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Thames Water historical debt

including wills and probate
AleisterCrowley
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Thames Water historical debt

#332681

Postby AleisterCrowley » August 12th, 2020, 1:44 pm

(Did a very long post on this and got logged out whilst composing, so lost all of it grrrrrr :evil: )

letter waiting for me from Thames Water when I got back from hols
They have 'discovered' that I owe them £80 for the final period of my previous tenancy (to Sep 2018)
This is the first mention of it, and I honestly don't know if the final bill was invoiced or settled but trawling through statements
They have stated that if I don't pay within 7 days (now passed due to hols) they will add to bill for current address
What rights, if any, do I have?

GoSeigen
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Re: Thames Water historical debt

#332700

Postby GoSeigen » August 12th, 2020, 3:22 pm

AleisterCrowley wrote:(Did a very long post on this and got logged out whilst composing, so lost all of it grrrrrr :evil: )

letter waiting for me from Thames Water when I got back from hols
They have 'discovered' that I owe them £80 for the final period of my previous tenancy (to Sep 2018)
This is the first mention of it, and I honestly don't know if the final bill was invoiced or settled but trawling through statements
They have stated that if I don't pay within 7 days (now passed due to hols) they will add to bill for current address
What rights, if any, do I have?


If you owe them the money then, well, you ought to pay them.
If you don't, then don't pay them and make them prove you owe it, in court if necessary.

GS

AleisterCrowley
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Re: Thames Water historical debt

#332701

Postby AleisterCrowley » August 12th, 2020, 3:27 pm

is there a statute of limitations on old debt?
I genuinely have no idea if this money is owed, so having to trawl records
I'l grudgingly pay up if I do owe them this £80, but dropping it on me after 22 months seems a bit twattish (to use the legal term)

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Re: Thames Water historical debt

#332711

Postby Clitheroekid » August 12th, 2020, 4:22 pm

AleisterCrowley wrote:is there a statute of limitations on old debt?

Yes, the Limitation Act 1980 gives them 6 years from the date of the invoice to issue proceedings for recovery of the debt.

So just another 4 years of waiting in dread of a County Court claim and then you'll be free of worry!

Oh, and if they do issue a court claim they can also claim interest at 8% p.a. since the debt became due, which is a strong incentive for them to leave issuing until the last minute and collect a bonus of nearly 50%.

It might be better to pay up, grudgingly or not.

AleisterCrowley
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Re: Thames Water historical debt

#332718

Postby AleisterCrowley » August 12th, 2020, 4:46 pm

Ah, but have they invoiced?
I can't find a bill, and if they had issued one it would have been followed up with late payment notices, red letters, and veiled threats

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Re: Thames Water historical debt

#332731

Postby didds » August 12th, 2020, 5:31 pm

I presumne youve moved intoa property covered by the same water authority ie thames water.

what would they have done if youd moved to an area under a different water authority?

didds

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Re: Thames Water historical debt

#332733

Postby didds » August 12th, 2020, 5:33 pm

GoSeigen wrote:[
If you don't, then don't pay them and make them prove you owe it, in court if necessary.

GS



they appear though to hold the whip hand - they arent threatening to take the OP to ciourt for non payment. just add it to the OP's current account - a fait accompli.

In effect leaving the OP potentially haveing to prove they never owed it - as the charge just gets charged anyway.

AleisterCrowley
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Re: Thames Water historical debt

#332746

Postby AleisterCrowley » August 12th, 2020, 6:35 pm

Yes, Thames Water both properties - as a telecoms/IT person I am condemned to roam the Thames Valley for ever :(
Just seemed a bit odd (and 'off') suddenly discovering a debt from nearly two years ago and expecting me to pay up within 7 days
What if BT suddenly decided they had underbilled for line rental in 2016 and lobbed a bill in my direction? Would that be reasonable?

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Re: Thames Water historical debt

#332755

Postby GoSeigen » August 12th, 2020, 7:45 pm

AleisterCrowley wrote:Yes, Thames Water both properties - as a telecoms/IT person I am condemned to roam the Thames Valley for ever :(
Just seemed a bit odd (and 'off') suddenly discovering a debt from nearly two years ago and expecting me to pay up within 7 days
What if BT suddenly decided they had underbilled for line rental in 2016 and lobbed a bill in my direction? Would that be reasonable?


Yes. Completely reasonable any time up to six years as CK said.

Don't quite understand what some earlier posters are talking about. So what if they add it to your current bill? If you don't owe it refuse to pay. Just pay the portion you agree with.

If you can't find the invoices you could always ask them to prove the debt by issuing a duplicate.


Seven days may be their stated deadline. You don't have to comply with that; ignoring it will just trigger their next letter/action.

Don't forget, this may be a simple mistake on their part or somebody else's. e.g. the new occupant of your last place moved out and their address didn't replace yours for the closing bill. Something weird in their computer system. An employee working from home not having access to their full system. Or whatever...


GS

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Re: Thames Water historical debt

#332757

Postby Lootman » August 12th, 2020, 7:52 pm

AleisterCrowley wrote:Just seemed a bit odd (and 'off') suddenly discovering a debt from nearly two years ago and expecting me to pay up within 7 days. What if BT suddenly decided they had underbilled for line rental in 2016 and lobbed a bill in my direction? Would that be reasonable?

Speaking of BT when I sold my house in 2010, and at the buyer's request, I left the BT line open so that he would have internet immediately. I assumed he would switch things over right away. Turned out he took his time.

But it was about 6 years before I eventually got a BT bill at my new address. By this point the debt had passed to some kind of consolidator and they made a very similar demand - pay in 7 days or else!

I did not pay and a couple of weeks later I got another letter from them saying that they had written off or forgiven the debt. Maybe the 6 years is significant given CK's point.

If I owe money but do not get a bill, I figure that it is not my problem.

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Re: Thames Water historical debt

#332766

Postby AF62 » August 12th, 2020, 8:30 pm

Any reason why water companies can rely on the six year rule to chase historic debts, but you cannot be charged for gas or electricity used more than 12 months ago if you have not been correctly billed by a supplier?

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Re: Thames Water historical debt

#332896

Postby pochisoldi » August 13th, 2020, 1:06 pm

AF62 wrote:Any reason why water companies can rely on the six year rule to chase historic debts, but you cannot be charged for gas or electricity used more than 12 months ago if you have not been correctly billed by a supplier?


The energy regulator's rules, which in turn are enforced via the supplier's licence, determine the backbilling restriction for gas and electric.

The backbilling restriction was brought in to provide a financial incentive energy companies to sort out their crap billing systems, and bill people on time.
The water companies have never really had the same problem (especially when it comes to unmetered supply).


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