Legal Question in Credit and Debt Law in Georgia

Conditioning Utility Service on Payment of a roomate's old debt?

My girlfriend and I share an apartment. She and I are moving to a new location. When I called a new electiricity service provider to set up a new account, they asked for my social security number and realized that I had a small 2 year old debt from one of their subsidiaries in my name from a previous address and city. Secondly, I feel the debt is unqualified and so I was unwilling to pay at the time and needed time to research the validity of the debt. However, in order to get electricity at our new home we decided in the meantime to have the account started in my girlfriend's name. When she showed up in person with the lease listing her as an occupant they refused her service because of my past debt and also because she was only listed as an occupant and not the lease holder. And moreover, they disclosed my complete account history and balances to her without my consent. So next we had her name added to the lease under a lease addendum, and they still refused to issue service to her until my debt and a deposit are payed.

So my question is can they refuse her servive because of my past debt while we occupy the same new residance? And, secondly was it legal for the utility company to share my complete account history with her


Asked on 1/28/07, 2:37 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Scott Riddle Law Office of Scott B. Riddle, LLC

Re: Conditioning Utility Service on Payment of a roomate's old debt?

Having handled these specific issues for a large utility (probably the same one) when I started, yes they can withhold service even if you were not the actual account-holder in the previous apartment. You started off by saying you had a "small debt." The simple solution (as it is in so many circumstances)- pay your debt. If you don't, it'll simply follow you around and end up on your credit report, and you'll go through these tactics every time.

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Answered on 1/28/07, 6:10 am


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