Landlord Agreement with Utility Company

[Ryan H.]

Hello,

I closed on a rental property in October 2019.   I established a Landlord Agreement with a utility company that same month, which established that I would be responsible for payments due during the period that the property was unoccupied.  It included my billing address for any bills generated during that time.  I brought in a new tenant within 10 days of closing, and never received a bill from that utility company during that time.  The tenants assumed responsibility for payment of that utility thereafter.

I am now applying for refinancing and see a "derogatory public record or collection filed" remark that is connected to this utility company.  I called them and they say that they sent a bill to me that October and that it was charged off in December after non-payment.  They sent this to my property address even though the Landlord Agreement specified that my billing address was elsewhere.

How do you suggest I proceed?