor is also trying to charge me for his fees, which again I am contesting (£300).

The solicitor broke several civil procedures in his initial letter to my guarantor, and I am doubtful whether it would be taken to small claims court now, considering 1) it is no longer a breach of contract, and 2) the way the solicitor acted is in my favour.

Still no word from the agents though. Why would they refuse to talk to us?

ValHaller

silentmike486 wrote: »

Still no word from the agents though. Why would they refuse to talk to us?

They are newly qualified, relatively inexperienced kids?

Well done for getting this far. If UW have admitted an error, I would say that the solicitor should be told that the remedy to the problem lay with UW and the Landlord should have contacted you first - that their costs are down to how the Landlord sought to resolve the situation and they should pursue the Landlord for their fees.

But beware this could come back to bite you if UW have actually done this out of goodwill for the LL rather than admitting an error.

silentmike486

Thats why I refuse to pay his legal fees - if the landlord or the agents had come to me first, I could have sorted it out. The first I knew about anything was when the solicitors letter arrived at my guarantors door.

wannahouse

silentmike486 wrote: »

My wife and I split, so I had nothing to do with the move-out other than the physical bit. However she says that she told the utility company the date and readings. They have no record of this, but I would believe her over them. She is a legally-minded person.

Really???

i think you'd only believe her over them, as it suits your position to do so!
she doesn't sound particulary "legally minded", as you say, as you've admitted she didn't bother paying a few bills already!

quite frankly, it sounds as if you thought you could just move out and get out of paying the balance!

DominicJ_2

The utility warehouse

Suddenly it all makes sense....