National Gas wants me to pay previous owner's outstanding Bill!!

C_Mababejive

There is an awful lot of energy fraud going on in the restaurant/fast food sector. It is absolutely massive from your local fish and chip shop right up to larger independent restaurants. Many gas suppliers are on to it and some pursue more aggressively than others.

What they must all do however is follow the processes and comply with the law.

They do plenty of letter writing and personal visits before they go to a court of law and apply to a magistrate for a warrant to enter property. They dont just turn up on a whim and kick your door down.

A common ruse done by some energy thieves is to run up massive bills and then mysteriously the business transfers to someone else (usually a family member or friend) then they go on to run up more huge bills and repeat the process.

The end result is that those huge debts do not disappear. WE all pay for the stolen gas an electric.

Because of this, energy companies insist o all the proper documentations and guarantees to be in place. Its called due diligence.

Bishwa

C_Mababejive, I can understand that small businesses does dodgy stuff like that to trick Utility companies. I feel sorry for suppliers to face those kind of dodgy costumers. Now in this situation, the Gas bill is £3000 and if I have paid more than 20 times of that amount to buy the restaurant then how does it make sense to think that this is the process to fool a gas company by me. The seller does not want to pay it. I can’t force them but I can tell them and advise them.

I have enquired with 17 energy companies about the documents required the Change of Tenancy. None of those suppliers asked for Land Registry. When I told them National Gas was asking me the Land Registry document then the other energy companies were surprised.

1. I suspect National Gas has failed to follow the necessary steps to Recover Bill Arrears from the seller at right time.

2. I suspect that National Gas has performed an unlawful Entry. I believe that they did not get the warrant from the Magistrates Court. They left a letter with a poor headed paper stating the Gas Act 1954 but no mention about the warrant. They have not produced the warrant till now. The Energy Ombudsman have been directed to investigate the warrant as well.

3. They have not reported about the gas meter removal to the National Grid. All Big 6 companies has said that whenever the supplier has removed the gas meter than they should notify the National Grid. It will give other energy suppliers to act accordingly to the Gas Code.

4. They wanted Land Registry to make it difficult for the new occupier to prove that they are genuine new occupier. They thought this new occupier won’t wait that long and just pay every outstanding bill of the seller. This call sign is a veteran who has learned not to give up on any thing in British Army and does not bow to Scammy Bully companies. It’s been more than 2 months and the Energy Ombudsman is on the case.

I will not let this kind of Energy Company to push me. I will try my best to stand my ground hope for the justice.

I understand about due diligence. Suppliers have to get the right documentation. They do not have right to be believe that all the documents supplied are fake. Three Law Firms (SRA registered Firms) are not going provide fake documentation.

My advice to the Gas Company was to take the offenders to the Court before they dissolve they Limited Company and that's the only way to recover money from them or all the letters would only be ignored by them. The Gas Company has that power to take them to court and recover all the outstanding balance. The seller's Limited Company is still active and the Gas Company needs to take action quickly. I do feel sorry for the National Gas as they have to experience this kind of situation because of the previous owners thinking it's smart and cool to bury their head on the ground and ignore all their outstanding bill. But I need to run my business as well and need the Gas to start trading. I am affected by both of them.

micky2phones

Hi, Many years ago i was billed for my uncle debt who moved two streets away from where i lived by B.G.

I wrote and phoned them up, they would not change there minds, i had proof i lived at my address over 10 years, paid all my gas bills.

It went right upto a court date, i had the Ombudsman help they told B.G that i had all the proof of the debt not being mine and i was coming to court to put my side to the court.

If won B.G would have to pay my costs, i think this was in the early 1980s and the debt was about £ 30.00.

Few days before court date the Ombudsman phone me and said B.G had made a mistake, because the person in that property had my surname then that meant i had moved.

B.G went to court told them they made a mistake offered me £40.00 in compensation which the Ombudsman said it was a fair offer and i should accept, which i did

LewisHamilton

You could ask the Energy Ombudsman to have a look for free and make a decision if you meet the criteria to be classed as a small-medium business.

Looking at the timeline of events, if you became the legal occupier on 9 August 2018 then it was reasonable for the energy supplier to continue business as usual for any liabilities by the previous occupier until this date providing you gave sufficient documentation to show you were the legal owner on exactly 9 August 2018. If you did not, then the supplier is in its right to continue business as usual even after 9 August 2018 until the date you provide sufficient documentation to show you are the legal occupier.

I would probably go to the Energy ombudsman first before spending money on legal fees etc.

C_Mababejive

If the OP is sure then they should engage a lawyer.

Mister_G

LewisHamilton wrote: »

You could ask the Energy Ombudsman to have a look for free and make a decision if you meet the criteria to be classed as a small-medium business.

I would probably go to the Energy ombudsman first before spending money on legal fees etc.

Err - I believe that the OP has already consulted the Energy Ombudsman, as quoted in his post #13

Robin9

I can see that OP might well have a good case but as he says -"every day he is loosing money". The longer this goes on the more he will loose and whatever the outcome with his supplier he won't get this back.

Pay up - without prejudice - get some income from the restaurant and continue the fight.

C_Mababejive

Robin9 wrote: »

I can see that OP might well have a good case but as he says -"every day he is loosing money". The longer this goes on the more he will loose and whatever the outcome with his supplier he won't get this back.

Pay up - without prejudice - get some income from the restaurant and continue the fight.

Great idea,,,at least that unlocks the business and gets it into an earning position and the OP can then prove his case and reclaim the cash,

I am aware of some businesses that are entered under warrant and disconnected for energy fraud and the proprietors then get some bent person to reconnect it resulting in utility companies having to dig up in the road ,do a more involved and permanent cut off in the road and backfill the road. A lot of work and very expensive,,all passed on to other energy users.

Bishwa

My restaurant is still closed! There is no way I am going to pay for someone else. I should be running my restaurant since 10 Aug 18. I have being paying Rent, utility bills at least 3000 pounds per month till now. Energy Ombudsmen are investigating the case. The previous owners should be tried on court by the National Gas for the arrears. They should not make my life miserable. I have already lost two staff. Please don’t give me wrong advise in paying for offenders. The National Gas did not have good reputation in East London when I researched about it. I can’t wait Ombudsman to find out that this gas company is doing dodgy stuff. No matter how much money I will lose but I will make sure this Scammy Company is reported to OFGEM. I will expose these Scammy company.

Robin9

And what do you think will happen at OFGEM ?

At "best" a slap on the wrist for the supplier and £50 compensation payment to you.