A bank forwards me my utility bills for the house I rent. I just received my February and January bills--very late. Do I have to pay them?


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I rent a house in Santa Fe, NM. A bank helps manage the property I rent, and pays the utilities directly. They are supposed to then send their own bill to me, every month, for the cost of utilities. If they send the bills late, am I still required to pay them?


Answer (5):

mildred f

There are so many ways to do a long distance payment system. Not sure why you have added the extra delay. Do this online like most everyone. Do you own a telephone? Then call them and get the mailing address, put it on your computer program from the local bank, and pay your out of town bills!

QWERTY

Concur that bills should be in your own name, consider strongly asking rental agent to modify lease this way. (The other side is not making any money from receiving and forwarding!) Unpaid bills may harm your credit rating, affect ability to open bank accounts or rent elsewhere, and, worse, may result in utilities cutting you off their deliveries--as would happen here in CA with anything unpaid since January-February.

linkus86

If the bills are in the bank's name, you are responsible for paying them, but not any additional late fees.

But if I were you I would read your rental agreement to make sure you are supposed to be putting the utilities in your name so that you will be billed directly in the future.

FattyMcB

Yes. When you didn't receive them timely, you should have checked on it. Why don't you sign up to pay these bills online and cut out the middle man?

Ricki

If you didn't have to pay your bills if they were late everyone would be throwing their bills in the garbage and claiming "I never got them".