Previous Tennant bills (who will still be living there)

SamGallagher

Hi all,

I searched around for an answer but didn't seem to come across one (bit of a unique one) so apologise in advance if the answer is out there somewhere.

I am a student and moving into a friends property which he owns, he is also a student and will be living at the property for the year. He has not being paying his bills (water, gas and elec) for the last two years and has received many letters from various companies requesting court appearances which he has still not dealt with.

My question is am I liable in anyway for these bills? I have proof that I have lived in other addresses for the previous two years and have accounts with EON/Seven Trent water for the last two year which i should be able to obtain proof of.

The largest part I am worried about is that he wishes for the bills to be primarily under my name!!! (I would of course put it under all tenant names like previous years) but would I then be pulled into the previous years dispute? (as his name is on this account, i think it would look very strange)

I do not think he will try and land me in it but i would prefer to know what I am getting myself into and if it will effect me in the future (credit ratting etc...)

Thanks in advance for any help provided.

(If any further info is need I am happy to provide)

Cardew

Welcome to the forum.


If you are silly enough to put your name on any Utility bill it is inevitable that you will be pulled into previous year's disputes.


Bear in mind that it is 'standard practice' for people(particularly students) to run up debts on Utilities and then get someone new to become the account holder- and hope they won't be able to chase the previous account holder. As you might expect the companies are wise to this practice.


It looks very likely that is the deception your friend is intending to get away with.


Obviously you will be able to prove you were not liable before a certain date, but it will take a lot of correspondence, fuss and bother. If the debt is passed to a Debt Collection Agency(DCA) they have zero interest in the merits of any claim. They just want their money and will chase and intimidate occupants into paying.

freshstart11

IF you do get your name added on to the account PLEASE in fact say you moved in on x/y/z date and from THAT date you wish to be responsible, that will stop your responsibility

However he will then still be charged for debt ran up in his name, as it should be.

we regularly come across this - it means you would ask for payment for current charges from you and for the time before from your friend.

brewerdave

Under NO circumstances allow your name to be added to utility bills of any description. Your "friend" is quite clearly dishonest and will pull you into his web -could ruin YOUR credit record for years after graduation!!!
Presumably your friend is not intending to give you a proper legal tenancy agreement??

Cardew

freshstart11 wrote: »

IF you do get your name added on to the account PLEASE in fact say you moved in on x/y/z date and from THAT date you wish to be responsible, that will stop your responsibility

However he will then still be charged for debt ran up in his name, as it should be.

we regularly come across this - it means you would ask for payment for current charges from you and for the time before from your friend.

You seem to have missed the point that the owner will still be living in the house.


The whole point of the scam is for him to avoid paying his bills.


It is the same as if I ran up large debts on my Utilities and then put all the accounts in my wife's name, who also runs up large bills and then puts the accounts in daughter's name - then lodgers etc etc.


The OP is being asked to participate in a criminal conspiracy!

freshstart11

actually I have not. I have offered the OP a solution to the issue. to not ADD his name but to only take responsibility from a date he moved in if he is to now take responsibility.

I would not recommend it at all, in fact probably get a call a day dealing with this issue.

Whichh is why I said if he DOES do anything to only assume responsiblty since he moved in leaving the person they live with responsible for the debt