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  • #1

    Anglian Water are insane!

    Hi,

    On 17th July Anglian Water sent me my first bill for this property. The due date was 1st August. On 8th August they wrote to me stating they are now commencing legal action. Copies of both are below:





    Isn't this just slightly heavy-handed?
    Tags: 1st, abuse of process, action, anglian water, bill, british, claim, co-operative, companies, council, council tax, court, customers, date, debit, debt, debt recovery, debts, direct debit, employment, european, extra, legal, legal action, letter, money, order, pay, property, rate, recovery, regulation, tax, threat, unemployment, utilities, wales, water
  • #2
    Re: Anglian Water are insane!

    Maybe...but they've given you an extra 7 days from the payment due date before sending the next letter.

    Did you pay them by 1st August?
    Let your smile change the world but don't let the world change your smile

    I'm an official AAD Moderator and also a volunteer, here to help make the forum run smoothly. Any views or opinions are mine and not the official line of AAD. Similarly, any advice I have offered you is done so on an informal basis, without prejudice or liability. If in doubt seek advice from a qualified insured professional - Find a Solicitor or go to the National Probono Centre.

    If you spot an abusive or libellous post then please report it by Clicking Here. If you need to contact me, for instance if I've issued you a warning, moved, edited or deleted your post, please send me a message by clicking my username.

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    • #3
      Re: Anglian Water are insane!

      No I haven't been able to pay because of recent unemployment. That doesn't change the fact this is a highly unusual way to recover debts. Surely they should send some reminders first? They've just gone straight to legal action after 7 days. It's bloody ridiculous however you look at it! It's not like I've been avoiding paying for months.

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      • #4
        Re: Anglian Water are insane!

        Did you inform them that you couldn't pay?

        I agree it's heavy handed. I'm having a similar problem with my council tax.
        Let your smile change the world but don't let the world change your smile

        I'm an official AAD Moderator and also a volunteer, here to help make the forum run smoothly. Any views or opinions are mine and not the official line of AAD. Similarly, any advice I have offered you is done so on an informal basis, without prejudice or liability. If in doubt seek advice from a qualified insured professional - Find a Solicitor or go to the National Probono Centre.

        If you spot an abusive or libellous post then please report it by Clicking Here. If you need to contact me, for instance if I've issued you a warning, moved, edited or deleted your post, please send me a message by clicking my username.

        Comment

        • #5
          Re: Anglian Water are insane!

          This will be my response, unless anybody has other suggestions?

          I write in response to your letter dated 8th August 2013.
          On 17th July 2013, you sent me a bill (a copy is attached for your reference) for £145.41. The payment was due on 1st August.

          Just a week after the due date, you have sent me this ridiculous threat of litigation. Is it standard policy at Anglian Water to bring legal proceedings after just a week?

          I suffer from mental health problems and am suspected of having Aspergers. Your outrageous, heavy-handed, and premature approach to collecting this debt has therefore caused me a significant amount of distress and alarm.

          Between the due date of my bill and the date of your letter, you offered me no opportunity to avoid this legal action. The duty of both parties to work together to avoid court is clearly set out in Practice Direction – Pre-action Conduct. In this regard you appear to have already failed in your obligations. Further, you appear to be attempting to use the Courts as a first line of debt recovery, which I consider to be an abuse of process.

          If you continue with this absurd and vexatious course of action, I will have no choice but to seek to have any claim against me struck out on the basis of your clear abuse of process, and demonstrable lack of any attempt to settle this matter out of Court. I will also counterclaim damages for the serious distress and alarm you have caused me.

          On 20th May 2013 I was dismissed from my job and am still waiting for money owed by my former employer. In addition, I am waiting for a backdated payment of Jobseeker’s Allowance following an administrative error, which delayed the start of my claim until 16th July.

          I am therefore not in a position to make any payment. I started work again on 1st August and expect to receive my first pay on the 26th August, however, as this will only be a part-payment (the payroll at my new company runs from 15th to the 16th of each month), and will likely be taxed at the emergency rate, I will not be in a position to pay this bill until my first full pay on the 26th September.

          In the interests of settling this matter out of Court, I am therefore, and without prejudice, offering full payment of the bill by the end of September 2013. By making this offer I consider my obligation to reach an agreement out of Court to be met. If you choose not to accept it, then I will vigorously defend any claim you make.

          This letter should be considered a formal complaint and be handled appropriately. I will be reporting your conduct to the appropriate regulatory bodies.

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: Anglian Water are insane!

            Yes it is heavy handed but most of the basic utilities are starting to adopt a similar approach to British people. These companies are now owned by large European based corporates whose ethics are to say the least suspect. Regulation in the UK now means that they cannot cut off your water supply but all other means of enforcing a debt may be used. This happens even here in Wales where Dwr Cymru is a co-operative owned by us the customers.

            A suggestion to stall them. Ask them to come and do a survey of your property and ask them to fit a water meter against which you will pay an agreed amount per month via standing order. They will stick out for direct debit. Don't. This is all a legal right that you have. If they come along and declare your property unsuitable for a water meter as they sometimes do you have the right to a substantial discount from the calculation based on rateable value. Been there done that and we get £75 per annum discount on our calculated bill.

            regards
            G

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            • #7
              Re: Anglian Water are insane!

              Totally heavy handed, agreed.
              Garlok makes a good suggestion. Good luck!
              When Gold isn't enough, there is SA Gold! New to the forum and find the UE route a bit scary? Take a look at my diary here and judge for yourself. I am now saving the money each month that was making little difference to the balance and not a bit of difference to my credit file as a result of finding AAD.


              I'm an official AAD Moderator and also a volunteer, here to help make the forum run smoothly. Any views or opinions are mine and not the official line of AAD. Similarly, any advice I have offered you is done so on an informal basis, without prejudice or liability. If in doubt seek advice from a qualified insured professional - Find a Solicitor or go to the National Probono Centre.

              If you spot an abusive or libellous post then please report it by Clicking Here. If you need to contact me, for instance if I've issued you a warning, moved, edited or deleted your post, please send me a message by clicking my username.

              Comment

              • #8
                Re: Anglian Water are insane!

                Already have a meter unfortunately

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