Yorkshire Water 733 pounds penalty

[rosique]

This is really annoying.

 

In my shared house,

my flatmate who was managing the water bill was paying methodically every month,

but it seems that one month he did not see the letter and didn't pay one bill, (79 pounds).

 

Well, yesterday, he opened one letter from Yorkshire Water saying that they would take us to court unless we paid £733

plus the bill not paid.

 

He really messed it up, and it's going to be a huge problem for us.

 

I'm spanish, so I'm not really aware of procedures here in England.

 

What can we do now?

 

Is there an option to not to pay that exaggerated penalty?

 

Thanks...

[renegadeimp]

First step is to write to them via normal mail or email, make sure you state you do not acknowledge and debt and you require them to prove the amount they claim you owe. In the UK, the person claiming you owe the debt must provide proof that you do.

[renegadeimp]

Also, can i ask if you can give us dates of the missed payment, and when they started chasing you? is it the water company that is threatening you or another company acting for them?

[rosique]

I cannot answer that right now since I don't have the papers, I'll be able to tell you tonight.

 

But I think the unpaid bill was either from February-March or March-April. The real problem is that my flatmate opened this letter (the one with the court claim) more than 10 days after he received it. And in the letter it says "you have 10 days to discuss this court claim blahblah". In other words, I think we're really in a problem.

Edited May 18, 2014 by rosique

[BankFodder]

Sorry about my suspicions - but for £79 to translate to £733 + the payment .... I wonder whether you have been given the whole story.

 

Let us know what you find

[SabreSheep]

Some places like mine for example receive 2 water bills.

 

My local one provides the water service

The other bigger one is for drainage.

 

I wonder if your house/flat is the same and your house,ate has paid one but not the other which may have mounted up.

[dx100uk]

if this was last years bill you were still paying

then they've lumped this years on top.

 

just remember ,

typically the water companies threaten court

if you don't pay the whole years bill in one or two parts

 

if you had a payment agreement for last year [£79*10) that would be about correct.

 

regardless to what the water companies say

you are entitled to pay your bill

[aprilapril in 10 monthly payments

 

also unlike say gas/electric

they cant cut you off

and you can treat it like a normal bill like a creditcard.

 

lets have all the details please

 

dx