Page 5 | Asking for money 8 years later

Covine · 15/01/2021 11:01

Agree that B should contact CAB and also that he may not be at fault. I had almost the exact same situation: found out I'd had a CCJ issued a couple of years previously and after some digging it turned out to be for electricity at an address I'd moved out of years before even that. Took ages to find out because obviously the "debt" gets passed around from one shyster to another but in the end it transpired that the period it related to was after I'd moved out. I'd sent them a reading and paid and told them I was going, no clue what happened next, maybe the landlord dodged the bill, maybe the new tenant did, the energy company itself definitely fucked up though so I did get it set aside.

Energy companies do fuck up. This one was npower who are crap for billing all round anyway ime.

So I wouldn't assume that B is pulling a fast one. Also there are three credit agencies - my CCJ didn't show up on two of them but it had sat there merrily for years with me being none the wiser.

Anyhoo. That's what I'd advise him to do. I don't think your DH should pay: either it's the energy company's fuckup, in which case no one should pay, or it's B's fuckup, in which case he should pay.

Lass67 · 15/01/2021 11:10

I’d also just say forget the CAB. They give standard read it off a crib sheet advice.

They told me I had no choice but to pay for my CCJ and deal with it for 6 years.

A solicitor quickly disabused me of the notion and made the CCJ effectively disappear.

bobbojobbo · 15/01/2021 11:14

I don’t think it’s your decision, though of course you’ll have an opinion. It’s up to your husband

It's OP's money, it's her decision as much as his.

TillyTopper · 15/01/2021 11:15

Surely the key question is whose name is on the bill? If it's not your DH's then not your problem as it's so long along. If DH is named on the bill then that would be a problem for him.

24HoursInPoliceCustody · 15/01/2021 11:18

@Jelly837363

So situation is DH used to live in a house with 2 other housemates 8+ years ago. All bills were split equally but each housemate had one bill that they sorted out. Housemate A was responsible for sorting out the water bill. Housemate B sorted out electric. DH sorted out council tax.

Now it's been about 3 years since DH has heard from either of these housemates, they've all moved on with their lives. Until a few days ago housemate B sent a message saying that he has a CCJ from unpaid electric bill from when they all lived together. He said he doesn't know how much this is for but he will let them know a figure ASAP so they can pay their share.

Now I'm not happy with this. First of all this will be a much higher figure due to late fees etc from this being ignored for so long which I think is on Housemate B and not us. Also it was so long ago we have no idea if DH gave him money at the time and B decided not to pay or what.

Basically my stance is this is entirely B's problem and we aren't paying anything, especially not for the late fees etc. DH thinks he should pay his share of the original debt but nothing towards any late fees or penalty's. I would be okay with this so long as it isn't too much £ as money is right atm.

What do you all think would be a reasonable thing for us to do? Also is there any legal route Housemate B can take to force us to pay?
Thanks

This is nothing to do with you, leave your husband to sort it.

Chalkcheese · 15/01/2021 11:29

Is he named on the CCJ?

bobbojobbo · 15/01/2021 11:35

This is nothing to do with you, leave your husband to sort it

How is it nothing to do with her when they have joint finances?

HollowTalk · 15/01/2021 12:37

Did all three leave the house at the same time? Surely they took a meter reading, or the landlord did, before re-letting?

What doesn't make sense is that the guy says there's a bill but doesn't know how much it is. That's the first thing he would've been told.

Uhhuhoyaye · 15/01/2021 12:43

@bobbojobbo

I don’t think it’s your decision, though of course you’ll have an opinion. It’s up to your husband

It's OP's money, it's her decision as much as his.

He can't have no money. Nor can he only be allowed to spend on things that his partner agrees with. What if he demanded she cancelled her gym membership (yes I know they are shut in UK at the moment) because it was being funded out of their money and he preferred her to stay in and cook his dinner. He must be allowed to pay what he considers are his debts, assuming that doesn't mean having to re-mortgage the house or being evicted because they can't pay next month's rent. OP is being very controlling and she should back off.

Butterymuffin · 15/01/2021 12:45

Agree to nothing before there is paperwork. Plus make sure it's clear that the CCJ relates to that time period and that address. Did the housemates pay their share to each other in cash or by bank transfer? If transfer your DH might be able to get proof he paid at the time. In which case it's the housemate's fault he didn't pay the overall bill and all subsequent charges are on him.

