Give me your opinons on this. Have been contacted by someone on behalf of ex flatmate to say they are being chased by debt collectors for a bill which was originally £270 and is now £600 for unpaid gas. I was the owner of the property but only stayed there occasionally when working in the town, and the bills were split 40/60 me/tenant in the lease. So he actually had a very good deal as pretty much sole usage of the flat and only paid 60% of all bills despite being alone 90% of the time. I gave the tenant my 40% share to pay the bills on them coming due, sometimes in cash and sometimes by cheque, so not that easy to prove although I can trace some of the cheques.
The bills were in tenant's name. I always make a point of paying bills on time but suspected getting a contribution out of tenant would be like getting blood out of a stone unless they were in his name.
On moving out, tenant got awkward and refused to return keys, so I got police involved and on their advice deducted charges for changing the locks (with) plus the outstanding amount of Council Tax, a minimal amount, and wrote a letter to him explaining this, returning about 1/3 of the deposit. The lease stated tenant was responsible for all oustanding bills incurred by him, whether covered by his deposit or not.
Tenant refused to leave a forwarding address and I did contact the utility provider to say I suspected he had outstanding bills and I wanted to use his deposit to pay them. Utility provider refused to divulge the information to me and told me it would be his duty to pay them as his name was on the bills and I need not be involved further as they would pass it onto debt collectors if necessary.
Tenant is now, 15 months later, claiming that I promised to pay all outstanding bills for him from the deductions from his deposit, and that I should pay the amount, and wants me to sort it for him. Apparantly has been to Citizens Advice who told him I should give my address to the debt collectors so they can collect the money from me.
For some reason, his ex girlfriend is involved and I have been told I am a thief, there is no record of me paying any bills for him (well, no!), I am this, I am that, karma will come and get me, etc, etc...he is sueing me for stealing his deposit...constant harassment over Facebook and asking friends for my address and saying they will send the letter about the refund to other people as "evidence".
AIBU to insist this is not my debt and to be irked?
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Tenant Didn't Pay Bills And Now Wants Me To Pay
36 replies
LessMissAbs · 08/11/2012 01:01
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