Is it legal for a utility company to bill me for an ex roommate unpaid bill citing "Benefit of Service" even though I was never contracted?

Question

Details* California - Edison Company

Lived with a few roommates, we all splits bills, eventually everyone stopped paying alltogether so total bill racked up. I continued to pay my portion to the one one individual who had the bill under his name. Eventually things went Really Really south and we had to kick him out. I cancelled his, and set up my own account to turn the power back on. I get a notification saying a bill transfer was going to occur in the amount of $640 and change. I've made many calls to them complaining and all I get is, "nothing we can do" and "you're liable simply for partaking in the energy usage". I feel this is unjust seeing as how I was I paid my portion of the bills, and had to collect from everyone else to give to the bill holder who wouldn't even pay the bill half the time. Currently the amount has been sent to a crediting agency. I am considering hiring a lawyer to take this to court seeing as how this "Benefit of Service" clause is nowhere to be found online.

Answer 1

Technically, your prior roommate is responsible, since his name was on the contract with the utility company. But, since the bill was not paid and the roommate left, they shut off service, thus you put into your name to get it back on. So in "effect" they know that you and your other roommates used that service, and since still living there should still pay the outstanding bill.



Your only dispute you could have would be that they are only charging you vs your former roommate who had the original contract. Are they pursuing your roommate at all? If anything, would argue that you owe 50% and your former 50%.



Your only recourse is to sue your former roommate for that amount.

Answer 2

Unfortunately any relationship/contract you had with your roommate is meaningless in regards to the relationship with the utilities company. they provided power to you and charged for it, it is not their concern who paid for what, just that they are paid for the power utilised. You may have a case to sue your ex-roommate (you can discuss that with a lawyer), but the utilities company is fully within their rights to withhold service until they are paid.

Answer 3

"Benefit of Service" You received the service, so you benefited from using the utility, so they are after you as you benefited from it ( along with the others) and the bill was not paid to them regardless of who you gave money to, it wasn't them and if you can afford to hire a lawyer then you can afford to pay the bill you legally owe and if they have sent it to collections then they will collect and your credit record will suffer and no lawyer can get you a freebie deal, you will have to pay the lawyer and the bill

Answer 4

You might win the case but I doubt it. You did benefit from the service and the power company didn't get their money. You should have paid it directly to them. They're not responsible for your crummy roommate basically stealing your money.

Answer 5

You'll never find a lawyer for less than $640.



Tell the collection agency that you dispute the charges. They won't bother going to court for $640 either.

Answer 6

sounds like you just ignored it rather than dealing with it



now its gone to a debt collection service theres no way back



let that be a lesson for you - meet things head on properly