Default from joint account with ex husband

Whoknows

I've just checked my credit file and there is a default on there for £455 from Southern Water. I genuinely had no idea I had this default. It was registered in June 2016.

I've phoned Southern Water who say it is from a property I lived in with my ex-husband. They say we left without closing this account and it wasn't closed until the new residents contacted them to open an account. Southern Water say they have tried contacting us by post and email without getting a reply. In the end they hired a tracing agent who found an address and that's where the default notices were sent.

I have heard absolutely nothing about this debt. When I moved out of the property in November 2015 I contacted Southern Water to say I've moved and to set up a new account. Southern Water claim I never said what address I had moved from so they couldn't connect the two.

When I moved I also changed my details on the electoral roll immediately and also started paying council tax, changed my bank account address etc so I'd like to believe they could have somehow found my address!

My ex husband paid all the bills at the old property, I had no idea we were in arrears or that my name was even on the account. (Yes, we've had letters but I never clocked on to it. About the name I mean being on the bills I mean.)

Southern Water say they have done everything they can to chase this debt, but all they have done is send letters to my ex husband, I have received absolutely nothing from them!

Is there anything I can do to get this default removed?

Candyapple

Is there a reason you and your ex-husband are still financially linked? Do you still share a mortgage / have a joint bank account?

I don't think you will get very far in getting the default removed because if both your names were on the bill then you both are liable for the debt.

Did you not request a final bill (and pay it)?

Did you request in writing confirmation that the account would be closed and no further money was owed?

Whoknows

Thanks for replying.

We had a joint bank account so were financially linked.

Not that it is an excuse, but the separation was an awful time with domestic violence etc involved. I left the house two month before him and we didn't speak for a while after that.

He had always paid the bills so I didn't think of requesting a final bill. I (naively) thought they had my new address when I opened the new account up with them and that they would contact us if there were any problems with the previous account. But tbh, I didn't think there would be any problems.

I just can't see how they can give me a default without attempting to contact me at all.

Candyapple

Unfortunately the onus is on you to contact the company and make sure they have your correct contact details, not the other way round.

The default will fall off in June 2022.