Harassment by ex landlord please help

[ThisisMajorTomtoGroundControl]

I'm sorry that I need to be a bit vague, but I found out yesterday that my ex landlord has lied to utility companies about when I moved out so I have to pay his bills.

The last thing I did when I left was take meter readings and gave them to the utility companies concerned. This was over six months ago. Now I find out my landlord has disputed the date I moved out to land me with his large bill. I have sent evidence to the power company concerned to prove he was lying. This includes emails from the local council and my solicitor of the time. But it's up to them whose word they will take. It appears he has falsified some kind of evidence to back up his claim.

I'm guessing if he has done this with one utility company he has done it with them all. Also potentially council tax and I don't know what else. This is all done to spite me because I rightly won a court case he brought against me.

I want to nip this in the bud right away. As far as I'm concerned it's harassment to get back at me because he had to pay me money for breaking housing laws.

What can I do? The entire last year was absolute hell caused by him. It made me so ill with stress I ended up giving up my job for a while. I can't stand the thought this will start up over again in a different way.

Thanks

If you've got evidence of when you moved and sent readings, I can't see why the companies and council would doubt you.

Make some phone calls to confirm what is going on, as emails can get lost / ignored.

Thanks. It only kicked off yesterday with a letter from electric company saying landlord had disputed my final meter readings. I've sent them the information. Just amazed this had suddenly cropped up seven months later.

indeed. I would think that the electric company would see this as a dispute between you and the landlord, and assuming your deposit has long been returned (I hope so) the landlord can only take you to small claims. Where he'll probably be laughed out.

did you contact the council when you moved? If so, I also can't see why they wouldn't believe you especially if you started paying council tax somewhere else.

as a landlord this is a useful reminder to ensure evidence of meter readings when a tenant leaves; but it is generally the case that if there is a dispute, the landlord pays.

I had a homeless case worker and a solicitor all who not only know the exact dates I moved out but I have emails proving it. I think it's connected to the fact the landlord had to pay my solicitor nearly £2000 last month as ordered by a judge for not protecting the deposit. There was a lot more to it than that. Which is why it seems so bonkers with so much documented legal papers and correspondence that he would try something so stupid.

Surely that's fraud as well as harassment. I'd be popping into the police station to discuss it.

I think it's fraud personally. I couldn't find any other threads on the Internet posted by anyone in a similar situation. I've filled in an online crime report for the local police force to see what they think. I'm sure they will see it as a civil matter whereas I genuinely believe this is the start of something by someone with an unfair grudge.

Clearly not the sharpest knife in the drawer there.... I think it is a civil (or uncivil!) Matter. Ask your solicitor for advice, perhaps there is some kind of ' get lost or else ' letter that would be worth sending.

Thanks I will phone solicitor on Monday. It's just one of those incredibly irritating things that only crop up at 6pm on a Friday evening when everywhere has gone home for the weekend!

Fraud? Crime report? Hold on guys what we have here is a dispute about meter readings at the end of tenancy. That's all.

OP, how did you leave the property? Was there an end of tenancy inspection? How were keys returned? In a nutshell, if you ex LL did none of the formalised end of tenancy processes then more fool him. He is absolutely responsible for utility usage, council tax etc from the end of your tenancy. Disputed meter reads or not (it's his hard luck if he didn't agree an end read with you)

If you did a bunk however, responsibility falls on you . Not only would you be responsible for rent up to the day you were contracted to, but the bills accrued too. A little more info on how you left would be helpful.

But assuming you simply ran to an end of tenancy period, you've got the readings, you gave them to the utilities at that time, you paid your final bill, you no doubt also started a new supply at your new residence so it's all standard stuff. (Same process as council tax) It's really not clear why there's even any suggestion, 6 months down the line meter reads are disputed? Has the property been empty all this time???? More info needed re the end of tenancy, but fraud or criminal this certainly isn't, unless your LL has been masquerading as you.

The issue I have with it is that he has a history of harassment at the end of the tenancy in which he was told by solicitors to stop contacting me full stop and all contact had to go between my solicitor and his. There were courts involved, deposits not protected and he was court ordered to return the deposit plus extra. It was a long and complicated case. When I left the property it was done to the letter legally with both the council and solicitors involved. That this has now reared up seven months after I left is absolutely nothing to do with utilities. Final meter readings were given to companies and bills settled. I did everything to the letter of the law literally. So that's why I'm seeing this isnothing about utilities and about harassment. He also interfered with something else quite major before I moved out that I don't want to say here but it took months of headache to sort out.

There is absolutely no reason why this person is still involved in my life unless he chooses to be so. He knows full well what he's doing is wrong.

Contrary to your last post, your first post states this has everything to do with utilities. If you want to read into that dark, sinister and criminal activity by your ex LL then so be it, but TBH my experience of utilities is frustratingly shocking (I'm still trying to get correct meter reads and billing sorted from a uswitch change of supplier 4 months ago)
Where oh where have you said he's now contacting you and "is still involved in your life"?

I fear this is simply shabby utility inefficiency for which the big names have recently been heavily fined for and absolutely nothing to do with your ex LL. Will that disappoint you?

Chrisxyzwhateverusername - it looks like you haven't read the OP.

This probably worn help you feel better but we had this.... It's now been 2 years, we have had numerous debt collection companies come to our door, it's been to about three different courts, we just keep getting passed from court to court, company to company. They have lodged a ccj against us and it's been hell!
We have had no choice but to set up a payment plan with one of the companies just to stop them coming to repossess everything. We are still receiving threatening letters from other companies.
Be prepared that it could be a long process!
We are gutted, only lived in the house for 6 months as it was absolutely disgusting and had loads of issues. He already kept all of our deposit (and won by providing receipts for shit he didn't even have to buy or replace in the house) so this is just a kick in the face!
It's only one energy company too so don't know how on earth he is getting away with it seeing as though our council tax and everything else is registered to our new address

Smiley that's actually helpful to know how it can go. though it sounds like you've been through hell.

Sorry I've had to be a bit vague on details. But when I was living there it was nasty text after text, he would let himself in and go through my things when I was at work - caught on camera - and would randomly come in, one time I was not wearing any clothes. Utility company confirms he has provided evidence that can only have been falsified. I'm not surprised. The judge in the court case picked up on similar at the time.