Quick Apartment Question

Uncle Long

I've just moved into town. Got a new job. Got a new place. I've been in the new place for about two days but have basically just come home to crash so I haven't really done much other than that. Well, today would have been the first day I could really do much of anything and I came home to see a tag on my door saying that unless I paid the power company $238.00 by Oct 31 they would be shutting off the power. Not a big deal to me, considering that I haven't even paid for power yet because I haven't gotten a key to the place, a signed lease, or a receipt for my payment.

Now, seeing as how the power is not in my name, when I go down to transfer it into my name who is going to be responsible for that $238.00? It should be the previous owners/landlord right. This is in Wrangell, Alaska, by the way; it's an island with a population of all of 2000 so things are a bit lax (hence my not having a key/signed lease etc).

Improvolone

If you didn't use the power you can't be held respondible to pay for it.

Lewisham

I believe (read: don't know for sure) that it is very much the bill of the previous tenant, not yours. I wouldn't stress about it.

Uncle Long

Alright, that's what I thought. Am I going to run into problems getting the power transferred into my name with that unpaid bill on the property?

Improvolone

Okay, no, you can be held responsible for your energy being used even if you didn't use it. But the thing is, your name isn't on the lease, ergo...

Moe Fwacky

When you get the power put in your name, they should either bill the previous tenant at his forwarded address or the landlord, who can then take it out of the security deposit or seek legal action against his previous tenant. I'm not sure exactly how it works there, but when I moved out of the house I was renting from my parents here in Ohio, they transferred my unpaid utility balances into my mom's name (I still paid it, of course, but you get the idea).

Uncle Long

Alright, that's good to know. I'll probably head down there sometime tomorrow and take care of it. I've had a hard time getting it done as my job (reporter) keeps odd hours and the power company's in town outlet is almost always closed when I try to get to it.