Water Co threatening to sue
Discussion
One for our PH lawyers and legal laymen here.
I have a property that I have been renovating and which has been unoccupied for over a year.
The house is not on a water meter and the water has been on. However, following a telephone conversation with the Water Company concerned they told me that as the property was unoccupied they would not be billing me.
A few months ago they did send a bill and threat of action if it was not paid. I phoned them on my mobile, did not identify myself by name (that I can recall) but merely as the owner of the property. Unfortunately during the course of the conversation I accidentally let slip that no water had been used "apart from the odd kettle and occasional use of the toilet" which the rather snotty lady at the aforementioned Water Company then said constituted use and therefore they'd be billing me normal usage for the whole period. I'm afraid I rather lost my temper and enquired in what way a few cups of tea a month and the odd crap constituted normal use and she got quite upset by my use of the word "crap" and claimed I was getting abusive. But I digress.
I told her that the house was for sale and we'd see what would happen and ended the call.
Anyway, my dad happened to pop into the property yesterday to check it over for me (I live about 90 miles from it) and found a letter addressed to "The Occupier" and threatening legal action. He faxed it to me last night.
My father has had a similar thing on a vacant property he has (my recently deceased grandmother's house) and he discussed it with the same company and they told him that they would like to sue him but can't because basically he is the owner, not the occupier (and the house is vancant). He asked why they were sending out the threats and got some mumbled rubbish about computers and stuff.
So finally, here is my legal question. Can they sue me?
The only link between the property and me is my name on the deeds, and information the credit checking agencies like Expedia have from when I lived in the property (moved out in 2000) and the fact that my name was on the electoral roll at the time (although it ceased to be when I moved out).
Also, it is not me personally they are threatening but "The Occupier" who of course does not exist as the property is vacant.
What do people reckon?
(Minor edit for spelling)
>>> Edited by JonRB on Friday 7th January 17:26
I have a property that I have been renovating and which has been unoccupied for over a year.
The house is not on a water meter and the water has been on. However, following a telephone conversation with the Water Company concerned they told me that as the property was unoccupied they would not be billing me.
A few months ago they did send a bill and threat of action if it was not paid. I phoned them on my mobile, did not identify myself by name (that I can recall) but merely as the owner of the property. Unfortunately during the course of the conversation I accidentally let slip that no water had been used "apart from the odd kettle and occasional use of the toilet" which the rather snotty lady at the aforementioned Water Company then said constituted use and therefore they'd be billing me normal usage for the whole period. I'm afraid I rather lost my temper and enquired in what way a few cups of tea a month and the odd crap constituted normal use and she got quite upset by my use of the word "crap" and claimed I was getting abusive. But I digress.
I told her that the house was for sale and we'd see what would happen and ended the call.
Anyway, my dad happened to pop into the property yesterday to check it over for me (I live about 90 miles from it) and found a letter addressed to "The Occupier" and threatening legal action. He faxed it to me last night.
My father has had a similar thing on a vacant property he has (my recently deceased grandmother's house) and he discussed it with the same company and they told him that they would like to sue him but can't because basically he is the owner, not the occupier (and the house is vancant). He asked why they were sending out the threats and got some mumbled rubbish about computers and stuff.
So finally, here is my legal question. Can they sue me?
The only link between the property and me is my name on the deeds, and information the credit checking agencies like Expedia have from when I lived in the property (moved out in 2000) and the fact that my name was on the electoral roll at the time (although it ceased to be when I moved out).
Also, it is not me personally they are threatening but "The Occupier" who of course does not exist as the property is vacant.
What do people reckon?
(Minor edit for spelling)
>>> Edited by JonRB on Friday 7th January 17:26
I had a water company (no names) that had an overpayment of £46 on my account, took six months five letters and four phone calls to get the money back. seems that if they think you owe money to they they will go all out to get it, however if they owe you money they are very cagey about returning it. It wasnt the amount that got to me it ended up as a principal thing, I got fed up of people ripping me off.
This has just reminded me to send the
a letter demanding the interest
This has just reminded me to send the
a letter demanding the interest My last home had a small one bed cottage in the garden, at one time it was the vilage cobblers shop. As years rolled by said cottage fell into disrepair until renovations during 1996 when all was repaired.
I purchased all the renovated cottages, which was a pair of semi detatched and the cobblers. All these cottages were discribed as No 52 / No54 ** St with No 54 comprising of all buildings in the curtilidge (cobblers).
It was'nt long after I moved in, a couple of years, when the water co' sent me a bill for all 3 properties!!
Even after I had sent them copies of the rates book from the council showing that No 54 included the cobblers they still would'nt have it and insisted the council wre wrong as well.
I had to fight hammer and tongs for months to get the stupid cretins to admit they had made a huge error and then asked me if I would have a water meter installed to be fair to them. I then told them to pi55 off as I had had enough.
The thing is that these huge companies seem to push their weight about rather too much with no thought about consequences, even when they are incorrect in assumptions.
I purchased all the renovated cottages, which was a pair of semi detatched and the cobblers. All these cottages were discribed as No 52 / No54 ** St with No 54 comprising of all buildings in the curtilidge (cobblers).
It was'nt long after I moved in, a couple of years, when the water co' sent me a bill for all 3 properties!!
Even after I had sent them copies of the rates book from the council showing that No 54 included the cobblers they still would'nt have it and insisted the council wre wrong as well.
I had to fight hammer and tongs for months to get the stupid cretins to admit they had made a huge error and then asked me if I would have a water meter installed to be fair to them. I then told them to pi55 off as I had had enough.
The thing is that these huge companies seem to push their weight about rather too much with no thought about consequences, even when they are incorrect in assumptions.
Interesting. Occupier is not necessarily the same as owner (like car owner and reg keeper I guess).
So if they sue the occupier, and there isn't one... er... if they don't have your name or where you live, what can they actually do about it? Maybe they go to Land Registry and work it back from there?
So if they sue the occupier, and there isn't one... er... if they don't have your name or where you live, what can they actually do about it? Maybe they go to Land Registry and work it back from there?
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