Southern Water CCJ was paid and now they're chasing me again.

mrmartyd

Hi all

I'm looking for some credit file advice, and some advice in general if anyone can offer any.

I'll try and keep this as brief as possible!

Back in 2006 my mother was struggling to make ends meet, the long and short of it being she got in to debt and started defaulting accounts. One account was with Southern Water and was previously addressed to her and my father, who had left. Out of the blue and for what reason I will never know, the water bill started to arrive in her name and mine addressed to us as Mr M (surname) & Mrs C (surname), my dad's first initial had been replaced with mine.

Despite us contacting SW several times and telling them it was never my account my mum and I both ended up with CCJs for £1172 even though I was no longer living at the address. Eventually my mum settled the account in 2012 so at that point I figured it was end of.

Back in October last year my mum had a collector on the door chasing her and myself for money on behalf of SW. She obviously informed them the debt was paid and again told them I didn't live at that address and hadn't done for many years. So the other day when I came home to find a letter from UK Search telling me they are chasing me on behalf of SW for £812.88 it filled me with a rage that nearly made me pass out! The number of times we have written to and called SW over the years about this account not being mine and never being mine is beyond count.

Anyway, I logged in to my credit club account and checked my report and was hoping someone could help me understand what is happening. The details of the account with SW are listed on my accounts page under defaulted accounts. The account start date is 01/04/2006 and the account settled date is 14/10/2012. The account status reads as default/ended. It also shows that SW finally got the message that I don't live at that address any more as there is a note that says gone away, start date October, the lender has reported I no longer live at the address and haven't provided a new one.

The history of the default amount changes from month to month. So 22 months ago I apparently had a default of £676 which then goes up to the original £1127 at 16 months. At 12 months to 9 months ago it shows 3 question marks and £0 then goes back up to £1172. At 6 months the balance was £1172, 4 months ago the balance was £1400 and the month after that was £1445. Then it shows £0 again for a month and then £901 for the last two entries, the last update being on 12/11/2017.

The amount I'm being chased for is £812.88. My mum checked her credit club account and it is showing the same. Also on a side note SW have linked her to an old address I lived at on my own back in 2011 even though she has lived at the same address since 1987.

Sorry I know this is very long but we have gone through this so so many times with SW, I don't know how else I can explain to these people that it is not and never was my account/debt. I'd also really like to understand what is going on with the amounts supposedly owed in general. I've become completely confused by the whole thing. The last thing I want is another default that's going to wreck my credit again for something that has nothing to do with me.

What are SW doing? Is there anybody else I can speak to or contact apart from them to get this resolved? Should I contact the debt collector and explain or will that count as acknowledgement of a debt? Should I add a note to my file? I'm at my wits end and don't know what to do.

Sorry again for the short essay, I'm no good at these things and am trying to explain it fully. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

easyhome

I'd be tempted to get in touch with Watchdog, or You and Yours on Radio 4.

pinkladyvenus

I would try contacting the consumer council for water

https://www.ccwater.org.uk/

-taff

the debt free wannabe board may be of some help

footyguy

mrmartyd wrote: »

Hi all

I'm looking for some credit file advice, and some advice in general if anyone can offer any.

I'll try and keep this as brief as possible!

Back in 2006 my mother was struggling to make ends meet, the long and short of it being she got in to debt and started defaulting accounts. One account was with Southern Water and was previously addressed to her and my father, who had left. Out of the blue and for what reason I will never know, the water bill started to arrive in her name and mine addressed to us as Mr M (surname) & Mrs C (surname), my dad's first initial had been replaced with mine.

Despite us contacting SW several times and telling them it was never my account my mum and I both ended up with CCJs for £1172 even though I was no longer living at the address. Eventually my mum settled the account in 2012 so at that point I figured it was end of.

Back in October last year my mum had a collector on the door chasing her and myself for money on behalf of SW. She obviously informed them the debt was paid and again told them I didn't live at that address and hadn't done for many years. So the other day when I came home to find a letter from UK Search telling me they are chasing me on behalf of SW for £812.88 it filled me with a rage that nearly made me pass out! The number of times we have written to and called SW over the years about this account not being mine and never being mine is beyond count.

Anyway, I logged in to my credit club account and checked my report and was hoping someone could help me understand what is happening. The details of the account with SW are listed on my accounts page under defaulted accounts. The account start date is 01/04/2006 and the account settled date is 14/10/2012. The account status reads as default/ended. It also shows that SW finally got the message that I don't live at that address any more as there is a note that says gone away, start date October, the lender has reported I no longer live at the address and haven't provided a new one.

The history of the default amount changes from month to month. So 22 months ago I apparently had a default of £676 which then goes up to the original £1127 at 16 months. At 12 months to 9 months ago it shows 3 question marks and £0 then goes back up to £1172. At 6 months the balance was £1172, 4 months ago the balance was £1400 and the month after that was £1445. Then it shows £0 again for a month and then £901 for the last two entries, the last update being on 12/11/2017.

The amount I'm being chased for is £812.88. My mum checked her credit club account and it is showing the same. Also on a side note SW have linked her to an old address I lived at on my own back in 2011 even though she has lived at the same address since 1987.

Sorry I know this is very long but we have gone through this so so many times with SW, I don't know how else I can explain to these people that it is not and never was my account/debt. I'd also really like to understand what is going on with the amounts supposedly owed in general. I've become completely confused by the whole thing. The last thing I want is another default that's going to wreck my credit again for something that has nothing to do with me.

What are SW doing? Is there anybody else I can speak to or contact apart from them to get this resolved? Should I contact the debt collector and explain or will that count as acknowledgement of a debt? Should I add a note to my file? I'm at my wits end and don't know what to do.

Sorry again for the short essay, I'm no good at these things and am trying to explain it fully. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

If you wish to complain, follow this
https://www.southernwater.co.uk/Media/Default/PDFs/our-complaints-procedure.pdf