What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? West Virginia
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? WV
I'm not sure if this is in the right place or not. My grandparents owned 2 homes- one they lived in and one next door that they moved out of. I lived in the vacant home for a year in 2002. Other than my living there the 2nd home had been vacant since 1996. My grandparents kept the electricity on there but turned the water off in 1996. The water was turned back on by me in 2002 when I moved in. The bill was of course in my name. When I moved out in 2003, I called and told them to turn off the water. I received a bill marked "final bill" which I still have. I paid it and everything was fine. No one has lived in this house since I moved out in 2003.
In 2005 my grandfather passed away (all the bills for both homes had been in his name). At this time the electricity was turned off in the 2nd home and all bills for the home they lived in were transferred to my aunt's name (she was living there with my grandmother). No one lived in the 2nd home and no utilities were turned on. in 2006 my grandmother passed away.
My grandparent's 2nd home was just used for storage and we had to clean it out to get it ready to sell (for the estate) and there was no electricity or water turned on at this time. In 2007 my aunt was mowing the grass and saw water pouring out of the basement. The yard behind the house was muddy. She called a neighbor who said the water must have been turned on and a pipe burst (this was during the summer). She called the water company and they came out and shut the water off. My aunt explained to the utility worker who came out that the water had been shut off since 2003 (when I moved out) and no one had lived there since.
The water department sent a bill in the amount of $7000. They say the water was turned on and a pipe burst and the water was running for several days and several million gallons were used. They sent the bill in MY name as I was the last person to have a water bill at that residence. I have not lived there since 2003 and I know for a fact the water was shut off when I moved out ( I tested it) and I received a final bill at the time. I called and advised them of this and asked what date they show that the water was turned back on. They said the water service had never been shut off (from the time I moved out in 2003 until "now" in 2007 I'd NEVER received a bill, nothing on my credit report (if you didn't pay your bill for 4 years there would be something on your credit). And this water company always had a minimum charge of $20 every month even if you didn't use hardly any water so I know they would have been racking up the charges every month if the water service truly was never shut off.
I advised them I have a bill that reads "final bill" from them. They asked who I talked to when i called to shut off the water. I have no idea since it was 4 years previously. So they sent the bill again,
this time it was sent in my grandfather's name (he had passed away 2 years previously). They now claimed that the bill was ALWAYS in HIS name and that it had never been shut off. (even though I had a year's worth of bills for the same address in my name). My father (executor of my grandmother's estate) had his lawyer send them a letter and all the water department did was then send the $7000 bill in my father's name!! He has NEVER lived there.
The water damage (no one knows how many days the water was running through the house as it is about an acre away from my aunts -grandparent's home- and she never had any reason to go to the 2nd home unless she was mowing grass. ) is extensive. There is mold throughout the basement (was a finished basement) and remediation would cost several thousand dollars.
The water department has threatened to put a lien on the house. They have also sent the bill to collections under MY name, and my deceased grandfather's name.
My dad's attorney says there is not much he can do because the water department claims the water service was NEVER shut off. But we are certain it was. There is no possible way the water would have been on for four years and no one ever received a bill, and if there was a broken pipe and the water was left on it would have flooded the basement long before the summer of 2007. (water was shut off in 2003). The water department has a different story every time someone contacts them. If it matters the dates of the bill are for just a month in 2007 (the same month my aunt noticed the water pouring out of the basement and called the water department)
Sorry for this being so long, I'm trying to get all the facts in there. Is there anything I can do? THanks.
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? WV
I'm not sure if this is in the right place or not. My grandparents owned 2 homes- one they lived in and one next door that they moved out of. I lived in the vacant home for a year in 2002. Other than my living there the 2nd home had been vacant since 1996. My grandparents kept the electricity on there but turned the water off in 1996. The water was turned back on by me in 2002 when I moved in. The bill was of course in my name. When I moved out in 2003, I called and told them to turn off the water. I received a bill marked "final bill" which I still have. I paid it and everything was fine. No one has lived in this house since I moved out in 2003.
In 2005 my grandfather passed away (all the bills for both homes had been in his name). At this time the electricity was turned off in the 2nd home and all bills for the home they lived in were transferred to my aunt's name (she was living there with my grandmother). No one lived in the 2nd home and no utilities were turned on. in 2006 my grandmother passed away.
My grandparent's 2nd home was just used for storage and we had to clean it out to get it ready to sell (for the estate) and there was no electricity or water turned on at this time. In 2007 my aunt was mowing the grass and saw water pouring out of the basement. The yard behind the house was muddy. She called a neighbor who said the water must have been turned on and a pipe burst (this was during the summer). She called the water company and they came out and shut the water off. My aunt explained to the utility worker who came out that the water had been shut off since 2003 (when I moved out) and no one had lived there since.
The water department sent a bill in the amount of $7000. They say the water was turned on and a pipe burst and the water was running for several days and several million gallons were used. They sent the bill in MY name as I was the last person to have a water bill at that residence. I have not lived there since 2003 and I know for a fact the water was shut off when I moved out ( I tested it) and I received a final bill at the time. I called and advised them of this and asked what date they show that the water was turned back on. They said the water service had never been shut off (from the time I moved out in 2003 until "now" in 2007 I'd NEVER received a bill, nothing on my credit report (if you didn't pay your bill for 4 years there would be something on your credit). And this water company always had a minimum charge of $20 every month even if you didn't use hardly any water so I know they would have been racking up the charges every month if the water service truly was never shut off.
I advised them I have a bill that reads "final bill" from them. They asked who I talked to when i called to shut off the water. I have no idea since it was 4 years previously. So they sent the bill again,
this time it was sent in my grandfather's name (he had passed away 2 years previously). They now claimed that the bill was ALWAYS in HIS name and that it had never been shut off. (even though I had a year's worth of bills for the same address in my name). My father (executor of my grandmother's estate) had his lawyer send them a letter and all the water department did was then send the $7000 bill in my father's name!! He has NEVER lived there.
The water damage (no one knows how many days the water was running through the house as it is about an acre away from my aunts -grandparent's home- and she never had any reason to go to the 2nd home unless she was mowing grass. ) is extensive. There is mold throughout the basement (was a finished basement) and remediation would cost several thousand dollars.
The water department has threatened to put a lien on the house. They have also sent the bill to collections under MY name, and my deceased grandfather's name.
My dad's attorney says there is not much he can do because the water department claims the water service was NEVER shut off. But we are certain it was. There is no possible way the water would have been on for four years and no one ever received a bill, and if there was a broken pipe and the water was left on it would have flooded the basement long before the summer of 2007. (water was shut off in 2003). The water department has a different story every time someone contacts them. If it matters the dates of the bill are for just a month in 2007 (the same month my aunt noticed the water pouring out of the basement and called the water department)
Sorry for this being so long, I'm trying to get all the facts in there. Is there anything I can do? THanks.