Legal Question in Credit and Debt Law in Pennsylvania

Me and a friend were living together. I paid the rent and she paid the electric, and the electric was only in her name, now she moved out last week and the electric got shut off because she wasn't paying it the whole time she lived here. Now I'm trying to get electric service hooked up in my name and they are telling me that I have to pay her bill off even though I was never even on the account. Is that even legal for them to do? Or are they just trying to get their money anyway they can?


Asked on 5/17/16, 4:53 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Rachel Hunter

Yes, because it is pegged to the address. You used the electric didn't you? Your issue is with the now ex-girlfriend, not the electric company. If you do not want to pay, then find somewhere else to live. It sucks, I agree. But this should be a lesson to you as to how to arrange things. if you want to get a roommate to share expenses, that is fine. But you have the utilities in YOUR name and you charge the other person rent. You make them sign a lease. If they do not pay, then you evict them. Sorry, but those are the breaks. You can try and sue ex friend, but good luck in trying to collect from her. The advantage of when you make a person pay rent is that if you have to evict, you can recover unpaid rent and have the ability to garnish wages for back rent.

Read more
Answered on 5/17/16, 7:48 pm


Related Questions & Answers

More Credit, Debt and Collections Law questions and answers in Pennsylvania