BY AMANDA HARRISON
A Flint-area attorney is warning that Michigan utilities have been transferring outstanding bills to other household members and it's perfectly legal.
The bills are referred to as hand-me-down bills, and can be legally transferred to anyone in the home who benefitted from the service.
Michael Stanley is an attorney with Legal Services of Eastern Michigan. He said there are things consumers can do to protect themselves.
"If you're going to have a roommate it's important to ask them if they have an outstanding bill. In many cases these bills, by the time they get very large, have been through a collection process and turn up on credit reports." Stanley said.
Dan Bishop is with Consumers Energy. He said if an account holder doesn't pay their bill, they will look for other people who were living in the residence.
"That's where a third party or a collection agency would be involved and they use a number of resources to collect information like that." Bishop said.
Stanley said some of those "resources" include Facebook and other social media. But he warns that those sites are not always accurate.
Anyone who feels they've unjustly inherited a utility bill can contact the Michigan Public Service Commission, or an attorney.