Covine · 15/01/2021 12:53

What doesn't make sense is that the guy says there's a bill but doesn't know how much it is. That's the first thing he would've been told.

Not necessarily. The first thing I was told was that I had a CCJ. Then I had to find out what it related to. It was applied for by a debt collection agency I'd never heard of. They'd been passed it by a previous DCA who'd owned it, each had added their own charges on etc. It took a lot of digging to find out what the original amount was, who it had come from, what time period it related to etc.

BillMasen · 15/01/2021 13:11

@bobbojobbo

This is nothing to do with you, leave your husband to sort it

How is it nothing to do with her when they have joint finances?

As a pp explained

Do you think joint finances means one party can object to and prevent the other spending on what they want?

HollowTalk · 15/01/2021 13:19

@covine surely they'd give you the option of paying up rather than going to court?

gobbynorthernbird · 15/01/2021 13:23

[quote HollowTalk]@covine surely they'd give you the option of paying up rather than going to court?[/quote]
If they can't find you then Court proceedings will be issued at the last known address. They will have sent letters prior to issuing, but that's no use if someone has moved.

Eckhart · 15/01/2021 13:29

If your husband wasn't named on the bill then he's not liable for it.

AlwaysLatte · 15/01/2021 13:31

I can't see what organisation would be able to successfully get money from someone 8 years later, so perhaps no one paying would be the answer. But that said I would rather pay than see friends having to foot the bill.

Eckhart · 15/01/2021 13:32

There is no legal route by which he can get the money back, and if he tries to threaten you with that, ask him for all the relevant paperwork and tell him your solicitor will be in touch in due course. He'll likely stop if you seem to be investigating seriously, rather than just giving him the cash.

Uhhuhoyaye · 15/01/2021 13:33

@Eckhart

If your husband wasn't named on the bill then he's not liable for it.

That is not the problem. OP does think he/they should pay and legally she may be right. BUT her DH believes it is his debt, morally if not legally, and he wants to pay it. Surely you don't stop your husband paying what he believes are his debts, unless it would have dire financial consequences for your family.

donewithitalltodayandxmas · 15/01/2021 13:36

@standrewschool they can if they have issued a ccj , no way to get out if a ccj unless you pay it within first couple of days , and the person said they have only just noticed , likely just checked credit report so it could of been applied couple years ago or more.
Also pretty sure 6 years is if they have never chased etc

Bluntness100 · 15/01/2021 13:40

Personally i would not treat someone as you are, and unless there has been previous issues with him lying and stealing, I’d pay up. I think it’s beyond shitty not to.

Legally sure, you won’t have to, but morally, I’d not do this to someone. I’d pay my share of what was my debt and not try to screw this person over.

donewithitalltodayandxmas · 15/01/2021 13:45

@lass67 How did they do that ? What law or rule as I was under impRession ccj cannot be removed after a while until naturally drop
Off ? Unless issued incorrectly

BillMasen · 15/01/2021 13:46

@Bluntness100

Personally i would not treat someone as you are, and unless there has been previous issues with him lying and stealing, I’d pay up. I think it’s beyond shitty not to.

Legally sure, you won’t have to, but morally, I’d not do this to someone. I’d pay my share of what was my debt and not try to screw this person over.

This

There are some harsh replies here from people who I think would be really unhappy if it were them asking someone else to pay up to be told “no”...

londonscalling · 15/01/2021 13:57

It's down to the friend for not clearing the bill. Why should your husband have to sort out his mess?

The bill and CCJ are in his name so won't have any repercussions on you.

If your husband hasn't spoken with him for about three years then they aren't the closest of friends.

Just tell the friend that everyone had responsibility for paying their own particular bill, so unfortunately you can't help him as he obviously didn't pay the electricity company the money you gave him.

bobbojobbo · 15/01/2021 13:59

Do you think joint finances means one party can object to and prevent the other spending on what they want?

I think that join finances mean that its not "none of her business". You extrapolated far too much from that.

bobbojobbo · 15/01/2021 14:00

There are some harsh replies here from people who I think would be really unhappy if it were them asking someone else to pay up to be told “no”

Probably because we wouldn't dream of asking anyone else to pay it. If I had a bill in my name, that was my responsibility, that not paying had led to a CCJ...I wouldn't be asking my housemates of nearly a decade ago to pay. It would be my problem and mine alone.
Not that I would ever be in that situation at all.