Rent, Utilities Bully Utility

[Davewants2]

I am the owner of a rental house for 8 yrs. First renters move out and I take 3 months to remodel house. I line up new renters and the utility company will not turn on the utilities in the renters name because they say I owe them money. Turns out the rules changed and they now charge $30 some dollars a month whether you use water or not. OK I gotta pay but they want to charge me 3 late fees and they sent the bills to the wrong address. I feel this is wrong but I paid to get my renters in and paying the rent which is substancially more than 3 late fees. Last week I get a "courtesy call" that I owe them a partial months amount ($19) from the previous fiasco in March. I ask why they haven't sent me a bill? They reply that they did....of course its not to my legal address of record and of course there is late fees again. I know I am going to have the same issue with them the next time I change renters. After all that my question is: Can they deny me the use of my rental property by not giving my renters utility service because I owe them a small amount of money. Of course during my conversations with the utility (including supervisor) they never once asked me what my mailing address is!

 

[Betty3]

Did you ever give them the correct address bills should be sent to? If they are owed money, they don't have to give utility service.

 

[army judge]

Get a PO BOX, if you don't want mail sent to your home.
They have no duty to inquire about the address you have previously provided them.

 

[Davewants2]

I not sure I understand your answer. They never asked for my address even though its on the property records and continue to send it to the rental house(or so they say as they admit they have been returned). No my renters have never given me any mail. Your basically saying that if I was never billed or dispute a charge (which by the way there is not dispute resolution...they are always right) they can make my rental house worthless and deny me the use of my property forever over $30.00 which is not for services but for late fees that can not be justified. I have offered to pay the outstanding balance they claim I owe but not the bogus late fees.

 

[Betty3]

What we are saying is why haven't you given them an address where you will get the bills.

 

[mightymoose]

Forget that they haven't asked for a correct address.... why haven't you offered it?
This seems like a very simple problem to resolve.

 

[army judge]

I not sure I understand your answer. They never asked for my address even though its on the property records and continue to send it to the rental house(or so they say as they admit they have been returned). No my renters have never given me any mail. Your basically saying that if I was never billed or dispute a charge (which by the way there is not dispute resolution...they are always right) they can make my rental house worthless and deny me the use of my property forever over $30.00 which is not for services but for late fees that can not be justified. I have offered to pay the outstanding balance they claim I owe but not the bogus late fees.

I can completely concur, because that's how I felt when I read your question. :roflmao: :bye:

 

[Gail_in_Georgia]

You've got two choices...

1. Argue with them until you are blue in your face and your new tenants can't move in because the utilities can't be turned on.

2. Pay the bills and late fees and take these off next years taxes as a deduction for landlord expenses.

In many communities water and sewer utilities are locally managed and when tenants run out owing past bills guess who gets stuck with these; the owner of the property.

Gail