Obligation to Pay?

[Borboleta]

I am a student at a Louisiana university and am part of the Naval ROTC program. As a setup with the university I, and several other people have been living in a university house, off campus without any form of housing contract or utilities contract. Unlike other campus residents, we were also not offered an ID to prevent people from making long distance calls on our telephone lines nor were we told what the rates were for calls made. For the past three years people have made phone calls from the phones, there are five different lines, and have not received a phone bill. Now the university wants us to pay for all of the phone calls that we made in the last year and is threatening to not let us graduate in five weeks if they aren't paid. They have given the ROTC unit the job of forcing us to pay and the unit is not allowing us to negotiate with the university, altough they are trying to allow them to let us graduate and pay later. My qualm is that the rates are outrageous! And people had access to my phone that I didn't even know, so the bill is very high. I am willing to pay a reasonable competitive rate for the calls that I made. Can they force me to pay their rates or to even pay at all?

 

[I AM ALWAYS LIABLE]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Borboleta:
I am a student at a Louisiana university and am part of the Naval ROTC program. As a setup with the university I, and several other people have been living in a university house, off campus without any form of housing contract or utilities contract. Unlike other campus residents, we were also not offered an ID to prevent people from making long distance calls on our telephone lines nor were we told what the rates were for calls made. For the past three years people have made phone calls from the phones, there are five different lines, and have not received a phone bill. Now the university wants us to pay for all of the phone calls that we made in the last year and is threatening to not let us graduate in five weeks if they aren't paid. They have given the ROTC unit the job of forcing us to pay and the unit is not allowing us to negotiate with the university, altough they are trying to allow them to let us graduate and pay later. My qualm is that the rates are outrageous! And people had access to my phone that I didn't even know, so the bill is very high. I am willing to pay a reasonable competitive rate for the calls that I made. Can they force me to pay their rates or to even pay at all?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

My response:

You think someone else should pay "your" phone bill? Why? Because they put up with all the bills in the past? Guess what? Policy Change. Get used to it. If you decided to live on, or off campus, someone else should pay your phone bills? Why should you pay for my calls to Japan, or Russia, or across the street? All because YOU didn't safeguard YOUR telephone from other users, that doesn't make that responsibility fall on someone else. Take responsibility.

IAAL




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[Borboleta]

I DO intend to pay the bill. My concern is that I would not have made calls from that line if I had know that they would charge me three times normal long-distance rates. I did not abuse the phone assuming that I would never have to pay. Also, I did not live there over the summer, as most college students do live in campus housing over the summer, but many people did. My phone was not even there and people made (abusive) phone calls on the line. There was no way I could prevent anyone from making any of the calls. I'd only like to know the laws. I did not sign a contract, do I have to pay them what they are asking?

 

[I AM ALWAYS LIABLE]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Borboleta:
I DO intend to pay the bill. My concern is that I would not have made calls from that line if I had know that they would charge me three times normal long-distance rates. I did not abuse the phone assuming that I would never have to pay. Also, I did not live there over the summer, as most college students do live in campus housing over the summer, but many people did. My phone was not even there and people made (abusive) phone calls on the line. There was no way I could prevent anyone from making any of the calls. I'd only like to know the laws. I did not sign a contract, do I have to pay them what they are asking?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

My response:

If it is your intent to pay the bill, then there is no controversy. Your quesions are moot for that reason, and also that you claimed the line as "yours" and there were a miriad of things you could have done to protect your line while away, besides unplugging the phone. You had an obligation to protect that line. You didn't have to sign a contract for the telephone. You did that already in your school registration papers. In there, there is a clause which states you are, and remain, liable for all costs incurred. This is one of those costs, and a new agreement strictly for the telephone line was unessessary.

IAAL


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By reading the “Response” to your question or comment, you agree that: The opinions expressed herein by "I AM ALWAYS LIABLE" are designed to provide educational information only and are not intended to, nor do they, offer legal advice. Opinions expressed to you in this site are not intended to, nor does it, create an attorney-client relationship, nor does it constitute legal advice to any person reviewing such information. No electronic communication with "I AM ALWAYS LIABLE," on its own, will generate an attorney-client relationship, nor will it be considered an attorney-client privileged communication. You further agree that you will obtain your own attorney's advice and counsel for your questions responded to herein by "I AM ALWAYS LIABLE."

 

[borboleta]

I'm sorry. I did a really bad job of explaining the matter. Here's the deal. There was NO contract. Either for housing or for the phone. The other people living there said they had not recieved a bill since they moved in (1998).

 

[I AM ALWAYS LIABLE]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by borboleta:
I'm sorry. I did a really bad job of explaining the matter. Here's the deal. There was NO contract. Either for housing or for the phone. The other people living there said they had not recieved a bill since they moved in (1998). <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

My response:

No, you and your friend "Canuck" explained things just fine. I understood everything you guys were saying. You're still on the hook. Look, if you don't believe me, file an action against the University for "Specific Performance." That is, to force them into giving you your "Sheepskins" without having to pay the phone bills. Good luck.

IAAL



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By reading the “Response” to your question or comment, you agree that: The opinions expressed herein by "I AM ALWAYS LIABLE" are designed to provide educational information only and are not intended to, nor do they, offer legal advice. Opinions expressed to you in this site are not intended to, nor does it, create an attorney-client relationship, nor does it constitute legal advice to any person reviewing such information. No electronic communication with "I AM ALWAYS LIABLE," on its own, will generate an attorney-client relationship, nor will it be considered an attorney-client privileged communication. You further agree that you will obtain your own attorney's advice and counsel for your questions responded to herein by "I AM ALWAYS LIABLE."