ScottishPower and landlord driving me to depression!

[butoh1]

Hi! I would be very grateful if you could provide some advice about an 'ongoing' situation with ScottishPower which has been causing me great distress.

 

I am afraid it's a long story, but I will try to be brief.

I lived for approximately 8-9 months in a 1 bedroom flat and within the tenancy agreement it was stated that my landlord who used to live in the same building would charge me for electricity directly.

I moved out of the property almost a year ago, having paid all electricity charges directly to the landlord as instructed by the tenancy agreeement. The landlord claimed that he never received any bills and he therefore produced his own bills charging me around £350 for all the months I have been living in the flat.

A couple of months prior of me moving out, ScottishPower send me a bill for electricity (£550). I called them and I explained the situation and I also told the landlord who said he would sort it out. He assured me that he would.

After I moved out, ScottishPower continued sending me the same bill of £550 and I called again explaining that the landlord has been charging me for electricity. They said that it is resolved and that the landlord is responsible but a few weeks later I received a letter from a debt company threatening to take legal action. I called ScottishPower again, explained everything again and they asked me to send my tenancy agreement and the receipts that the landlord gave me. I send them a letter, outlining what has been going on and I attached a copy of the tenancy agreement and a copy of the receipts. I called ScottishPower to confirm that the received all the documentation and they said that they received everything and that I am no longer the acount holder and not liable for the charges, but the landlord. I am not even sure why my name would appear as an account holder as I did not open an account with them but apparently it happened automatically.

I thought that the whole thing was resolved.

 

A year later, ScottishPower is still harrassing me about this mater. Yesterday I received another letter from a debt collector company threatening leagal action (£750!). I called them and they said that they need to be instructed by Scottishpower to stop demanding payment/taking me to court. I called immediately ScottishPower, explaining the whole story again; they confirmed that they have all my evidence and they said that they will remove my name as account holder and that I am not liable for the charges.

 

I called the debt collector company again, informed them about my communication with ScottishPower and said that I will call them in a week to verify that ScottishPower has contacted them.

 

I really do not know what to do. I have asked ScottishPower to send me a letter confirming that I am not the account holder and that I am not liable for the bill, but they said that they can only 'assure' me. I am very worried that they will keep haunting me.

 

I suspect that my ex-landlord has been changing the account holder to my name and he has not made a payment to ScottishPower and that he simply pocketed the money I paid him for Electricity. I have outlined this to my letter to ScottishPower.

 

I would very much appreciate any advise on this matter. I really do not know how to proceed. As you may understand this issue has caused me a lot of distress...

 

I am looking forward to your responses.

 

Thank you for your time.

 

butoh1

 

[noggsy]

Hi Butch,

who is the debt collector?

[butoh1]

Hi noggsy,

 

It's buchananclark+wells.

 

When I called them they said that they will wait until ScottishPower contacts them again. I said that I will call in a week's time to confirm that ScottishPower has contacted them to inform them that I am not liable.

 

butoh1

[nufsaid]

Hiya butoh I would put everything in writing and send everything recorded delivery for your records.

Send a letter to scottishpower with copies of all previous correspondence explaining that this dca is chasing you for the debt that they had already agreed was nothing to do with you and that you want this fact in writing.

Once that you have received this confirmation back in writing forward this to dca including copies of all the receipts and tenancy agreement.

Phone calls are no good as they can be easily forgotten.

Don't let it get you down your doing everything right and they will get off your back once everything gets straighted out.

Hope this helps.

NS.

[butoh1]

Hi nufsaid,

 

Thank you for your advice. I will definitely send the letters. What concerns me is that although I have previously sent letter and copies of receipts and tenancy agreement to ScottishPower they never responded in writing and they started pursuing me again almost a year later. I asked written confirmation yesterday when I spoke to them on the phone and they refused to put it into writing; they said that they can only assure me!

 

My concern is that they removed my name from the account for now but who knows what is going to happen 1 year down the line?

 

Butoh1

[nufsaid]

Here are Scottish powers complaints procedure and address write to this and make your letter a formal complaint at this point.

Making a complaint

 

Have a look at their complaints procedure what I think has happened is Scottish power have passed the debt onto a dca and the landlord has given your details again, what a rotter . The dca are just testing the water in my opinion make sure Scottish power give you written confirmation that it's not your debt.

Good luck.

[noggsy]

Agree with nuf, lets hope you have seen the last of it