Neighbour made a mistake and now wants money

[DomingoFlamingo]

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 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......

Maybe a giant moth flew into her eye just as she opened the bill?

The op will have a clearer idea once she's called the utility company.

In case it needs saying again 😁 She's got a few loose screws!

Ring the company, sort it out.

Very curious how she is 'borrowing' your things. Is she taking them from a communal area (in which case stop leaving them there) or asking you to borrow them (in which case start saying no)?

The whole thing is quite bizarre.

Maybe she just grew a massive BEARD

What a ridiculous story.

Mrs DeVere

I would be more likely to believe that Mike Ashley really cares about his employees

That man is a SAINT!

(Is struck down by bolt from above)

You need to go on Judge Rinder.

Definitely one for Judge Rinder!

Once you have taken the technically and officially correct route of calling the company, and telling her to claim a refund from them.

And I would look at getting a seperate letterbox on the outside of the property, labelled with your flat number and your name, and specifically telling the R Mail you have done this.

Or te the management co for your flats that communal mail is causing problems and ask them to create seperate letterboxes for all.

I pay most of my bills through the company's telephone payment line, it's fully automated the only thing you need is the account number on the bill and a debit or credit card, the card doesn't need to belong to the person named on the bill. Council Tax, sewage rates, water rates, car tax, Gas and electric can all be paid this way.

It is not impossible for her to have paid your bill by mistake if she uses the same provider, but she needs to sort it out with the provider if she made a card payment on your account but you will need to check whether your bill has been paid in error, if it has been paid you will need to inform them of the error.

Shes taking the piss and no mistake
Demand proof and don't be intimidated, she must think you're very naïve!

Mrs DeVere
Did you hear him and his fucking 'it's the govts fault that minimum wage is so low. If they want me to pay a living wage they should set minimum wage at living wage"

Because no one could ever pay above minimum.
Cunt.

She'll call the police and tell them what? She paid your bill without asking you and is now demanding money? Tell her to try it, the daft cow.

Get on to the company and see if they will refund to her and then you can pay as you would have done all along.

Pagwatch

My thoughts exactly re Mr Sports Direct. However, it does reinforce my suspicion that NMW may be counter-productive. Years ago, I used to run a business that employed unskilled people. Because we wanted to attract and retain good workers, we did our best to be competitive with our wages. That wasn't always easy as just finding out what our competitors were paying was problematic. So we'd err positively on the side of caution. We would also pay the better workers more - if the worked harder, were more conscientious, had good attendance etc they benefited financially.
NMW has pretty much removed all competition from wages for those at the low end of the skills ladder IMHO.

I agree with poster above. Advise her to contact company and get refund from them then pay in usual instalments company. If she paid into an account of someone who happen to be a neighbour this is what she would do anyway. DO NOT GIVE HER MONEY. Apart from anything else, should have any issues with the company you will no evidence of having paid THEM and may end up having to pay twice.

I can just about believe that a neighbour in communal flats may have picked up the wrong bill in error ie if you both use British Gas or whatever .I lived in communal flats occasionally I would get a neighbours post in my post box by accident and you could just pay the bill by filling in the tear off bit and pay in cash etc but it doesn't explain why you would be getting a yearly bill I pay monthly by direct debit and some people pay quaterly not yearly especially if you are already paying in installments

How can it possibly be a scam? It is easy enough to check that the bill has been paid

But there's nothing you can do to prevent her getting a refund from the company of payments she didn't owe, after she's pocketed the money from OP.

If the OP owes the company X, and the neighbor has paid X she doesn't owe, then company owes the neighbor X, and the OP owes the company X. The neighbor and OP each have a separate financial relationship with the company that they need to sort out for themselves, they do not have one with each other so no money should transfer between them.

Check with the company who she claims she paid the bill to, firstly, MOST important!.I know a lot of folk have said she cannot have paid the bill and is trying to scam you, but if the bill hadnt been paid, would the company not have sent you reminders? Unless of course she has them. Definietly, speak to the company first. Then dont tell her you have done this, if she is making it up, tell her she can go to the Police, helpherself! Please dont lend her anything else!

Council tax?

maybe AndNow but my council tax bill arrives in march usually for the new tax yr and i never have to set up a new direct debit they just carry on taking monthly installments after my two free months.

Hopefully the neighbour has paid be cheque.

Cancel the cheque OP !

This is bullshit! If she had paid your bill she would have had red letters asking her to pay her own bill! And regardless they ask you your name and account number and address so it wouldn't add up. She is lying.

I'd refuse to deal with the neighbour at all.

The contract is with the company - so talk to them about what has happened. The neighbour need to talk to them about her "mistake" or possibly depending how she paid and when her bank.

If you don't do this even if the neighbour has "somehow" manged to pay a hugh bill twice by accident - she could possible get both a refund and the OP money. I think this would be even more likely if the OP did pay in lump sum - if she paid monthly there would be more time to find out the neighbour got a refund and OP was twice liable for the bill.

If the neighbour threaten police - I think I'd threaten back saying you think she trying to defraud you or scam you and it's not normal to find yourself paying another bill accidentally twice.

Something sounds iffy here who pays someone else's bills without realising. Is she on drugs??