Electricity issue......your views/knowledge

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SNOBHARROGATE

Active Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2011
Messages
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Location
Harrogate
I've decided to share a situation i am under with you a) because if i dont get it off my chest ill scream and b) people need to be aware when starting up
Ok so i opened my 1st shop in April of last year after 10 years of being freelance. An exciting time.....and a salon with a difference....this was my dream and my baby! Signed the lease so on and so forth.
Had a an electrician in to do some work prior to opening to be told..... 'do you realise you are supplying other units with electric!'......shock horror called the landlord said yes we were and to sort out the meter reading with the shop next door but one because apparantly the shop inbetween had their own meter.
Miffed and unsure what to do we went to see next door but one and next door. Next door advised us they had their own meter fitted at their own cost and recieved their own bill and landlord confirmed this. Next door but one agreed they were on our supply and that as they were a newsagents they would pay every 3 bills and we would pay the fourth.
Bill one came in at around £80 ....next door but one paid it.....bill 2 came in...she didnt pay......bill 3 came in she didnt pay....charges were incurred then British Gas decided that they had not been charging us correctly. They took a meter read and billed us for the grand total of around £1800. To prevent us from being cut off i paid gesture payments of £400.
I begged the landlord to take over the situation as the bills were in my name, i begged BG to do something. we offered to let them check our usage by what ever methods. We were met by a brick wall each time! The landlord refused to do anything saying it was not his problem and all we had to do was collect the money off next door but one and pay the bill. We insisted we were not debt collectors and quite franky next door but one would not pay.
I then visited Citizens advice, and spoke to a corporate lawyer. Again brick walls but what was clear was that the landlord was in breach of contract as it was not in my tenacy and also it was the landlords responsibility to rectify the situation.
We were also advised by the CAB to check that no one else was on the supply by turning off at the mains and seeing if anyother shops on the row were on the supply.
Shock horror it turned out the shop next door was also on our supply. We contacted the landlord who again confirmed that the tenant next door had been cheekily stealing our electric. Again the landlord told us to ask next door for a contribution. We informed the electric company and begged the landlord to help.
The landlord refused and said it was our problem not his!!!!!
So from April to December we begged these people to help us. Supplied the relelevant meter reads etc and no one would help. In december both of the other shop tenatnts disappeared over night!!
In December i could'nt take much more and wrote a letter to the landlord informing him that he was in breach of contract for not telling us about supplying another shop and also not helping us sort the situatiion out. I informed him that i would be witholding rent until he sorted the situation out. I also wrote to BG informing them that i would not be paying until they assisted in sorting the situation out and chased the landlord and the other tenants for the money.
I told both the landlord and BG that the money was readily available and would be released once the matter was concluded satifactorily
The landlord turned up at the shop at the beginning of January whilst i had clients in. He said ive got your letter girls and im tooo upste to talk about it and walked out. I have not heard anything from him nor any demands for rent which i clearly owe!!
I also recieved a letter from BG saying they apologised for my complaint and would be in touch
BG have given me a business advisor who has helped me to check my consumption whilst both other shops have been empty. I have also provided them with pictures i had taken from the meter next door but one. Finally the conclusion is that i only use maximum £70 a month inc standing charge and VAT and bear in mind this is taken in coldest winter when i am using heaters!!!
So today i have a lady walk in to tell me she is the new tenant of next door but one and that the landlord has told her she has to take her meter reads off mine and split the bill between us. He has also ensured that her tenancy states he has no liabilty for the electric bills. Poor girl was horrified when i told her the situation.
So i called the landlord and asked him for a meeting ........he screamed down the phone at me telling me not to speak to him like that (i was calm and kind). All i said was that we really need to sort this out. He told me it wasnt his problem and that i needed to chase the old tenant for money!! He then said if you dont let this new tenant have access to the electric then he will repossess my property!! So i said if thats what you want to do then fine....he backtracked there just warning me that if i prevented her from getting electric he would repossess. He would not agree to a meeting and put the phone down on me. I think it all got to me today so i had a little cry about it........its been 10 months of hell worrying about it!!
Next job i called BG and lo and behold we have progress....my advisor has been amzing digging up what information he can find. The landlord is responsible for this. However as neither my self or BG are getting anywhere with the landlord my advisor dug further! In 15 years not one tenant has ever paid a bill!!! EVER!! He said i am the only one who has fought and fought to sort it out when the landlord would'nt.
The conclusion is .....BG have today wiped the debt with confirmation in post and based on mmy usage and what i have already paid...i owe £350!!!!
The relief is immense i cant tell you. Please please if you ever go for a tenancy check your agreement and the electric situation.
My situatiion now is that really i should start paying the landlord his rent but i have to say i don't want to! Granted i will have no choice to do so eventually however i think the landlord needs to own up to his responsibilities and do something about this uneccessary matter he has caused!!
Your views/knowledge will be muh appreciated xx
 
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What a bloddy nightmare and well done you for sorting it out.

I always say that landlords never suffer. I've seen shop after shop close in the high streets but the landlords are laughing as the leaseholder still has to pay the rent, even if the shop is vacant.

This is a lesson to us all and thanks for sharing. You should be proud of yourself for being so strong. xx
 
gave up trying to read small print can you use normal size font next time?
 
This is a lesson to us all and thanks for sharing. You should be proud of yourself for being so strong. xx[/QUOTE]

Thanks Kim...failure is not an option so i have had to keep on fighting! xx

Hippy-chick......dont know how i've managed to make it so small but it is now in normal size xx
 
You must be so relived!!

I can't believe how hard you had to fight to get this matter resolved. But you did, and you got there in the end.

What an awful landlord too. He should be delighted to have tenants like you, running a successful business as this has a positive effect on the rest of his properties.
 
I am so relieved! I really really am. But now as the landlord wont speak to me regarding the situation we have more of a problem.
In all this time we have had no demand for rent which is very bizarre. I could do without the extra cost but it looks like i will have no choice but to let a solicitor deal with it!!
 
hi hun .. i am sure by rights every unit should have its own supply .. how the heck are you meant to know whos using what ?? .. daves says cut em off , lol
 
this beggars belief !
sureley a land lord cannot just wash his hands of this responsibility, its a disgrace.

i am glad to hear that you have made progress in the matter, but it does seem as if this landlord will not stand up to his responsibilities.

how long are you tied to his premises for?
will you be considering a move ?
 
Thank you so much for shareing this, I've only ever had dealings with private houseing landlords, they are just as bad, so why I am suprised and shocked by this I don't know, but I am:eek:
I think I'll stick with plan A and have a home salon. I couldn't cope with the amount of stress you must have been under.
I know in your shoes I would be looking for a new salon asap:hug:
 

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