A great-grandmother was left shocked and distressed after a bailiff's letter wrongly declared her dead and demanded payment of £60.87. Ginette Bye, 78, from the UK, received correspondence from debt collectors Phillips and Cohen Associates acting on behalf of Southern Water, which stated that the utility company had been notified of her death.
Letter addressed to executor of estate
The letter, addressed to the executor of her estate, offered condolences for her passing and support during a 'very difficult period', before demanding the outstanding amount. Mrs Bye, who has six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, was paying her monthly bill by direct debit at the time, and a payment was taken just five days after the company claimed she had died.
Family's distress and concerns
Mrs Bye's son, Mark Bye, 57, expressed concerns about the impact on vulnerable individuals. 'If mum had no family around, how would she deal with it? She thought it was a scam at first. Nearly 80 years old, she could have a heart attack from the stress,' he said. Daughter Paula Macvicar, 55, added that the company should have contacted the family before sending the letter. 'They're still taking the direct debit, so the bank account was still open. Why would they send it straight to this agency?' she questioned.
Root cause and resolution
Southern Water stated that the error stemmed from Mrs Bye's account being jointly registered with her late husband, Paul Bye, who passed away in August 2020. However, Mrs Bye said she had informed the company of his death over five years ago. The account has since been corrected, with a new account set up solely in her name and the outstanding balance wiped as a goodwill gesture. Despite this, daughter-in-law Cherylin Bye said the family feels an apology is still owed. 'There was no actual apology for the upset, it was just a case of, well, we can send a letter of apology if that's what she wants,' she said.
Company response and investigation
A spokesperson for Southern Water confirmed an investigation is underway. 'We're sorry for this error, which has caused unnecessary distress to Mrs Bye. We've been in touch to apologise and have refunded her last bill as a goodwill gesture. We're now reviewing our processes to understand exactly what went wrong and ensure it doesn't happen again,' they said.
