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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
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    2

    Default Utility Bills Owed by Former Tenants

    My question involves landlord-tenant law in the State of: Missouri

    A tenant who had been living with my 2 sons (all paying utilities, as agreed), for over 2 years, opted to stay when my sons moved out. He brought in 2 other house mates. All payed rent on time and lived there for 4 months. At the time they moved out, I discovered that they never changed over the utilities (water, gas, elec.) to their name. The electric and gas automatically reverted to my (the landlord) name. The continuing tenant had been the liason , collecting rent from the others and paying, etc. and assured me "he" would pay the back utilities. He is now avoiding me.

    They never had a rental agreement (even when he did pay utilities for the 2 years prior). Do I have a case?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
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    98,846

    Default Re: Utility Bills Owed by Former Tenants

    At the time who moved out? Your sons? If so, why didn't your sons tell you that they took the utilities out of their own names without adding their friends? Did the friends ever contribute to utilities, or did they simply pay your sons a fixed amount each month that, after your sons moved out, they instead started paying to you?

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Posts
    2

    Default Re: Utility Bills Owed by Former Tenants

    Quote Quoting Mr. Knowitall
    View Post
    At the time who moved out? Your sons? If so, why didn't your sons tell you that they took the utilities out of their own names without adding their friends? Did the friends ever contribute to utilities, or did they simply pay your sons a fixed amount each month that, after your sons moved out, they instead started paying to you?
    Thanks for responding...

    My (2)stepsons moved out at different times. When the first one moved out, and to another country, he had transfered the utilities to his brother's name (all the while, the individual in question (No.3), was living there and paying his "share" of the utilities (equally split among the three)as he had been doing for 2 years. When my remaining stepson was going to move out, he let me know that he had verbally made arrangements with No.3, that he was taking utilities out of his name, paying the balances up and No. 3 needed to transfer the utilities to his (No.3)name, since he wanted to stay on. I confirmed that with No.3. However, No.3 apparently never put the service in his name and consequently, not to my knowledge, current bills came to that address under my name (as that was the arrangement I had with the utilities, to automatically put the future bills in my name when a tenant stopped or transfered service and vacated the property). Tenant No.3 stayed on and brought in 2 other room mates and it was Tenant No.3 that was allegedly, to collect utilities from the two other tenants and pay the individual companies. It was only when we confirmed their move out date (3 1/2 months later) for us to sell the property, that I learned utilities never were put in his or anyone else's name. And as I believe I mentioned, I didn't have No.3 file and agreement, since our family always thought of him as part of our family and I trusted his judgement on his new room mates (plus they were only originally going to stay for 3 or 4 months ). I hope this clears your questions...thanks again.

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