Water pursuing me for Mum's debt

[PILEALLTHEPILLSONTHEFLOOR]

Hi, is this legal? My mum and I used to live in an address about 4 years ago and the water company are now chasing me for her debt. I have never been responsible for bills there as I was a child at the time.

They have sent it to a collections agency and are now insisting that I take responsibility for her debt. My credit has dropped 80 points from Excellent to Fair. My Mum is insisting that it's some kind of scam but I don't think it is if my credit has already dropped so far.

Its always worth writing to the Legal Dept quoting Ferguson V British Gas trading as that usually makes them stop and thing

I would also as already suggested make a subject access request as to how they decided you were liable AND make a formal complaint saying that they hold incorrect information on you and ask them to correct it.

https://www.casemine.com/judgement/uk/5a8ff7aa60d03e7f57eb1025

@PILEALLTHEPILLSONTHEFLOOR "she would never do that."

So how did your name get on the CCJ? If you were a child when you lived at the property you obviously didn't have any bills or anything in your name and you wouldn't have been on the electoral register. So how does the debt company even know you exist, let alone chase you for money?

There isn't a CCJ. It's all a storm in a tea cup. Once OP has spoken to the water company it will be sorted and the default marker removed from her credit file. It can get sorted even more quickly by her DM claiming the debt as her own and paying the bill which she seems reluctant to do for some reason.

Fair enough but why (if she was a child when she lived there) has the Water Company and debt agency got her name as the debtor. Surely there's only one explanation - the mother gave it to them.

Agreed. How else would they have your details? If you were an actual child, as in under 16, then they would have no clue you even lived there let alone where you were now.

She should be jumping into action to try to sort this for you, so her lack of action is rather telling.

Contact the credit companies and put in a complaint against the debt on it and make it clear to them that it’s not your debt and that you were a child - under 16? - when you lived at the address and the bill payer is your mom and ask that the whole thing be removed from your credit file - you need to contact ALL the credit reference agencies though not just one!

It depends what systems they have used to search. Some searches will bring up all people linked to that address. So for instance if since leaving that address OP has filled in something using that address it might bring up her details regardless of her being a child at the time.

Sometimes debt collection companies know the person they are writing to are the wrong person but they do it anyway in the hopes that person will then give them details of the correct person.

Weird because the debt is nothing to do with you. Citizens advice will help you sort your credit rating if necessary.

But you earn £100K according to another recent thread @PILEALLTHEPILLSONTHEFLOOR ?

This happened to me years ago. FIL didn't pay a catalogue bill. Catalogue sold debt to someone and they must have found out address with the same surname so sent a letter asking for the money. I assumed my husband had forgotten about a bill and asked him about it and he insisted it wasn't him. Finally materialised it was FIL. We just informed them, it's not us, FIL is at X address and they left us alone

Goodness, that impressive as a child four years ago…

Is your mum not going to pay her debt herself?

And is also a retired stripper from California but now a private school teacher? Chinny reckon.

Also no children and wants a sugar daddy
versus
2 children upstairs in bed

Well that took a turn…

What age were you when you left the property, OP? Surely you can prove you were a child and therefore not responsible for the debt? Something has gone very wrong somewhere.

Eta: oh. Just read the most recent posts.

Well she's apparently nearly 27 now, so hardly a child 4 years ago. All is not as it seems.

Are you still living at the same address @PILEALLTHEPILLSONTHEFLOOR?
You said your mum moved out to live with bf? Or have you both moved out? How old are you now?

Don’t pay them. Tell them if they want to take you to court then fine. They will send you a small claims form which will look threatening because they’re asking the court to give you a CCJ. Don’t be scared. Fill the defence section of it outlining what you have said. The judge will see it and bin their claim.

Then tell her you are making a request for all the information they have in order to find out why they think the debt is yours.

If she reacts negatively then you are wrong and she did do it.

In any case, you can tell the debt company the debt is not yours, the account was never in your name and tell them to take you to court and you will let the judge decide.

When you check your credit score can you see the reason for decline? Have they incorrectly affected the ccj to you?

My mum said she will call them on Monday. I offered to pay it myself if she is struggling but she got angry. For gods sake she didn't give them my name!!!

Are you at the same address still and have taken over the account?

https://www.thameswater.co.uk/help/account-and-billing/bill-responsibility

Might be worth a read

No wtf ?