![]() ![]() Save their money for a different situation. You definitely should not pay it, or have anyone else pay it, especially a financial assistance program. They should not ask you for any information about anyone who lived at the address or asks you to name anyone who may have used your information. Period! If you were underage during the dates in question, the company should write the charges off once you give them age verification documents. Nobody is responsible for any services rendered when they were a minor. Utility accounts cannot be created in the name of a minor. This is a huge red flag, and there is no legal gray area here. If you can come up with proof of when you did and did not live at the address, the company will often work with you. Unfortunately, this is not covered by any specific utility regulations. New technology is helping stop this problem, but it is not uncommon to see this come up with older bills. That's 6 extra months worth of charges you can dispute. The utility company says the bill is for service through October. To be sure, late fees do add up, but it pays to verify the dates of service. But, what you thought was a couple of hundred dollars has somehow turned into a couple thousand. You know you had an unpaid bill when you moved out. This is a great example of how "the devil is in the details." Perhaps you know you lived somewhere. ![]() I lived at that address, but not at that time Depending on the size of the bill, and the circumstances, the company may be willing to write it off, you may be willing to pay it, or you may need to get help from CUB, the ICC or legal aid. If, however, gas or electric service was used, and there was no official customer of record, the company should attempt to collect from the property owner or the leaseholders. So if your boyfriend, your mother, your landlord, or your tenant did not pay their bill, that is not your problem. You are only responsible if you were legally married at the time. In general, you are not responsible for another person's bill. It can be even more complicated when there are roommates, relatives, spouses, landlords, or tenants involved. This kind of situation can get complicated pretty quick. I lived at that address, but I did not have a utility account In the meantime see if they will let you submit some documentation that shows you did not live there. If someone actively used your name or social security number to establish service, you may need to file official identity theft reports with the proper authorities. Current utility regulations require government-issued identification to establish utility service. If you do not recognize the address at all, ask the company how they linked you to this account. Here are some specific ways you can do this, based on your situation: I never lived at that address You should follow up on the bill to make sure it is accurate. If you cannot get the address and dates of service, file a complaint through CUB or the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) right away. Write down everything they tell you about your records. You can ask for a supervisor if you need to. But if you are on the phone, insist on getting the information verbally. Ideally, you should be able to get a bill or letter by mail, email, or fax.
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