Bills in our name but did not own the house at the time

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firsttimebuy

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We closed on our house yesterday and received the keys We discovered numerous bills from the ESB and Board Gais totalling about €900 in our names, I could not believe this. The builders obviously had turned on these services put them in our names. We rang the ESB and Board Gais and advised that we only closed on the house yesterday and we should not be liable for the bills the builder should. But they both advised that they could not take our names off the bills and send them to the builder even though we told them that we did not physically get possession of the keys until yesterday. It also said that our credit rating could be adversely affected because of failure to pay the bills.

Now I want to know legally what we can do. We have had numerous problems with this builder and they don't want to know about the bills. Can the ESB and Board Gais legally put our names on these bill even though we did not legally own the house until yesterday? Should we advise our solicitor? We just don't know what to do as we are getting nowhere with the builders or the ESB or Board Gais.

 
When I moved house, I was not allowed by the ESB/Bord Gais to put the new owners name on - I had to cancel my account and get the new owners to ring and open a new account. Surely the only way that the builder could get the accounts set up in your name was to pretend to be you. That is fraud!! I would be onto my solicitor, the guards and ESB/Gas immediately!!!! Let them know that you (obviously) have proof that you only owned the property from yesterday and those bills are not yours to pay. You should NOT have to pay but if you do end up paying - sue the builder to get it back.
 
Also take a reading of the metres immediately. (You can get an key in most hardware stores)
Check that this corresponds with the metre reading on the bill. Was the bill reading an estimated reading.
 
firsttimebuy said:
We closed on our house yesterday and received the keys We discovered numerous bills from the ESB and Board Gais totalling about €900 in our names, I could not believe this. The builders obviously had turned on these services put them in our names. We rang the ESB and Board Gais and advised that we only closed on the house yesterday and we should not be liable for the bills the builder should. But they both advised that they could not take our names off the bills and send them to the builder even though we told them that we did not physically get possession of the keys until yesterday. It also said that our credit rating could be adversely affected because of failure to pay the bills.

Now I want to know legally what we can do. We have had numerous problems with this builder and they don't want to know about the bills. Can the ESB and Board Gais legally put our names on these bill even though we did not legally own the house until yesterday? Should we advise our solicitor? We just don't know what to do as we are getting nowhere with the builders or the ESB or Board Gais.
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Can it adversely affect credit rating if they are not registered with the ICB - I don't think eircom or esb is registered, although Bord Gais might be?
 
Take the metre readings today and send them to the ESB/Gas, with proof of postage, outlining that you will be paying from today and that your solicitor has been notified. Also send a copy to your solicitor. You have not signed anything with the ESB/Gas so you cannot be held liable for the bills.
 
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