Buyer solicitor no application to Land Registry after 12 months-received debt collection letter

Cinust56

madteapot said:

Cinust56 said:

This is nothing to lose sleep over and you won't be made to pay for electricity of the house you sold. Just clarify and be sure that the bill isn't for the amount which was from the period you owned the property. energy companies can take long time to reconcile accounts and issue final bills etc. 

Thanks so much everyone for your advice... really helpful. Didn't know where to turn to or where to start really.

eddddy

It sounds like you correctly closed your electricity account with final readings, so there shouldn't be anything to worry about (unless you fibbed about the date you sold the property, or about the final readings etc).

I'd guess there is an 'unexplained' a period after you sold the property during which nobody is accepting responsibility for the electricity supply.

So the debt collectors are taking a punt and sending demands to you and others, so see if anyone 'owns up' and pays the bill.

TripleH

Agree with Edddy. Chances are new owner hasn't given contact details and if they've let it, the tenants aren't prepared to pay for electricity before they moved in.

You got the letter because debt collection agency searched land registry and yours was the name on file.

Contact your solicitors and advise them that there are now issues arising for the transfer not being done (although it might be delayed filing due to backlog).

Laziness more likely than fraud here.

Cinust56

TripleH said:

Agree with Edddy. Chances are new owner hasn't given contact details and if they've let it, the tenants aren't prepared to pay for electricity before they moved in.

You got the letter because debt collection agency searched land registry and yours was the name on file.

Contact your solicitors and advise them that there are now issues arising for the transfer not being done (although it might be delayed filing due to backlog).

Laziness more likely than fraud here.

Thanks. Yes, I'm sure it's probably just an oversight by the buyers and they've probably forgotten to inform the electricity supplier.

I do actually have their contact details, I could write to them and ask them to just make sure they update the supplier and admit accountability for the outstanding debt.

I'm reluctant to do this though as don't think they will react well, it could end in some kind of dispute, even though from my point of view it's a simple case of me not being liable.

Hence why I've approached the solicitor and supplier directly and tried to avoid direct contact with the buyer as it might look like I'm harassing them.