Water bills

[mathew1962]

A year ago I sold a house I owned in France. I have recently received a bill for 1600 euros for water, which seems crazy, as for the last year of ownership the house was empty. The local council just say there must have been a leak, but I find that hard to accept as the hosue was extensively surveyed before the sale. Does anyone know how I can appeal against this? Or does anyone know a lawyer who would appeal it for me?

[Teamedup]

Didn't you have your meter read when you sold and compare it to the previous reading.

I know that if we have any leaks on our side of the meter then in theory they are down to us. We realised late one year that the joint on our side of the meter had gone and we had a leak and appealed and got an average bill based on the previous five years granted.

[Chrissie]

Get someone in QUICKLY to determine if there really is a leak.  If there is one on your side of the meter and you have it fixed, you can write and ask the water people for a degrèvement, which means they hold a hearing and usually let you off a large part of the bill.

An underwater leak is unlikely to have been found by any survey.  Concentrate on minimising the cost.  (Speaking from experience)

Chrissie (81)

[Chancer]

Possibly tha last water meter reading (or even a reading provided by the new owner) has an extra digit by mistake?

Did you get your bills direct from the commune as I do?

[mathew1962]

I got the bill directly from the commune. I didn't realise I had to get the meter checked before I moved out. They say the meter reading was taken by the agency at the time of the sale - I assume they mean the estate agent. Obviously I haven't handled this very well. My real question is how can I appeal against it, or would I be wasting my time? Even better, does anyone know someone in France wo would flight if for me for a modest fee as I don't really have much time to spend on it.

[Sunday Driver]

[quote user="Chrissie"]

Get someone in QUICKLY to determine if there really is a leak.  If there is one on your side of the meter and you have it fixed, you can write and ask the water people for a degrèvement, which means they hold a hearing and usually let you off a large part of the bill.

[/quote]

 

[Chrissie]

Sorry, I re-read the thread this morning and realised I had missed the main point - that you had already sold the house.  [:$]  But the new owners will presumably want to cut their water bills in future........  perhaps you could suggest splitting the cost of tracing and fixing the leak, which should hopefully cost you less than paying the full amount of the water bill.  Or even just get them to check the progress of the meter since they took it over.

Chrissie (81)

[Chancer]

[quote user="mathew1962"]I got the bill directly from the commune. I didn't realise I had to get the meter checked before I moved out. They say the meter reading was taken by the agency at the time of the sale - I assume they mean the estate agent. Obviously I haven't handled this very well. My real question is how can I appeal against it, or would I be wasting my time? Even better, does anyone know someone in France wo would flight if for me for a modest fee as I don't really have much time to spend on it.
[/quote]

If it is any consolation it took me 20 years to realise that my first and only massive gas bill (£235 in 1986) resulted from the seller cheating on the reading. In all that time I thought that it was the gas board that had come to take the reading (as the seller had told me).

It was only when I rented the house out last year that I found out they accept whatever reading is given to them.

[fulcrum]

[quote user="J.R."]

If it is any consolation it took me 20 years to realise that my first and only massive gas bill (£235 in 1986) resulted from the seller cheating on the reading. In all that time I thought that it was the gas board that had come to take the reading (as the seller had told me).

It was only when I rented the house out last year that I found out they accept whatever reading is given to them.

[/quote]

 

The only real way to do meter readings is for the buyer and seller to read the meters together just before signing the Acte. It is then easy to agree the readings before you sign anything.

[Chancer]

There are so many different "suppliers" of electricity and gas now that many homes are dropping off the radar so to speak after termination of supply following a change of supplier.

My house in england is currently enjoying no gas or electric bills, I dont know how long it will last but I have a friend who requested a gas connection 24 years ago and is still waiting for his first bill!

In France I was quiet chuffed to find that the water was still actually connected to my derelict house and after more than a year I was in no hurry to notify anyone, however 2 lots of my neighbours were very concerned and offered to do it for me.

It was then I realised that the commune divides up the large bil from G.D.E. and apportions it to each household according to consumption, so whilst I was getting something for nothing everybody else was paying for it!

Luckily I had taken a photo of the compteur when I took possession as the meter had not been read for over 10 years.

[Mel Prett]

Hi J.R. are you talking about "contribution au service public d'electricité"?  If so, and you don't have a meter I assume you dont have a supply so you won't pay anything. This is a contribution to streetlights and the like, not private consumption.

Mel