financial trouble w/ past housemate

[sardeon]

In August of 2005 I moved out of a house I was sharing with one housemate and she stayed there. The cable bill had been in my name, but we had a verbal agreement that she would transfer the cable bill into her name as I could not myself transfer the cable bill from my name into her name, according to the cable company. This past Thursday I received a phone call from a collection agency regarding that same cable account for $400 in bills and fees and $380 in unreturned equipment fees. I contacted the cable company and they are sending me the bills and account information. They do, as it sounded to me, have record of the roommate after me having the account in her name. Should I seek legal council? What legal rights do I have in this case? It gets more complicated because the house was in NY but we have both since moved out of state. -sardeon

 

[seniorjudge]

Your post is unclear.

Are you saying the account was put into the housemate's name?

If so, you owe for everything up to the date the name was changed on the account.

 

[sardeon]

I'm confused as well, I'm not sure what happened and I'm hoping that once the cable company sends me the bill it will shed some light. Do I have any legal ground to stand on since my roommate (not the person who moved in after me) guaranteed that she would put it in her name?

 

[seniorjudge]

Q: Do I have any legal ground to stand on since my roommate (not the person who moved in after me) guaranteed that she would put it in her name?

A: No, not unless the cable company was a party to that agreement. You can't make an agreement affecting a third party without their consent.