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Original poster

Neighbour made a mistake and now wants money

422 replies

DomingoFlamingo · 20/09/2016 02:55

Neighbor moved in about 10 months ago - its a house converted into flats with a communal hallway, front door and letterbox (I live upstairs, she lives downstairs) since she moved in we've had several issues including persistent loud music and her "borrowing" my things that then take several weeks to be returned (if at all)

Then today she knocks on my door with a letter address to me and dated July. She then proceeds to tell me that the letter (a bill) was picked up by her son and she didn't bother to read the name on the front until today when she went to pay again.. hence she's (somehow) been paying my bill since July Hmm and I now owe her a 3 figure sum for doing so......

I'd have normally payed this bill in installments throughout the year, but she payed the whole amount in two payments. Because of this I don't have that amount of money available to pay her back immediately (I work part time and its nearly 4 weeks wages for me)

She's asked for the money by the end of the week, I've offered to pay her in installments but she refused the offer and said she wants it in one go or she'll call the police. :( is she BU or am I? I will/would pay her back but I simply can't afford the whole amount in one go......

OP posts:
PickAChew · 21/09/2016 22:32

I'd double check with the company. She's probably trying to pull a fast one.

Shiningexample · 21/09/2016 22:35

Does anyone know of police action following someone "accidentally" opening mail not addressed to them - excluding when used for fraud obviously
fraud=obtaining money by deception
thats exactly what she did, she tried to deceive OP into believing that she had paid a larger some than she actually had, and then tried to intimidate her into paying back that larger sum of money..

obvs she's not very bright, I mean it's not exactly the perfect crime is it...
she's just a low rent con artist, steer well clear

AnotherPrickInTheWall · 21/09/2016 22:35

I think that as soon as this mess is sorted out you need to take a firm stand with her and spell out that you are not prepared to lend her anything.
She sounds like a needy person with massive issues. Don't go pussyfooting around her. Tell her you are fed up to the back teeth of her behaviour.
I've had awful neighbours in the past and I really can't/wont take any more shit.
Ah the penny has just dropped.
Not a bloody gain FFS!!
When do these people get off the bus

HSMMaCM · 21/09/2016 22:41

I agree with PP that she needs to sort it out with the council. You should not be paying her anything. It's not your fault she paid them. Just arrange to make your own bill payments.

DropZoneOne · 21/09/2016 22:42

Can you go with her to the shop /po and pay what's owed directly to her council tax account? So you're not giving her cash directly and there's proof of your payment?

Rosamund1 · 21/09/2016 22:50

I repeat: do not give her any money.

You contact the council, she contacts the council.

guinnessgirl · 21/09/2016 22:57

Blu Grin

JudyCoolibar · 21/09/2016 23:29

It really doesn't work like that. The Council can't just move payments paid into one account to another.

Why not? It's purely a bookkeeping entry, all they need is confirmation that OP agrees to the money being transferred. If they can't pay it direct into the other account, they could refund it back to the payer.

A couple of years ago our council erroneously credited payments we had made to someone else's account. Once everyone realised what had happened they just did a transfer. If they'd told me that the only way to deal with it would be for me to persuade the recipient to refund us, I would have given them hell.

Pinkandbluemcdonald5 · 21/09/2016 23:39

Shiningexample, I see your point kind of (if this situation was fraud it would be hard to prove). But!! My question relateded to has anyone been on the receiving end of police action for opening mail accidentally. I.e. My neighbour opened a circular addressed to me by accident so I called the police.

annfield62 · 21/09/2016 23:59

I find it hard to believe that she has not fully looked at the bill before paying it. She's lucky she's not my neighbour because I'd be pissed off that she's opened my mail and that she's had it for so long. I'm sure it's illegal to open mail that's not addressed to you. If it's got someone else's name on its not yours, even if it comes to your address. Check that the bill has been paid and that the company don't intend to refund her if it has. If it has been paid tell her to go swivel. You'll pay her what you can when you can as its her mistake not yours.

