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Original poster

Neighbour wants me to pay 11 year old bill

78 replies

lopdedop · 07/02/2019 10:19

I live in a tiny town(not in UK) . I'm an outsider, moved here 12 yrs ago.

I live in a group of 3 houses which at the time I bought were having quite a lot of work done ie resurfacing road, improvements in Elec/water supply.
My neighbours kept giving me 'community' bills during my first year in the house. Split between the 3 of us.
This continues today but not on the scale of the first year.
I was doing my house up, so lots going on.

Yesterday my neighbour(we get on very well) tells me she had heard recently that an electrician has been bad mouthing her, as she failed to pay a bill for the works he carried out in 2008. She is mortified, her reputation etc etc.
Apparently, it was me who didn't pay my third. She wants me to pay it, of course.
I can't understand how this has not been brought up before. I have no recollection of this, as it was so long ago.
I have offered to go to speak to the electrician. She says if I don't pay it (£500),she will have to.
Wwyd?

OP posts:
NorthEndGal · 07/02/2019 13:27

Talk to the electrician, and go from there

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 07/02/2019 13:30

I think she will fall out with you whatever happens unless you pay her the money she's asked for, because if you go to the electrician and prove her to be a liar, she will fall out with you - and if you go to the electrician and tell them they should have chased you before now, she will fall out with you etc. etc.

Personally I think she's lying and relying on you being a decent sort who will cough up the money without much fuss.
Got that wrong, didn't she!
Yes, check with the electrician but once that's proven to be a shiny load of old bollocks, you'll be in the clear and neighbour can go whistle.

littlemeitslyn · 07/02/2019 13:31

Somethingsmells 😁😁

Xiaoxiong · 07/02/2019 13:34

Yes Wombat makes a good point. You could point out to her that may be being scammed herself by the electrician, and you want to protect her as well. Tell her that neither of you should pay anything until the electrician can prove it because you're worried the electrician is trying it on with her.

Soubriquet · 07/02/2019 13:38

So you’ve just come into money and she doesn’t want you to talk to the electrician either..

Very convenient.

No business man would sit and seethe about money especially as much as £590.

They would send out invoices as soon as they could which would have rung the bell to her.

GrimSisters · 07/02/2019 13:42

You're in Italy aren't you op?! I remember begging my ex not to move into a small apartment block with a communal heating system. Yes, the rent was cheaper than modern blocks with autonomous heating (he was a right cheapskate) but the monthly gas bill, presented to us on a scrap of paper by one of the residents of the five other same-family owned flats was absolutely astronomical! I swear we were paying the bill for the entire block. Great offence was taken when I asked to see the original bill.

She's a chancer op. Leave her to manage her 'figura' by herself.

GrimSisters · 07/02/2019 13:43

Oh, and there won't be a bill, because that would involve the payment of tax!

Drum2018 · 07/02/2019 13:57

I wouldn't discuss it with her again and just go straight to the electrician. Don't give her any opportunity to try and talk you out of talking to him and giving her the money. If she mentions it between now and when you see the electrician tell her you are looking into it but that you have since found out he cannot chase a debt over 5 years old, if it's even a valid debt. Find the electrician and tell him that he is off his head if he thinks he can extort money from anyone 11 years after a bill was paid.

CrabbityRabbit · 07/02/2019 15:39

Yes deffo speak to the sparky.

Original poster
lopdedop · 08/02/2019 10:21

Just to update. Went to see electrician this morning.
The women behind the counter says she remembers other neighbour paying.
When I spoke to the electrician, he says they did call her to say a third was outstanding, but she got cross and said it was all paid. Sounds like they had a row and never spoke again.
He does not have the bill, nor receipts to say the other neighbours had paid.
He says he is not chasing anyone for money. If someone pays, fine. If not, fine (his words)!
Haven't spoken to neighbour yet. Any advice on how to proceed very welcome.

OP posts:
Yulebealrite · 08/02/2019 10:36

Just tell her that you've spoken to the electrician and that he's said he's not chasing anyone for the money. If she goes on about paying him for the sake of her reputation just reply that she doesn't need to but it's her choice if she does. Which it is.
Refuse to get drawn into an argument. The facts are clear. It's up to her how your relationship goes on in the future.

