Electricity meter on neighbours land (Update)

l_whitehead94

Following on from this thread:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5113884/energy-meters-on-neighbors-land

The neighbour has now fully denied us access to our own meter. She will not even answer her phone or the front door when we go round. We also know for a fact the she is opening our meter to check that we haven't been under the fence to top the pre-payment meter up. Many many phone calls to Scottish Power about getting the meter changed have ended in being transferred from department to department before being hung up on. We have also got an ongoing case with the energy ombudsman about how useless Scottish Power have been. In the latest call we made to Scottish Power, they said that there was a lock on the account and there was no way to change the meter. They recommended we switch to another provider. Upon phoning other providers, they tell us that it will take at least 4 weeks to change over to them, then further time to install a new meter.

The neighbour has also sent a letter to the council full of accusations that we are trespassing, making the rest of the neighbours feel unsafe, littering, causing traffic problems and having loud parties. None of this is true, she is just trying to get us to leave.

What can we do with regards to topping up the meter? There is certainly not enough money on there to last until the end of tomorrow, let alone 4+ weeks. If the power does cut off (which happens very suddenly), we are essentially stuck. We can't go over the fence for fear of her involving the police and a trespassing case. She will not allow us through her gate in order to top the meter up further. What is our next course of action aside from just packing up and moving out?

Thanks in advance for any responses, were open to any help we can get!

saveallmymoney

I'd just wait until she goes out, then top it up. If she accuses you of doing it, just deny it.

CashStrapped

Why/When was the meter installed there? Is this a council house?

Chrisblue1962

I'm not a lawyer but this is just my two pennysworth...

Whilst your neighbour may not like you topping up the meter, there is not a lot she can do if you if you top up the meter when she's not about.

If you do top up the meter and technically "tresspass", she would have to sue you in a Civil court for damages and I doubt many solicitors would take up the case as the cost would outweight any perceived "tort"/ damages and may they even construe such a case as vexatious.

If she physically bars access to the meter and report it to Scottish Power as the meter is their property. If she were to damage the meter then she could possibly be charged with criminal damage and Scottish Power could even possibly sue her for the cost of repairs and loss of income.

l_whitehead94

We have denied it in the past but then she threatens with legal action that isn't something we want to get involved with.

We think the meter was installed because the previous tenant (now our landlord) grew cannabis and bypassed the electricity.

It's reassuring to read that a trespassing case probably wouldn't hold up in court. She is a company director however, and involved her solicitor wherever possible. The letter she wrote about us was apparently written with a solicitor present. Would this mean that she has a solicitor on hand regardless of whether the case was worth anything? Apologies if this sounds a bit stupid, I have no legal knowledge whatsoever.

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays

l_whitehead94 wrote: »

We have denied it in the past but then she threatens with legal action that isn't something we want to get involved with.

We think the meter was installed because the previous tenant (now our landlord) grew cannabis and bypassed the electricity.

It's reassuring to read that a trespassing case probably wouldn't hold up in court. She is a company director however, and involved her solicitor wherever possible. The letter she wrote about us was apparently written with a solicitor present. Would this mean that she has a solicitor on hand regardless of whether the case was worth anything? Apologies if this sounds a bit stupid, I have no legal knowledge whatsoever.

Trespass is not a criminal offence, it is civil. Company director or not, in the grand scheme of things this isn't serious.

You were advised in your initial thread to speak to the university. Have you done this?

geordie_joe

l_whitehead94 wrote: »

We have denied it in the past but then she threatens with legal action that isn't something we want to get involved with.

And neither does she, otherwise she would have done it by now.

l_whitehead94 wrote: »

The letter she wrote about us was apparently written with a solicitor present.

Who told you that? Was the solicitor telling her what to write, agreeing with what she wrote, telling her not to write it as it was wrong and stupid. Or had he just come round for a visit and didn't know what she was writing?

l_whitehead94 wrote: »

Would this mean that she has a solicitor on hand regardless of whether the case was worth anything?

No, even if one was there he/she may have been there on another matter and knew nothing about the letter. May even have just been a family friend who was just visiting on his day off.

l_whitehead94 wrote: »

Apologies if this sounds a bit stupid, I have no legal knowledge whatsoever.

That is what she is relying on, that and you being frightened by the mention of a solicitor.

According to the newspapers headlines today we are in for a "killer freeze" in the next few days. So go and top up your meter and if the police come round with tazers just tell them it was either top up the meter of free to death.

Seriously, I doubt she can stop you going onto her land to top up your meter.

gwynlas

If you think there is likely to be a breach of the peace you can request Police presence whilst you top up your meter. They can then point out to her that it is her unreasonable behaviour causing problem.
Talk to landlord/;letting agent about having meter moved to accessible location.

l_whitehead94

@Bluebird - We mentioned it briefly when we attended the housing fair a few weeks ago. I will go back to them properly and see what they say.

@Geordie - She said that she was getting her solicitor involved if we kept bothering her, so we assumed her letter to the council was what she was getting him involved for. I don't want to sound mean, but her first language is not English and there is no way she wrote this letter without help. I think we're just going to bite the bullet and go over the fence. Your comment made us see this in a different perspective.

That is what she is relying on, that and you being frightened by the mention of a solicitor.

@Gwynlas - Our landlord is in prison for at least another 8 years, and the letting agent is doing everything in their power to help us get the meter changed. The problem seems to be Scottish Power being incompetent and refusing to accept that the meter they have on their system for this address was removed 8 months ago.

geordie_joe

l_whitehead94 wrote: »

@Geordie - She said that she was getting her solicitor involved if we kept bothering her, so we assumed her letter to the council was what she was getting him involved for. I don't want to sound mean, but her first language is not English and there is no way she wrote this letter without help. I think we're just going to bite the bullet and go over the fence. Your comment made us see this in a different perspective.

Just because you think she didn't write the letter without help it doesn't mean a solicitor helped her. It could have been one of the million armchair solicitors who frequent forums, or someone she knows who speaks better English.

stator

Agree with all that is said above. Tresspass isn't a crime so just wait until she is out and hop the fence. Just make sure you don't do any damage to her property.