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"Account Debt" passed on to debt collectors for property I don't own..

  • 13-02-2014 01:41PM
    #1
    Gingko
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 532 ✭✭✭


    I used to own a property which was repossessed by the bank last February 2013. It was in the hands of a letting agent for some years previous to that. Numerous tenants lived there during that time. 

    Initially I had opened an ESB account back in 2002. I only lived in property for first 2 years been 02/03. Property was vacated December 2012 by tenants  and the letting agent was to look after all bills etc and turn off mains.

    Electric Ireland contacted a few months ago and I explained that it is not my property and is also vacant. They maintained bill is for period after last tenant left but they agreed that something was not right with this account and would look into it and they would ring me back. Then I get the call from the Debt collector today!

    As far as I am concerned I have done nothing wrong? All bills were paid up to when my ownership ended 1 year ago. Am I realistically liable for electricity that I did not use for a property that I do not own. The electricIreland rep did say she was going to contact the letting agent and get advise from her colleges there and get back to me. She was very fair and had a great manner it must be said. But to get this call today is frustrating! Would like to add that the last electricireland account was in the then tenants name, as were all the accounts post 2003.

    Appreciate feedback, Thanks.


Comments

  • #2
    EI: Aoife O
    Closed Accounts Posts: 282 ✭✭EI: Aoife O


    Hi Gingko,

    We would need to investigate your account before advising about this query. Could you please PM us with your previous Electric Ireland account number, full name, address of the property and contact number? Please also confirm that you are the account holder. Once this information is confirmed, we'll certainly be happy to look into this for you.

    Kind regards,
    Aoife


  • #3
    foggy_lad
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,373 ✭✭✭✭foggy_lad


    Electric Ireland: Aoife O wrote: »
    Hi Gingko,

    We would need to investigate your account before advising about this query. Could you please PM us with your previous Electric Ireland account number, full name, address of the property and contact number? Please also confirm that you are the account holder. Once this information is confirmed, we'll certainly be happy to look into this for you.

    Kind regards,
    Aoife
    The OP is not the account holder though! Property was repossessed in February 2013. The tenants left in December 2012 so property was vacant between then and February 2013, any bill from this period would be minimal!

    Gingko wrote: »
    I used to own a property which was repossessed by the bank last February 2013. It was in the hands of a letting agent for some years previous to that. Numerous tenants lived there during that time. 

    Initially I had opened an ESB account back in 2002. I only lived in property for first 2 years been 02/03. Property was vacated December 2012 by tenants  and the letting agent was to look after all bills etc and turn off mains.

    Electric Ireland contacted a few months ago and I explained that it is not my property and is also vacant. They maintained bill is for period after last tenant left but they agreed that something was not right with this account and would look into it and they would ring me back. Then I get the call from the Debt collector today!

    As far as I am concerned I have done nothing wrong? All bills were paid up to when my ownership ended 1 year ago. Am I realistically liable for electricity that I did not use for a property that I do not own. The electricIreland rep did say she was going to contact the letting agent and get advise from her colleges there and get back to me. She was very fair and had a great manner it must be said. But to get this call today is frustrating! Would like to add that the last electricireland account was in the then tenants name, as were all the accounts post 2003.

    Appreciate feedback, Thanks.
    Any amounts outstanding from tenants is not the responsibility of the OP if the avvount was not in their name.


  • #4
    Wile E. Coyote
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,566 ✭✭✭Wile E. Coyote


    foggy_lad wrote: »

    Any amounts outstanding from tenants is not the responsibility of the OP if the avvount was not in their name.


    That's a very big if. Regardless of if the property was being managed by a letting agent, the OP was the property owner until February last year and it was his responsibility to ensure that anything registered in his name such as ESB, Eircom, UPC, Sky etc. was cancelled when he moved out in 2003.


  • #5
    Gingko
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 532 ✭✭✭Gingko


    Wile E. Coyote wrote: »
    foggy_lad wrote: »

    Any amounts outstanding from tenants is not the responsibility of the OP if the avvount was not in their name.


    That's a very big if. Regardless of if the property was being managed by a letting agent, the OP was the property owner until February last year and it was his responsibility to ensure that anything registered in his name such as ESB, Eircom, UPC, Sky etc. was cancelled when he moved out in 2003.
    Electricity was not in my name since 2003 and was paid in full when it was. 


  • #6
    Cushie Butterfield
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,862 ✭✭✭Cushie Butterfield


    Gingko wrote: »
    Wile E. Coyote wrote: »
    foggy_lad wrote: »

    Any amounts outstanding from tenants is not the responsibility of the OP if the avvount was not in their name.


    That's a very big if. Regardless of if the property was being managed by a letting agent, the OP was the property owner until February last year and it was his responsibility to ensure that anything registered in his name such as ESB, Eircom, UPC, Sky etc. was cancelled when he moved out in 2003.
    Electricity was not in my name since 2003 and was paid in full when it was.
    The possibility is that someone (more than likely the letting agent) changed the name on the account back to yours when the last tenant moved out. You should have been informed by ESB that the account was now in your name, but the letter would probably have been addressed to the vacant property, that's if it was sent at all.


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