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AIBU?

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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:
SoupDragon · 20/09/2016 12:09

if she had the bill in her possession then that can be used as ID for all sorts of things...

She's petty shit at identity fraud given she's drawn the OPs attention to the fact that she had this bill and paid it.

QuizteamBleakley · 20/09/2016 12:10

Tell her to CANCEL THE CHEQUE! wanders off, muttering

prh47bridge · 20/09/2016 12:30

Tell her to CANCEL THE CHEQUE

If the cheque has already cleared it is too late.

expatinscotland · 20/09/2016 12:37

I think you should take her a lasagne, a vat of lentil soup, a bottle of wine and cancel the cheque.

DesolateWaist · 20/09/2016 12:58

So loads of posts and the op hasn't been back.

Yes the neighbour could have paid it over the counter of the post office. They wouldn't give a hoot what the name on the cheque was.

Don't give her tuppence until you have checked if the company have ever received any payment.

Shiningexample · 20/09/2016 13:05

'd have normally payed this bill in installments throughout the year, but she payed the whole amount in two payments
I wonder what the bill is?
council tax?
TV license?

PuppyMonkey · 20/09/2016 13:18

I'm thinking TV licence for sure. Potentially easy to miss the name if the licence is for the same house? You just go online and put the licence number in to pay.

Come on OP, stuff your actual real life - reveal all immediately. Grin

WhiteDraig · 20/09/2016 13:33

If it was TV or council as the neighbour I'd be in contact with the companies directly trying to get it accredited to write name and address of council number - I wouldn't need to involved the neighbour at all.

I wondered if it was a utility company - and neighbour has paid a company they have no direct relationship with instead of the one they are with - but that level of daftness seems extreme.

I don't disbelieve someone could find a way to pay another bill - it's just despite being dsylexic and reading names wrong and transposing letters and numbers and pre-marriage having such a common surname that every flat or shared house seem to have another person with same surname and in one case same initial - I've gone through life never having found myself paying someone else bill.

I'm wondering if that just luck or me not having enough money to be cavalier with it.

harrypotternerd · 20/09/2016 13:35

PuppyMonkey what is a TV licence? sorry I am from Australia and never heard of one before

Niloufes · 20/09/2016 13:35

mmmm. I'm sure she's paid your bill by mistake. mmm. riiiiiiight. Call the company ask for details of payments to date to be emailed to you because you have an issue with post going missing.

LIZS · 20/09/2016 13:37

Water is twice a year.

MuffyTheUmpireSlayer · 20/09/2016 13:38

She's an idiot. Don't give her a penny. Tell her to contact the company for a refund and then you can contact them yourself about making amendments on your end.

That's if it's even true. It sounds like she's trying to run a scam to me.

wasonthelist · 20/09/2016 13:43

harry In order to watch or record any TV at the time it's broadcast (via satellite, aerial or online) in the UK one must purchase a licence. The money raised is mostly used to pay for the BBC.

OnlyAFoolsChance · 20/09/2016 13:56

Would be tempted to ask if she's on glue... Wink

carefreeeee · 20/09/2016 14:00

Just refuse, She was illegally opening your mail and it was nothing to do with you!

You should arrange to pay the company you owe directly, in installments if necessary. Let her get a refund from the company. I would absolutely not get involved.

loulou0987 · 20/09/2016 14:03

I had a neighbour, in a block like this, with the same first name as me who applied for a loan in my name, when i challenged her, with the paperwork, she said oh don't worry about it, i dont need it now!!!

Benedikte2 · 20/09/2016 14:04

OP the legal position is that she has paid your bill without any agreement with you -- you did not ask her and there is no contractural agreement so she's stuffed! You cannot take advantage of her "honest" mistake but you owe her nothing.
Tell her she needs to sort a refund but you will not be paying her.
You will out of the goodness of your heart give her a letter to the company explaining the situation and stating that you do not object to a refund subject to the company being satisfied and will be paying in your normal manner by instalments . You cannot be required to do any more than this.
By all means do check the state of your account to ensure the payment went through, first
Good luck.

x2boys · 20/09/2016 14:17

I havent had a bill for a tv licence i yrs i pay £12 quid a month via direct debit i dont think we have the physical bit of paper either although the licence people know we pay it and where we live as they were quick to write to us when the direct debit didnt go through a few months ago!

steff13 · 20/09/2016 14:18

I don't think the company would refund the neighbour, how could she prove that the payment was made in error, she could plausibly have made the payment on behalf of the op

This is my thought, too. I wouldn't, if I were the company. She had the statement, she paid, she had all the relevant information, how can she reasonably argue she didn't know it wasn't her bill?

Original poster
DomingoFlamingo · 20/09/2016 15:12

Hi - thanks for all the replies and advice. Sorry but fell asleep soon after posting originally and been at work this afternoon. To answer some questions:

Its a Council tax bill - neighbour was taking it to pay point at the local shop to pay it and they didn't realise the error either. She's provided receipts which show she payed a small amount and then much larger amount a few weeks ago. She only realised when she started getting reminders about her own account this week

Have set up a meeting with council tomorrow to sort this out. Hoping they can just transfer the money across to her account but we'll see.

I am looking at getting a separate wall mailbox for myself but need to check with landlord first. As far as I know she hasn't taken anything else though I have had opened parcels handed back before now..

OP posts:
MammouthTask · 20/09/2016 18:28

Good plan re a separate post box. It seems that your neighbour isn't good at reading names on letters and packets ....

IceMaiden73 · 20/09/2016 18:29

Get her to sort it out with the council and transfer it to her own account

You need to contact the council and sort your bill out separately

SpeakNoWords · 20/09/2016 18:44

Were you also paying your council tax too? So your account has had extra payments made to it by your neighbour?

sandragreen · 20/09/2016 18:51

Definitely don't set up any agreement with this woman.

It's her responsibility to sort out her mistaken payments with the council, not yours. All you are responsible for is repaying the amounts you owe the council.

expatinscotland · 20/09/2016 19:00

Set up nothing with her. This is her error. You pay her nothing. 'No, I'm not paying you any money.' 'I'll go to the police.' 'You do what you feel is best, but I'm not paying you money.'

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