Being taken to small claims late bill payment

A question about : Being taken to small claims late bill payment

Does anyone know after what period of time after issue of a bill a utility company can take a customer to court for non-payment?

Best answers:

• [QUOTE=mart.vader;58027719]I don't know either, but most W.Cos have a trust fund or something to assist people unable to pay their bills, but it's a long process.
  What are your reasons for not paying ? Low income ? Person with high water needs ? Arrears ?[/QUOTE
  Wife off work, I am running late on bills by about 2 months after getting bills on average, been customer of this water co for last 12 years, always paid them
• They can pursue the debt for up to 6 years in England.
• Any time after it's due. There is no minimum 'grace' period.
  But what makes you think that a utility co. will use the small claims process? They'll just put a default on your credit file and sell the debt on to a DCO normally. .Since you say nothing about the circumstances, it's impossible to say.
• Hi,
  don't know how long it would be, but why let it get to that stage, contact them now and explain situation, and sort out some arrangement.
• I already received a form from county court, solicitors fee 50 and court fee 15 plus bill amount obviously.
• So there is no minimum period after the bill is issued, which was presumably some months ago now anyway, as this procedure would not be entered into until every other form of recovery has been tried.
  Unless you dispute the bill, it's cheaper to settle now than incur further legal costs.
• Have they sent you a notice before action letter, instructing you they intend to take you to court or have they just sent the court claim.
  If they have jumped the gun you can request it be struck out.
  The rules changed on October the 1st "amendment 59 civil procedure rules" many have not caught up yet.
  If they have not correctly followed pre-protocol procedure, the case should be struck out in full and the Plaintiff must re-start, the fee's are not reclaimable.
  have a good Read see if they have missed anything, if they have select to defend on that basis, you will still have to pay, but it may buy some time and knock out the added on fees:
  https://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/pro...civil/protocol
• It does sound like water as electricity/gas may well have been cut off by this point: AFAIAA water cannot be cut off?
• Yes it's from Northampton county court. I will just have to pay it, not much I can do about it. Nevermind, we will use rain water to flush and genetally use less tap water and get money back that way. Thanks for your posts.
• But why did you think that you wouldn't have to pay it until you got a summons? Had you settled it earlier, you would not have incurred the court and legal fees.
• This just doesn't sound plausible.
  You say earlier that you are about 2 months behind on bills; and matters wouldn't have progressed that far in that timescale.
  If nothing else, you would have been informed, by the Court, that the matter was being put before the Court. They don't just issue a judgement without you being given a chance to defend yourself.
  The normal procedure is bill, then reminders from water company, then matter passed to DCA who send threatening letters, and very rarely does it go to Court. They don't go to court often because if you have financial problems they will order you to pay back at 50pence a week or something equally stupid.
  You are absolutely certain that it is a genuine Court letter? Who was the plaintiff - the water company or a DCA.
• We can't really answer that question, since you didn't at any point say on what date the bill was issued. The bill became due once it was issued.
  Nor did you at any point indicate that it was a business account.
  We are not psychic.