Scottish Power threatening disconnection for someone elses debt(HELP!)

[mileyd]

Hi

I wonder if I could trouble you for advice.

I have taken the tenancy of a pub, and the previous tenant has run up a 3K debt with Scottish Power. At the start of the tenancy I rang Scottish Power to inform them that I had taken over the pub and gave them the tenants forwarding address. Scottish Power asked me to send the tenancy agreement which I have done, and I thought that would be that. How wrong I was!

Scottish Power are continually sending letters to the previous tenants asking for payment and threatening court action (warrant for disconnection). I have rang Scottish Power continually over the last month to no avail. Despite providing them with a tenancy agreement, and forwarding address for the debtors, they are continuing along the same path, and will not accept me as a customer nor will they allow me to transfer. Their attitude has been that I have to pay the bill or be cut off despite the fact that I am not responsible.

What can I do? Do I have to go and get a solicitor to represent me in court, despite the fact that I am not the debtor?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[noggsy]

Hi Miley, dont worry, have you had a court date yet ? If not, if that is the route that Scottish Power want to take, you will receive notification of a court date at your local Magistrates Court. Do not go to the expense of a Solicitor, all you need to do is to attend court (I would advise when you arrive make yourself known to the Ushers Office and explain what you are there for). Then ask if you can be informed when the Scottish Power rep arrives. Take your Tenancy Agreement with you and show this to the Rep. He should then phone his office and they should cancel the application. If for any reason they dont, then go into the court for the application and make the Usher aware you want to object. Then you will have the chance to explain to the Magistrates, show them the Tenancy agreement and I would be gobsmacked if the Warrant was granted. Hope this helps

[mileyd]

Will do.......

Thanks for the advice Noggsy much appreciated.

[jan2002]

scottish power did the same to us, the last tenant of our premises ran up a debt, unfortunately they disconnected the supply the day we moved in !! its still disconnected 2 years later, we have reached an impass with scottish power, my head has gone flat I have banged it on the wall so many times lol. We are lucky we can run our electricity supply using a generator. Good luck with these numpties, I hope you get sorted soon.