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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:
HarveySchlumpfenburger · 22/09/2016 17:08

So, Lass are you saying that if you pay your CT into the wrong account the council can't (not won't) just transfer the money into the correct account because they aren't permitted to do so?

happyinthesunshine · 22/09/2016 17:21

Could you offer to pay her council bill in two instalments to repay her? That way it's clear she's received the money. She can't argue with that as you are doing what she's just done for you.

Soupandasandwich · 22/09/2016 18:07

Agree with Happy. Pay her council tax bill, the same amount she has paid off yours. At least then you will have proof you've paid, unlike giving her cash. If she's 'tried her luck'by telling you she paid more than she actually did, I wouldn't trust her to either refuse to sign anything you give her, or, if she's really sneaky, to sign differently to her normal signature. Do you'd still have no proof.

DontMindMe1 · 22/09/2016 18:41

I'm thinking my back will be covered if I get her to sign something to say I've given it to her?

For gods sake woman - where's your head at?! She will deny having received cash and she she will deny that it is her signature!

You need an official trail so she can't try and scam you again. So as people have repeatedly said - either send a cheque or make a bank transfer - DO NOT DEAL IN CASH!

And i wouldn't be asking her if it's ok to pay in two installments - i'd be telling her MY terms of repayment. If she doesn't like it - tough!
I'd also ask her straight out why she asked for the large amount knowing full well it wasn't what you owed.
i don't let people like her get away with it.

LassWiTheDelicateAir · 22/09/2016 19:27

So, Lass are you saying that if you pay your CT into the wrong account the council can't (not won't) just transfer the money into the correct account because they aren't permitted to do so?

How do you pay into the "wrong account" ? Bills like Council Tax, Income Tax , Vat have unique references.

If you pay money towards the bill for account ABC123 when money is owed for bill ABC123 then the money goes towards bill, ABC123. It has not gone into the "wrong account". What you had in your head is irrelevant.

Council tax for the year ahead falls due on 1st April. Councils allow us to pay it in instalments. The instalments reduce the amount we owe the Council.

If you move at a point where your installments paid are greater than the amount due for that proportion of the year they can repay you or move it to your new account (if you are still in the same Council tax area)

If a Council is prepared to even consider this story of "I paid it into the wrong account" there will be hoops to go through but if they are , and I can't see that they do have power to do so, it won't be the simple exercise some seem to think. If a tax bill is overpaid any refund goes to the person who was due to pay it.

MiscellaneousAssortment · 22/09/2016 19:46

The goat is terribly slow at cancelling chequered, better use a chicken next time Grin

Just to jump into the fray, even though the neighbour paid money into the wrong account, I can see why the council can't just give it back/ move the money to a different account. If someone who isn't the account holder can take money from someone else individual billing account, that opens the door to alot of convoluted sob stories and theft. Imagine an a vindictive partner taking the money away so their ex could never pay their council tax - that would be a fun way to abuse someone.

Any, I'm sure the OP can sort out the good advice on here and do it: hint, that involved not paying in cash! Good luck.

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 22/09/2016 19:55

I put in the wrong reference/account number. Switched two of the digits. Money that I meant to pay towards my council tax went to pay someone else's bill.

Got a reminder for mine a couple of weeks later and phoned to query it. Gave them the time and date and my reference number I made the payment and the person on the phone saw I had paid it into the wrong account and told me not to worry he'd transfer it over. And that was it, he did. It really was that simple.

Joanna0685 · 22/09/2016 20:53

She is trying to scare you with her police talk. Is it not against the law to open other peoples mail. She is also basically impersonating you by paying the bill. I would contact the company involved say you have a beyond strange neighbour and she has paid this. Please could they refund her the money she has paid, pretending to be you and come up with a payment plan with them to sort out the money you owe them. She sounds as if she needs a psychiatrist. You probably will have to pay interest but hey at least she is out of your life.

Joanna0685 · 22/09/2016 21:06

She is trying to scare you with her police talk. Is it not against the law to open other peoples mail. She is also basically impersonating you by paying the bill. I would contact the company involved say you have a beyond strange neighbour and she has paid this. Please could they refund her the money she has paid, pretending to be you and come up with a payment plan with them to sort out the money you owe them. She sounds as if she needs a psychiatrist.

helennotsomadnow · 23/09/2016 15:25

could you not just pay the same amount to her council tax in two installments? if you do it by cheque or card then you have proof that you have paid, and repaid her the money

HSMMaCM · 23/09/2016 15:44

No. The neighbour made the mistake. The neighbour has to sort it out. It's nothing to do with OP.

BabyDereksToes · 23/09/2016 21:10

place marking, shamelessly!

mrszc · 23/09/2016 22:29

She's exaggerated the amount she paid therefore she is untrustworthy - deal with the council not her. She fucked up and caused this not you op

Footle · 24/09/2016 09:39

Why would anyone place mark on this thread ? Do goldfish place mark as they swim round and round and round ? You can jump in anywhere on this one and see the same posts - it's a sort of GiF thread.

annfield62 · 24/09/2016 13:41

I'm very new here. How do you place mark ? How can you tell if someone has place marked ? why woul you care !

SpeakNoWords · 24/09/2016 13:51

"Placemarking" just means posting on a thread, usually something short, just to be on the thread. That then means that the thread is now on your "I'm on" list and you'll easily be able to see updates. People usually do it when they want to know if the OP posts an update of any outcome.

annfield62 · 24/09/2016 14:32

Thank you SNW I appreciate you explaining it to me. :-)

SapphireStrange · 26/09/2016 11:19

DO NOT PAY HER ANY CASH!

Go back to the council. Of course they can sort it out. They just can't be arsed to.

diddl · 28/09/2016 09:17

"could you not just pay the same amount to her council tax in two installments?"

But then Op would be out of pocket for something that is absolutely nothing to do with her.

And who's to say that she would be paid back by the neighbour?

It's between the neighbour & the council imo.

MiamiBound · 28/09/2016 09:25

"And changing an airline ticket is also a few keystrokes by an employee. Still has a fee."

The reason the airlines charge is so that people don't buy lots of tickets when they are cheap and then sell on to people when the prices go up. Airline ticketing is a really sensitive thing and prices change hourly/daily depending on how long before departure

prh47bridge · 28/09/2016 10:37

But then Op would be out of pocket for something that is absolutely nothing to do with her

How would she be out of pocket? Neighbour has paid £x off her Council Tax, she pays £x off neighbour's Council Tax. They are then all square.

diddl · 28/09/2016 11:18

Because Op pays her council tax at a rate that suits her & would have to pay more than that because her neighbour has messed up.

Out of pocket is perhaps the wrong term as it would all even up, but surely the money should just be debited from Op's account & credited to neighbour?

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