ADVICE NEEDE: Being chased for a debt thats not mine

Straughany

Consectatio Excellentiae
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For the past 6 month i have been getting letters from anglian water saying i owed them money from a previous address, not only have they been sending me letters but a debt collection agency have also.

The debt id for my old address but it is from a 9 month period last year HOWEVER i have not lived in the property for 3 years.

I contacted Anglian and explained this, they have on their records that i moved house and every month have paid my water bill for my new address(s)

They put a block on the debt collection company and explained that they would get it sorted as they can see i am not in the wrong.

Anyway I have just been contacted by the debt collection agency saying that 5 days ago AW instructed them to chase me for the debt.

I can Prove that i have not lived in that address for 3 years.
Anglian can Prove i havent and have records to shoe i was living somwhere else.

so how can they still chase me for the debt, I am unsure what to do apart from let them take me to court where it can be proven i am in the right.

Anyone been in a situation like this before?
 
Go straight to your lawyer mate. Take all letters and relevant paperwork with you, he'll probably be able to sort it out with just a letter or two to both AW and the debt collectors. Been in a similar situation before over council tax. Best to avoid court imo.
 
Yes mate - that exact one.
AW's debt collectors chased me for a debt I'd long since settled.
Turned up at my door in the end and wouldn't have it that I'd paid.
Got resolved after I finally spoke to someone with a brain and they credited my account to a healthy sum for the inconvenience.
Could afford to drink gallons of council pop for a whole year after that. :)
 
Go straight to your lawyer mate. Take all letters and relevant paperwork with you, he'll probably be able to sort it out with just a letter or two to both AW and the debt collectors. Been in a similar situation before over council tax. Best to avoid court imo.

Cheers mate, will i need to pay for the lawyer or will costs be covered from AW?
 
Yes mate - that exact one.
AW's debt collectors chased me for a debt I'd long since settled.
Turned up at my door in the end and wouldn't have it that I'd paid.
Got resolved after I finally spoke to someone with a brain and they credited my account to a healthy sum for the inconvenience.
Could afford to drink gallons of council pop for a whole year after that. :)

Ive spoke to a few people about it mate and they assured me that it would be sorted but now i'm getting the DCA texing me to phone them.
I was thinking about phoning AW and tell them that i will seek legal advice as its causing stress.
 
if it puts you out of pocket due to their actions then you can claim costs from the other side, write a letter at ONCE to AW and outline your predicament and the facts then state at the bottom that you will be contacting a lawyer and will be claiming costs as well as compensation for the hassle... do it all recorded (keep the receipts to claim it back too)
 
id get straight back on to AW and give them hell mate its their fault tell the mto sort and and give them the old stress on you and the Mrs etc and that you cant squat anymore cos your thinking bout it to much
 
id get straight back on to AW and give them hell mate its their fault tell the mto sort and and give them the old stress on you and the Mrs etc and that you cant squat anymore cos your thinking bout it to much

:lol::lol:
 
Cheers mate, will i need to pay for the lawyer or will costs be covered from AW?
Not sure on that one mate, some lawyers won't charge if it's just a case of a threatening letter, some will but you may be able to claim any costs off AW seeing as their the one's who've made a mistake. My lawyer never charged me but then again, he's hauled my ass to "safety" more than once from the authorities lol! Phone one up and he'll advise you what's what.
 
if it puts you out of pocket due to their actions then you can claim costs from the other side, write a letter at ONCE to AW and outline your predicament and the facts then state at the bottom that you will be contacting a lawyer and will be claiming costs as well as compensation for the hassle... do it all recorded (keep the receipts to claim it back too)

If i threaten them with wanting comp will they not just laugh in my face :lol:
 
Well, I won't advise what to do but will tell you what I did.
Customer services... explained what's happening... mentioned Ferguson vs British Gas (court case, look it up)... mentioned liability if CCJ awarded against me would be sought... kept calm... gave full details of payment made so it could be verified... asked for compensation... got a wee sum credited to my account.

I had the same with a gas supplier chasing me for a debt at a premises I didn't live in at the time of the alleged incurring of the bill... mentioned Ferguson v British Gas... told them I would instruct the same law firm as acted for L Ferguson... got 500 quid offered damn quick, as well as the whole thing dropped.

F v BG set a strong precdent.
 
Well, I won't advise what to do but will tell you what I did.
Customer services... explained what's happening... mentioned Ferguson vs British Gas (court case, look it up)... mentioned liability if CCJ awarded against me would be sought... kept calm... gave full details of payment made so it could be verified... asked for compensation... got a wee sum credited to my account.

I had the same with a gas supplier chasing me for a debt at a premises I didn't live in at the time of the alleged incurring of the bill... mentioned Ferguson v British Gas... told them I would instruct the same law firm as acted for L Ferguson... got 500 quid offered damn quick, as well as the whole thing dropped.

F v BG set a strong precdent.

I'll look that up mate, where in east anglia do you live?
 
Write to Anglian Water's complaints and confirm that you are being persued for a debt that is not yours. Set out the situation, explain that you have spoken to them and the debt collection agency several time regarding this and that, depite AW assurance that the matter had been resolved, you are still being harrassed by the debt collection agency in error. Re confirm that (as per your conversations with them) you have not lived at that address since *date* and ask them to immediately request the debt back from the debt collection agency and to update their records accordingly. Finally, ask them to confirm in writing that this has been done.

send a copy of the letter to the debt collection agency with a covering letter explaining that you are enclosing a copy letter sent to AW. Do not speak to them on the phone, only deal with them in writing from now on.

The problem you have here is that the debt collection agency will NOT stop contacting you UNTIL AW ask them for the debt file back - as you can imagine loads of people come out with "its not my debt honest guv" so they will pay no attention to this whatsoever coming from you. Also, its difficult to prove a series of events relying on telephone calls.

Lastly, all complaints to water bodies etc are tallied and madae avaliable as data so they are much more likely to deal with this efficiently if you go to the organ grinder rather than the monkey as the more complaints they get the worse the company looks....
 
Near the A1 mate - west side.

F V BG established that it's not ok to harass customers for debts they don't owe - in fact, if pushed, it costs firms money.
 
Hate these big bullying companies, sniffling little pricks hiding behind a computer using the "system" as their weapon, it's totally wrong. Got Bannatyne's chasing me for 150 quid because i left their gym! They say you have to give 3 months notice! Well all i can say is they've got two chances of getting the money, none and fuck all. Absolutely ridiculous!
 
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