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utility bill

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schroedingercat

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Florida

Hello! When a house is being inspected while under contract, who is responsible for paying to have the utilities turned on? I turned on the water, even though the county water people said realtors usually pay for it. Now though, a month after we closed, our realtor (lazy bum!) mailed me a bill for the electricity that he had turned on for the inspection. I never agreed to pay for anything and didnt have anything - except the water - switched into my name.

Thanks!What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?
 


Gail in Georgia

Senior Member
Tell your realtor you don't plan on paying him and he can then consider whether it's worth his time and trouble to sue you.

To have an adequate inspection, all utilities are typically turned on. Realtors can often get this done quicker and with less hassle than folks looking to buy as they don't have to provide documentation on home ownership to do this.

This is for YOUR benefit and you're too cheap to pay for the turn on bill your realtor received for doing this? In addition, if you've moved in and have only had your water turned on, you expect your realtor to pay for the electricity you are now using?

Hopefully he WILL sue you.

Gail
 

schroedingercat

Junior Member
Tell your realtor you don't plan on paying him and he can then consider whether it's worth his time and trouble to sue you.

To have an adequate inspection, all utilities are typically turned on. Realtors can often get this done quicker and with less hassle than folks looking to buy as they don't have to provide documentation on home ownership to do this.

This is for YOUR benefit and you're too cheap to pay for the turn on bill your realtor received for doing this? In addition, if you've moved in and have only had your water turned on, you expect your realtor to pay for the electricity you are now using?

Hopefully he WILL sue you.

Gail

Wow - I thought people tried to get more information before giving advice instead of just making assumptions, if they felt that they did not have adequate facts to answer the question. I can make random assumptions about someone based on facts not presented and insult people too. Does that let me be a senior member? Or is it just post count?

ANYWAY... of course I don't expect the Realtor to pay for my bills now that I own the house. That would be stupid. I turned everything on into our name the day we closed.

The electricity was turned on by him - while we did not own the house, 2 months before it closed. The water was turned on by me - while we did not own the house. At the time, the utility company informed me that it is typical for the Realtor to pay for the water to be turned on, but since it needed to be done and I had no way of getting in touch with my Realtor who took a month vacation without contacting anyone.. I figured if I didn't do it, it wouldn't get done.

It isn't that I am "too cheap" to pay for something. It is more a matter of, why would I pay for something that I am not supposed to pay for? I don't like giving away money for free, and that doesn't make me "cheap".. just makes me not stupid.

So I'll ask again because the question went unanswered:

"When a house is being inspected while under contract, who is responsible for paying to have the utilities turned on?"
 

justalayman

Senior Member
schroedingercat;2891114]Wow - I thought people tried to get more information before giving advice instead of just making assumptions, if they felt that they did not have adequate facts to answer the question. I can make random assumptions about someone based on facts not presented and insult people too.
the assumptions were reasonable based on the info given.


ANYWAY... of course I don't expect the Realtor to pay for my bills now that I own the house. That would be stupid. I turned everything on into our name the day we closed.
Oh, so you lied when you said this:

I never agreed to pay for anything and didnt have anything - except the water - switched into my name.


The electricity was turned on by him - while we did not own the house, 2 months before it closed. The water was turned on by me - while we did not own the house. At the time, the utility company informed me that it is typical for the Realtor to pay for the water to be turned on, but since it needed to be done and I had no way of getting in touch with my Realtor who took a month vacation without contacting anyone.. I figured if I didn't do it, it wouldn't get done.
the agent is YOUR agent. He acts on your behalf and in your name. There is no reason for him to incur costs in turning on utilities for your benefit.

If there were inspections required by or for you, you are liable for the costs of the inspections unless otherwise agreed. If there was no need for the utilities to be turned on then the agent acted improperly and is liable for the expenses.

It isn't that I am "too cheap" to pay for something. It is more a matter of, why would I pay for something that I am not supposed to pay for? I don't like giving away money for free, and that doesn't make me "cheap".. just makes me not stupid.
Ok, let's make this simple.

Was there a need for the utilities to be turned on in order for you to purchase the house whether it be for an inspection for you or your lender?

If so, pony up the money. Of course the agent could have simply not turned anything on and the inspections would not have taken place and you would not have completed the purchase but hey, call me nuts for thinking an agent was doing his job of moving the purchase process forward by taking the bull by the horns and facilitating the inspections but I guess that's just me being nuts.

So I'll ask again because the question went unanswered:
"When a house is being inspected while under contract, who is responsible for paying to have the utilities turned on?"
whomever requested or caused the inspections to be required unless otherwise negotiated.
 

Gail in Georgia

Senior Member
"When a house is being inspected while under contract, who is responsible for paying to have the utilities turned on?"


The person who would benefit from an adequate and thorough inspection.

That would be the buyer. You.

Gail
 

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