Unpaid water bill

superpipou

Hi,
Been living in a flat for 6 years and never received a water bill. I'm now buying this flat from my landlady and she's asking me to sort all the bills before I can buy it ( fair enough).
Got in touch with United utilities and they asking me for £3000. I understand that I should of done something about it sooner but can I play on the fact that I never received a bill during those 6 years? Or what's my best option?
Thanks

Cardew

Welcome to the forum.


Unless you informed United Utilities you were is residence and opened an account, they are not to know the property was occupied. If the previous occupant had an account, and closed it on leaving, there should have been a letter addressed to 'The Occupier'.


Thus they can claim back the six years.


There is a much publicised policy with Gas and Electricity where the supplying company cannot charge for more than 12 months consumption when a bill has not been produced and the company are at fault; however this does NOT apply to water bills. Even with gas and electricity that policy would not apply in your case.


You might be able to negotiate a goodwill reduction for immediate payment of the £3,000.


P.S.
Stand by for a post from 'samsmoot'(who conducts a vendetta against all water companies) who will explain that it is a civil debt etc etc and not to pay, go to court and destroy your credit rating.

MothballsWallet

Cardew wrote: »

Welcome to the forum.


Unless you informed United Utilities you were is residence and opened an account, they are not to know the property was occupied. If the previous occupant had an account, and closed it on leaving, there should have been a letter addressed to 'The Occupier'.


Thus they can claim back the six years.


There is a much publicised policy with Gas and Electricity where the supplying company cannot charge for more than 12 months consumption when a bill has not been produced and the company are at fault; however this does NOT apply to water bills. Even with gas and electricity that policy would not apply in your case.


You might be able to negotiate a goodwill reduction for immediate payment of the £3,000.


P.S.
Stand by for a post from 'samsmoot'(who conducts a vendetta against all water companies) who will explain that it is a civil debt etc etc and not to pay, go to court and destroy your credit rating.

Would this be the same 'samsmoot' who had a post of theirs reported to MSE Towers and Severn Trent Water a few months ago?

macman

It's your job to register for the utility accounts on taking up residence-no one else's.

samsmoot

Cardew wrote: »

P.S.
Stand by for a post from 'samsmoot'(who conducts a vendetta against all water companies) who will explain that it is a civil debt etc etc and not to pay, go to court and destroy your credit rating.

I will explain that will I? I think you will find that I won't. I did advise a poster who definitely didn't want to pay to look at the consequences:

samsmoot wrote: »

No chance of prison - it's civil. Their next move will be a County Court claim + credit destruction etc if you don't pay. Look at the possible consequences and then make your choice.

which isn't the same as telling them not to pay.


You have a very bad habit, Cardew, of putting words in my mouth and/or misquoting/misrepresenting the content of my posts. And as I previously told you, your lies will be corrected as and when they are told. So there we go.

footyguy

superpipou wrote: »

Hi,
Been living in a flat for 6 years and never received a water bill. I'm now buying this flat from my landlady and she's asking me to sort all the bills before I can buy it ( fair enough).
Got in touch with United utilities and they asking me for £3000. I understand that I should of done something about it sooner but can I play on the fact that I never received a bill during those 6 years? Or what's my best option?
Thanks

I'm not sure what the third party bills you have run up as tenant have to do with the landlady/seller.

But anyway, ultimately it's her choice who she sells to.
Tell her you'll offer £10k less (assuming that will cover all your bills) if she is so adamant.

What's she going to do? Try and find another buyer? Even if she does sell to someone else, it's not going to get you to pay your bills, is it?

footyguy

Cardew wrote: »

...

P.S.
Stand by for a post from 'samsmoot'(who conducts a vendetta against all water companies) who will explain that it is a civil debt etc etc and not to pay, go to court and destroy your credit rating.

Took 24 hours, but I see they arrived eventually...

samsmoot

MothballsWallet wrote: »

Would this be the same 'samsmoot' who had a post of theirs reported to MSE Towers and Severn Trent Water a few months ago?

It would be, yes, if you don't mind me answering that question.


ST's legal team would have been better employed ensuring their employer received no more £47,000,000 fines for lying to the regulator than investigating what someone on the internet said.