Debt collectors LCS used by Scottish Power

justthejob_2

Hi, I don't know if this is the right place to post but here goes. My mother whom had dementia lived in her own home up until April 2022 when she had to go into care. I contacted SP to close her account but they wouldn't talk to me as I wasn't the account holder so I sent my details to them by email along with a POA saying that I could act on my mothers behalf which they accepted and added my name to her account. I gave the final gas and electric reading manually to them as neither smart meter were sending readings and I isolated the gas but left the electric on for security/ alarms etc. My mother received a final bill which I paid and have proof of. I thought that would be it. My mother unfortunately passed away later the same year. The house was put on the market after her death and was sold in March 2023. The new owner asked if I would go to the house and show him where the meters were and where to turn the gas on and if I would light the very old boiler my mother had which I did. After I had lit the boiler he asked where the meters were which I showed him , only the electric meter had the display working but the gas meter had no signs of life at all as though the battery had died on the display, I advised him to contact his new supplier to sort this out. That was the last I heard from anyone until last week, 23/08/2024 I have now received  a letter addressed to The estate of my late mother and with my home address on from a debt collecting company called LCS saying my I owed them £1800 for an unpaid gas bill.I told them that it was impossible as I had closed the account and turned the gas off, they then sent me the bill from SP which they have taken on which showed estimated readings from the date I closed the account up until the date the house was sold when there was an actual reading. I contacted the new owner of my mother's old house about the actual reading and he said he hadn't given any actual readings to anyone as he couldn't because the gas meter display was still not working to this day and that his gas bills are being estimated by his new supplier until the meter is repaired. So basically SP have put an actual reading down on the bill when it was impossible to have an actual reading as the display has never worked since the house was sold 
I have contacted SP about this who have said they have now sold the debt to LCS and won't talk to me. I have phoned LCS who have said they are willing to half the bill to clear the debt and have said I must arrange to pay within a week or litigation will commence , what can I do plz ?

fatbelly

LCS don't 'litigate'. They are barely more competent than total scammers.

Ask them to prove the debt or stop contacting you. There is a huge thread on them going back many years

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2983648/warning-and-advice-about-lcs-utility-investigation-civil-enforcement-debt-recoveries

la531983

Who are they planning to litigate against?

Alnat1

Even if you had "Isolated the gas" there would still be a daily standing charge which would be payable up until the date the house was sold. This cost should be paid by the administrators of the will.

justthejob_2

Alnat1 said:

Even if you had "Isolated the gas" there would still be a daily standing charge which would be payable up until the date the house was sold. This cost should be paid by the administrators of the will.

Hi, I don't have a problem with paying a standing charge which equates to a couple of hundred pound

justthejob_2

la531983 said:

Who are they planning to litigate against?

They said they would sue me if I didn't pay the "debt"

BarelySentientAI

justthejob_2 said:

la531983 said:

Who are they planning to litigate against?

They said they would sue me if I didn't pay the "debt"

Well they can't sue you for a debt that the estate had.

FreeBear

BarelySentientAI said:

justthejob_2 said:

la531983 said:

Who are they planning to litigate against?

They said they would sue me if I didn't pay the "debt"

Well they can't sue you for a debt that the estate had.

That is not strictly true. If the OP was the executor, they have a duty to settle all debts before distributing the estate. If a creditor turns up at a later date with a valid claim, they can sue the executor personally. To avoid this sort of problem, it is usually advisable to place a Deceased Estates notice in the Gazette. Assuming this was done, the creditor then has the option to pursue the beneficiaries. 

BarelySentientAI

FreeBear said:

BarelySentientAI said:

justthejob_2 said:

la531983 said:

Who are they planning to litigate against?

They said they would sue me if I didn't pay the "debt"

Well they can't sue you for a debt that the estate had.

That is not strictly true. If the OP was the executor, they have a duty to settle all debts before distributing the estate. If a creditor turns up at a later date with a valid claim, they can sue the executor personally. To avoid this sort of problem, it is usually advisable to place a Deceased Estates notice in the Gazette. Assuming this was done, the creditor then has the option to pursue the beneficiaries. 

Yes, probably should have clarified with they can sue the estate but then if....