Can a utility company just put my name on my deceased mother’s account if I had no connection to her accounts or house?

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Can a utility company just put my name on my deceased mother’s account if I had no connection to her accounts or house?

My mother pasted away. She had no estate or Will. Her house was in a reverse mortgage with no connection to me. I passed the house back to the back via formal notification. Now the local gas company has put my name on her account and sent to collections for about $500.Can they just move that debt to my name without notifying me and getting my consent?

Asked on March 20, 2012 under Bankruptcy Law, Missouri

Answers:

FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 12 years ago | Contributor

An utility company can place your name on your deceased mother's account without advising you of such and without your permission. however, such placement with respect to the facts that you have written places no legal obligation for you to pay the $500 bill.

I suggest that you have a meeting with the utility company's representative face to face and then follow up with a letter expressing your displeasure as to the situation and the lack of enforcement as to you. You might also want to make a formal complaint with your state's department of utilities about what happened. This entity investigates consumer complaints regarding utility companies.


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