Forgot to transfer utilities on moveout; am I liable?
BPers, several years ago my lease ended and I moved out of my apartment in North Carolina. However, when I left I forgot to transfer the utilities back to the landlord. The next tenant moved in, never transferred the utility account to him/herself, and never paid the utility bills. The bills accumulated unpaid and I did not know about this until I checked my credit score last week. Duke Energy sold the unpaid amount to a collections agency, which is after me to pay those bills and wreaking havoc on my credit.
Am I liable to pay for unpaid utility bills in the property if I was not under lease at the time? It doesn't seem to make sense that I would be, but can't find any legal precedent to support me.
Thank you for the help. I hope that I posted this in the correct forum.
Joseph