Shiningexample · 22/09/2016 00:05

Pinkandblue
I'm with you:)
was just trying to emphasize how dishonest this neighbour isShock

QuimReaper · 22/09/2016 00:51

I live near the sites of the notorious nineteenth-century Envelope Ripper

QuimReaper · 22/09/2016 00:53

Nerr I did a Proper Snort at your post, and I keep remembering it and doing more Proper Snorts Grin

LassWiTheDelicateAir · 22/09/2016 01:40

A couple of years ago our council erroneously credited payments we had made to someone else's account. Once everyone realised what had happened they just did a transfer. If they'd told me that the only way to deal with it would be for me to persuade the recipient to refund us, I would have given them hell

That's completely different. If the Council allocated a payment erroneously then the Council made a mistake which it should and did correct.

So far as the Council is concerned there is no mistake here. The neighbour gave money to the Council to pay a specific account and the Council allocated it to that specific account. It's irrelevant to Council who paid the money into the account as long as they allocated the payment to the account on the pay in slip.

LassWiTheDelicateAir · 22/09/2016 01:46

Posted too soon. It's not just a book keeping exercise. There is no justification for the Council to repay the money. There has been no mistake in their processing the payments and the OP's account for the Council tax is still live.

OldGuard · 22/09/2016 01:52

What inertia said

DO NOT GIVE HER ANY MONEY

How do you know she's not also asking the counsel to refund her due to the mistake ?

embo1 · 22/09/2016 02:51

As you have confirmed that she has paid, I would agree to pay her that amount, by cheque (in installments if you wish). Ask for your things back and don't even write the cheque(s) until you get them back. Also, get her to sign something to say you've paid.

embo1 · 22/09/2016 02:52

Tell the council you are doing this first so they don't refund her.

e1y1 · 22/09/2016 03:34

The council should be able to move the payment from one account to another (basically adding a debit to the account that was paid in error, to bring the balance owed from the customer (you) back to the original amount. Then applying a credit to the correct account, to reduce the balance owed by that customer (neighbour))

However, what they're usually unable to do, is to refund direct back to customer, as an account has to be in actual credit for a refund to be processed.

E.g - if the bill is £100 and that is paid, then the account balance becomes £0 = so there is no credit on the account, so nothing to refund.

Used to get it all the time when working for a phone company, people would pay an entire bill, but would have only wanted to pay a portion of it at that time. So they would phone us asking for a refund.

It was like explaining astrophysics to them, that a refund couldn't be processed as the account balance was at £0

londonrach · 22/09/2016 04:12

DO NOT PAY HER!. Sorry to shout but dont pay her a penny. You both contact the council. The council repays her, you pay the council. If you give her money you no proof you have and the council might refund her anyway. Do this properly. Do you seriously trust her and get your knives and fors back. Never lend anything again to her!

Tezza1 · 22/09/2016 05:33

nineteenth-century Envelope Ripper
Sounds like a "Two Ronnies'" serial.

CatNip2 · 22/09/2016 05:52

Personally, I would pay her back, directly against HER council tax bill for exactly the same amount she paid against your bill. No cash, no way.

CatNip2 · 22/09/2016 05:53

And who borrows knives and forks?

Ticketybootoo · 22/09/2016 06:26

I would make sure she can evidence that she has paid this bill first . I smell a scam too and have never known anyone pay a bill that isn't theirs . Can you confirm that it has been paid with the company concerned ?
Let her go to the police and if she has actually paid it dictate the terms of how you will pay it back ...

SwitchedOnMum · 22/09/2016 06:53

Oh my goodness. How brazen is your neighbour? I've heard some things but this is outrageous. I'm certain you've checked with the utility company or the company who sent the bill by now and i doubt there has been a payment, however it will ne interesting to know.
The only way this could sound slightly reasonable is if you had a shared responsibility for cleaning and maintenance services of your shared hallway. Even so, if she was dim enough not to check that out first then it remains her problem and would look entirely like she had chosen to pay it. Pay only the company and not her if this turns out to have somehow been paid in error by her. Sounds too scam like though.
If she was dishonestly trying to get money from you then i would report it to your local police so it's logged and on record, in case she starts to harrass you. You will need to build up a case.
I am intrigued as to the outcome of this. Please let us know and good luck xx

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