Anglian Water - court case

[gwenlillian]

Hi - been taken to court by AW (last year) over a bill that I had paid. I wrote to the court to alert them that the bill was paid but AW went to the hearing and produced a later bill and got judgement. I was livid. AW were using figures that had not been subject to the process previously, and eventually I got them to remove the judgement and correct the account. They also had to pay compensation, credit the court fees back to the account and I had a surplus credit balance. AW continued to issue bills with the court application sums included and again, took me to court. I attended the hearing in January and showed the DJ the credits to the account and AW case was dismissed. AW have recently sent me another legal action notice for £162.94, but their other claim in court was for over £400. It is not clear to me what they are doing but I have received notice today from the court that AW have lodged an appeal against the previously dismissed claim. This is a civil appeal and has had to be transferred away from my local court, to be heard by a QC. I am amazed at how this is escalating when I have written to AW's legal team and supplied copy bills to show them that their records are rubbish. What can I do to stop these ****** I don't have any way to get a QC.

[bluebottle]

Re: Anglian Water - court case

Speak to a legal professional at your local Law Centre or the Community Legal Service, but if it were me, I would be seeking to have AW's claim struck-out as an abuse of the legal process. Also, in view of the history of this particular case, I am wondering if a letter to the Attorney-General to place AW on the Vexatious Litigants List would not go amiss. AW are, IMO, abusing the legal process and their claims appear to be vexatious.

[leclerc]

Re: Anglian Water - court case

Hi - been taken to court by AW (last year) over a bill that I had paid. I wrote to the court to alert them that the bill was paid but AW went to the hearing and produced a later bill and got judgement. I was livid. AW were using figures that had not been subject to the process previously, and eventually I got them to remove the judgement and correct the account. They also had to pay compensation, credit the court fees back to the account and I had a surplus credit balance. AW continued to issue bills with the court application sums included and again, took me to court. I attended the hearing in January and showed the DJ the credits to the account and AW case was dismissed. AW have recently sent me another legal action notice for £162.94, but their other claim in court was for over £400. It is not clear to me what they are doing but I have received notice today from the court that AW have lodged an appeal against the previously dismissed claim. This is a civil appeal and has had to be transferred away from my local court, to be heard by a QC. I am amazed at how this is escalating when I have written to AW's legal team and supplied copy bills to show them that their records are rubbish. What can I do to stop these ****** I don't have any way to get a QC.

Bluebottle, I hope you do not mind my intervention but I will suggest a more ballsy way to deal with them.

The managing director of Anglian water is Peter Simpson.
Email him with copies of everything you have with a chronology of everything that you have and state that if they continue to take legal action that you will be going to the press(yes I can think of one paper that might be interested especially since energy firms are putting up prices, making large profits and are quite fair game at the moment . Give him 48 hours to rectify the situation otherwise it's the press.:

psimpson@anglianwater.co.uk

[gwenlillian]

Re: Anglian Water - court case

hi and thanks for your responses. I have been checking the wrong email account so didn't see those but now I have I will get onto it - a bit difficult as I am still on this training course during daytime and am worried about deadlines. As I have not had a thing from AW, no copy yet from court of what AW have submitted I rang court earlier and they say I will get papers soon, but the files have been sent to His Honour xxxx xxx Q.C. as it has to be a higher level now, but on his reading the file, could refuse the appeal. I said that as AW did not appear at the last hearing they had a cheek to appeal and would need serious grounds to do so, and, apparently AW are saying that there was a procedural error as they "don't have the accounts" ! They issue the damn accounts! Either way, they were sent copies for the previous hearing, and I have written to them with more copies since which they have ignored. Thank you for the info etc and will keep you posted.

[bluebottle]

Re: Anglian Water - court case

Leclerc's suggestion is sound. However, bear in mind that you will have to be careful what you disclose to the media as the matter is, technically, sub judice.

[enquirer]

Re: Anglian Water - court case

Unfortunately, getting AW declared to be a vexatious litigant will prove effectively impossible. However, a Civil Restraint Order might be a goer, given that they are repeatedly issuing claims that they know to be bogus ('devoid of merit').

I would also go with the press release idea - these people dislike adverse publicity. The BBC Watchdog program is another possibility.

Another angle of attack is the Data Protection Act 1998. AW are knowingly maintaining a database that contains false information. They are also dessiminating information that they know to be false.

[leclerc]

Re: Anglian Water - court case

Unfortunately, getting AW declared to be a vexatious litigant will prove effectively impossible. However, a Civil Restraint Order might be a goer, given that they are repeatedly issuing claims that they know to be bogus ('devoid of merit').

I would also go with the press release idea - these people dislike adverse publicity. The BBC Watchdog program is another possibility.

Another angle of attack is the Data Protection Act 1998. AW are knowingly maintaining a database that contains false information. They are also dessiminating information that they know to be false.

I'd have gone Daily Mail

[bluebottle]

Re: Anglian Water - court case

Unfortunately, getting AW declared to be a vexatious litigant will prove effectively impossible. However, a Civil Restraint Order might be a goer, given that they are repeatedly issuing claims that they know to be bogus ('devoid of merit').

I would also go with the press release idea - these people dislike adverse publicity. The BBC Watchdog program is another possibility.

Another angle of attack is the Data Protection Act 1998. AW are knowingly maintaining a database that contains false information. They are also dessiminating information that they know to be false.

Issuing proceedings when there are no grounds for doing so would be deemed "vexatious and frivolous". Do it too often and the Vexatious Litigants List becomes a possibility.

[gwenlillian]

Re: Anglian Water - court case

Hi and thanks, I went into the CAB on Friday after class/training, and a guy looked at the bills with me. He saw the same rubbish from AW as me and felt that the QC will not allow a hearing but that I should also send the court the letters I wrote to AW after the previous dismissal of their claim. I have posted that out now and hoping it will arrive in time to be read with the rest of the file. I will let you know as soon as I know and it will be very interesting if I end up in Oxford.

[CleverClogs]

Re: Anglian Water - court case

I'd have gone Daily Mail

Why?

How were immigrants involved?

[leclerc]

Re: Anglian Water - court case

Why?

How were immigrants involved?

I have the email addy of one of their journalists

[CleverClogs]

Re: Anglian Water - court case

I have the email addy of one of their journalists

Sonia?

[leclerc]

Re: Anglian Water - court case

Sonia?

No idea which one but if the need arises then I will email them or someone else I have in the email address book from a different newspaper

[Celestine]

Re: Anglian Water - court case

Personally, I'd email WatchDog on this one, there have almost certainly been other similar cases.

I have a contact there I'd be happy to contact to flag up this case.

[gwenlillian]

Re: Anglian Water - court case

Hi - gotta be at the work program in the morning learning how to send emails even though Ive worked in offices for 30 years - huh - if you dont comply they cut your money off - meantime, yes I have emailed this case and my BG case to WD but no replies as yet. I will try to ring the court in Oxford Tues to see if they know what has been decided, rather than wait for the post. Even if they throw it out, I do think I should be making a big fuss. I have also had another notice of legal action in letter from from AW for the latest bill - I have spoken to AW and said that this cannot possibly be accurate with the other matters still outstanding but they say I have an obligation to pay that regardless. I think they are a bit crazy.