New default on my Credit File - Welsh Water - in process of motgage application!!!!

[littletinker]

Hi everyone,

Havent had to post here for a while now, but this website proved invaluable to me when being persued by Lovell and Co. Here's my new dilemma!

 

In process of selling my home and purchasing new one. Mortgage advisor called me in to inform me there is now a problem with my application. Had previously been approved last year when started looking for new property. I hadn't checked Experian for a while as I knew my credit rating was 974 and classed as excellent. I know how important credit files are, having had bad credit many many years ago, taking me years to even get a basic bank account. I have seen my credit rating increase over the years, and know what causes my rating to dip from time to time...new searches etc.

Anyway, to my horror when I checked Experian yesterday, I now have a credit score of 308...very poor!!!!

 

I could have cried. After the initial shock, I found the culprit.... Welsh Water Dwr Cymru.

 

They have reported for the past 3 months a debt of £495 and marked as 'Delinquent'.

 

I was going to ring them up first thing today, but then remembered your advice of doing all correspondence by post /email.

 

I don't believe I am responsible wholly for this debt, as the current property I live in does not have mains water. However I bought another relatives property who had passed away in 2013 and did initially have all the utilities in my name there. Never moved in, just did the property up for letting. The property had been let for the past two years by the same person. They have recently vacated the property just before Christmas. I honestly can't remember if I informed Welsh Water of the new tenant and am wondering if my name is still linked to that property?

 

How do you think I should handle this?

 

I can prove where my current address is and have a copy of the tenancy agreement. If it comes to light that they are still billing me for this property and not in the tenants name, can I be still held responsible for the debt as the landlord? I still have the security deposit for the previous tenant, can this be used to settle any debt? I need to sort this out quickly for obvious reasons and have these defaults removed or I wont be moving!!!!!!

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks.

Edited January 23, 2016 by fkofilee

[fkofilee]

I've cleared your post up a little. It makes for easier reading.

 

Im sure someone will be along shortly, utilities arent my forte.

 

You could SAR them for more info. Is this an underpayment possibly? Did the house have a water meter?

You can also complain after you get info. They can remove incorrect info from your CRA too.

 

Also dont worry about your Experian Score... It actually means very little. each lender has different criteria etc.

[BankFodder]

There is no problem speaking to them on the telephone – any fact it might be very useful.

 

You may find that all sorts of things are said on the telephone which might never be said in a letter.

 

I think that you need to call them and try to establish what the alleged debt relates to. If you can get the information over the phone then it will save a lot of time

 

I'm not sure that there is any particular responsibility upon you to let the water authority no that you are no longer responsible for the property. It should be further the new tenant to have dealt with this – assuming that the terms of the tenancy required them to be responsible for the water. It normally would be.

 

I would suggest that you get all the information you can relating to the previous tenant – including if possible, council tax records which I suppose that person must have been paying. If you can get that information then that should probably be enough to satisfy Welsh water that there after the wrong person.

 

Of course they will wonder why all of the correspondence which they might have sent to that address has been forwarded to you. Have you any idea why you are not receiving correspondence which are sent to that address? Have you ever visited the property from time to time? Have you asked about any mail?

 

And finally, I'm afraid that I think that the Experian score matters a great deal.