Can someone help me with a collection bill?

[Tonyhalt]

I rented a small apartment a few years ago for 1 year. A lady converted a house to 4 different apartments. At the end of my lease I moved across the state. My new roommate was paying the power bill so it was already in his name. When I left my Original apartment I forgot to tell the power company. I just received a letter from a collection company saying I owe $700. The date listed on the bill was nearly 6 months after I moved out. I know I was wrong to not inform the power company but can anyone offer advice about how i can handle this correctly?

[lorraineb]

Since your name was still on the bill, there likely isn't anything that you can do. I would contact the company and explain the situation offering proof that you were no longer there, but I'm not sure if that will do any good. Your only real recourse will be to find out who was living there and using the electricity and take them to small claims court to get the money back.

[97guns]

ignore it, they will keep selling the debt to other collectors, they will offer you deals to close it out, eventually they go away

i bought a $1000 generator through walmart with bill it later credit, it sat in my garage for 4 months before we went camping. opened up the box, put it together and it did not run. tried to return it but too much time had lapsed so i never paid it. got some phone calls from the collector and ignored them, they must have sold the debt to 4 or 5 different agencys, the last one offered me to close it out with a $600 payment

and my fico score is still 760

[snafu]

I'd responded but it was lost when the site went down. I hope you avoid contacting the collection agency until there are more facts. I suggest you write out the details you remember. Date you moved into that apt, date your room mate moved in, date he started paying power bill and why. Were the power bills in roomies name? Did that roomie move out after 6 months? Date you left the area. If you sought power service in your new location, it's likely they would have checked your status at the previous location to verify your credit worthiness.

Some facts are missing and there are lapses. How much was the actual electric bill and how much was added in interest, late fees and penalties? Check internet for your particular state. Dormant, without contact or acknowledgment after 7 years does the debt get written off? If all fails, it would be reasonable to negotiate the sum owed with collection. The power company would have written off the debt when it went to collection.

[Tonyhalt]

I'd responded but it was lost when the site went down. I hope you avoid contacting the collection agency until there are more facts. I suggest you write out the details you remember. Date you moved into that apt, date your room mate moved in, date he started paying power bill and why. Were the power bills in roomies name? Did that roomie move out after 6 months? Date you left the area. If you sought power service in your new location, it's likely they would have checked your status at the previous location to verify your credit worthiness.

Some facts are missing and there are lapses. How much was the actual electric bill and how much was added in interest, late fees and penalties? Check internet for your particular state. Dormant, without contact or acknowledgment after 7 years does the debt get written off? If all fails, it would be reasonable to negotiate the sum owed with collection. The power company would have written off the debt when it went to collection.

I will listen to the advise here and not contact the debt collectors yet. But I would like to clear up this story and my OP. I am not sure what the debt is, I really don't know if I owe this money or not.

I had rented Apartment A and lived alone for a year (until Jan 2012). Upon leaving I thought I canceled my power bill. Just last month I had a notice in the mail saying my power company contracted my debt to a collections agency and I owe roughly $700.
If I missed a payment I am not trying to avoid that debt, but the letter I receive is not clear as to the debt or penalties/interest. The letter only talks about owing debt and mandating i contact them within 30 days. The letter has the power company listed, it also has the street address of my Apartment A (not city) and the date next to my old street address is July 2012 (which is why im confused).
The letter did say more information could be obtained if I contact them.

To clear up the other confusing point, I moved from Apartment A to Apartment B in Jan 2012. I lived alone in Apartment A and has a roommate in Apartment B. my roommate has the power bill in his name, not mine.

[Tonyhalt]

Does my recent post help clear up some confusion about this situation I find myself in? I'm looking forward to the continued great advice from this forum. Thank you all