Original poster
lopdedop · 08/02/2019 10:45

Thanks Yule

OP posts:
Grace212 · 08/02/2019 10:47

"Any advice on how to proceed very welcome"

don't do anything. If she asks you again, say that you spoke to the electrician and you have not been asked for money.

if she thinks she paid on your behalf, ask her for proof. If she starts banging on about her low pay again, express surprise that it's taken her eleven years to need that money back. She's trying it on.

Hiphopopotamous · 08/02/2019 12:08

You've asked, he has no receipts or paperwork, he isn't bothered one way or the other- do nothing.

Your neighbour is being weird about the whole thing. Sounds like they were the cause of it being left unpaid for so long anyway.

Original poster
lopdedop · 08/02/2019 12:37

Thanks.
Yes hip hop, she didn't tell me he had called her (in 2008)and she told him nothing was owed, and that they had argued.
Electrician agreed that there was no way to prove who had/hadn't paid their share.

OP posts:
WhoKnewBeefStew · 08/02/2019 12:40

Sounds like your neighbour was looking to pocket £500

greendale17 · 08/02/2019 12:43

@lopdedop
Can't believe you are just going to pay a bill based on hearsay?
You need to see a proper invoice and receipts for the 2 neighbours that supposedly paid.**

^This

ajandjjmum · 08/02/2019 12:54

Sounds odd to me - particularly as you've come in to some money. Have none of you used an electrician over the past 11 years? Wouldn't he have mentioned it then?

MaybeDoctor · 08/02/2019 12:59

I know of someone who became short of money in their 50s.

At this point their approach was to look back over their life and identify any potential transactions where they might have given money or helped someone out in any way - mostly family members. They then threw massive strops about what they were ‘owed’ until, in most cases, people paid up for the sake of keeping the peace.

These people do exist, unfortunately.

Catalicious · 08/02/2019 13:11

Definitely tell her you spoke to him, and that yes, he did ask for the money in 2008, but he hasn't been asking for it now - and add which makes sense, as businesses only have 5 years to chase outstanding payments. And never pay your neighbour directly again...

IncrediblySadToo · 08/02/2019 14:49

Exactly what Yule said after your update post.

Electrician isn’t chasing it. He doesn’t see seem that bothered, hardly surprising given it’s £500 from 11 years ago and he’s the one who let it go without chasing much 10/11 YEARS ago.

She cannot prove it was you and although he chased it at the time, she didn’t chase you...which tends to indicate it was her share that was unpaid.

Tell her what Yule wrote. And as Yule said, your relationship is what she makes it now, if she makes it difficult that’s her problem and if it wasn’t over this it would be over something else.

I can see my mum ending up flustered over something like this and worrying about her reputation & wanting to pay the bill, like this woman, so I don’t think she’s necessarily trying it on, but even if the woman was my mum I’d be telling YOU the same thing. It’s not now your problem.

PrismGuile · 08/02/2019 14:54

I'm sorry but if you didn't live there at the time it is not your bill... she's a.m chancer and can pay for her own shot

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 08/02/2019 21:50

I'd go with minimum info - you've seen the electrician, he's not chasing anyone for money, so you won't be paying. No further discussion.
Don't be drawn into it or it will turn out that you now know she had a row with the electrician, which will further "damage her reputation" in her own eyes and create more issues for you.

Just keep it to the electrician said he is not chasing anyone for money, so you don't need to pay.

AvocadoYUK · 11/02/2019 16:20

I say talk to the electrian and then confront the neighbour. Sounds like she's trying to scam you

Original poster
lopdedop · 12/02/2019 08:36

Thanks for all the great advice. I have spoken to neighbour. Just told her as advised, he wasn't chasing anyone for money now, and accepted too much time had passed.
She was really pleased that I spoke directly with him.
So, she feels her reputation is in tact, and all is well.
I don't think she was trying to scam me. I just think she got all flustered, and came across badly.

OP posts:
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