To ask for advice? Panicking about court papers.

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Just had court papers from a debt collector come through the door relating to allegedly unpaid electricity at a previous address. I am panicking. It says I’ve for 14 days to pay.

If the letter says ‘the supply period is currently live and is from 23/04/2021’ what does this mean?

*got

Are they court papers or is it a letter threatening court action if you don't pay in 14 days?

Ring StepChange or CAP. StepChange are open till 8 tonight and they're open on Saturdays too until 4pm x

Difficult to tell without seeing the letter. Would strongly advise you to take it to an advice centre like the CAB, CAP or CMA. Let the electricity company know you are seeking advice, don't ignore it, and let the advice centre you contact know the urgency of you needing advice x

Action can be put on hold with communication and if you do owe the money a payment plan agreed instead of court action. It isn't clear whether you think you owe the money or not though.

When did you move out of the property? Did you definitely cancel the electric when you moved? Do you have any emails etc?

Don't panic. As PP's have said contact CAB or Stepchange

Thanks everyone.

I don’t think I owe the money. I bought a house and moved from my previously rented flat in April 2021. My electricity is still with the same company (E.ON) and it’s up to date. They confirmed over the phone that the account at my previous address was closed and clear.

Today I’ve received a letter from CST Law threatening to ‘proceed with making an application to amend this County Court Claim against you to your new address’.

Tried to ring E.ON but they don’t open until Monday. Tried ringing CST Law and they’re not answering the phone. I have filled out an online dispute and sent screenshots of E.ON’s initial statement addressing the new householder opening the account at my new address in April 2021, and the latest statement with name name on at my new address.

It’s just the wording of ‘the supply period is currently live and is from 23/04/2021’. I first read it as the bill being from electricity supplied at the flat between 23/04/2021 to now, and I wasn’t living there between those dates. However underneath it says ‘date due 17/12/21’. I’m now worried that there was outstanding money owed on 23/04/2021 when I left and that is what they’re seeking? But E.ON confirmed on the phone that the account for my previous flat was clear when I set up the account on my current house.

I moved out in April 2021. I told E.ON (who I’m still with) my previous address on the phone when I rang to set up a DD for my new property. I can’t find any emails though, I did it over the phone.

I’m not sure. There is a covering letter and then a photocopy of a form headed ‘Claim Form’.

OK well first of all a photocopy of a claim form isn't good service. They need to serve the original.

They should also have sent you a Court Response Pack explaining how to make a Defence. Have they done that? If so, you need to make sure that you meet the deadline for filing a Defence.

It's rubbish that you got this on a Friday. There's not much you can do until Monday so try not to stew too much if you can (easier said than done I know). Try to get as much evidence together as you can over the weekend, write down as much as you can remember about dates/conversations etc, and then contact Stepchange or CAB on Monday. I wouldn't contact Eon or the solicitors until you've taken some independent advice.

No, no court response pack. I got this (edited out my details and the solicitor’s name). It looks like a photocopy anyway. I went online to find the number to ring them, and came across a ‘dispute with evidence’ feature so have sent screenshots of E.ON’s first statement to the householder at my new address in April 2021, and the most recent statement at my new address, all up to date.

I should maybe have waited until Monday and tried to get a letter from the estate agent confirming when I moved out of my previous flat.

And thanks for your response and advice.

The first thing I'd do on Monday morning is google the legal firm to get an independent telephone number (it might match what's on the letter, it might not); call them up; and check that the letter is genuinely from them and not from some scammer with a printer.

Thank you. The website’s phone number does match the letter.

It sounds as though they've got the wrong person and should be chasing whoever lived there after you. This is what I would do:

Find your confirmation from EON that the bill was cleared when you moved out, if you can't find it, ask eon to resend it.

Go back to the letting agent and ask for proof that your tenancy ended on that date , something like a dated inventory. Get your first energy statement from your new address showing when you started paying it.

Send a copy of these to the debt collectors making sure they are signed for. Do the same for eon.

If they do persist in taking you to court after you have done the above then take all of the evidence including proof they have had this and show it to the judge. Let us know on here so we can come and laugh at them when the judge throws it out.