Ask Me Help Desk - Ex's Mom wants to sue me over Cell-phone bill.

My ex and I were together for 3 years. I finally moved out in May 2007 after breaking up a few times(all the while living together) because he had cheated on me. Today, I received an email from his new wife(I wasn't even aware he had gotten married.. since May 08. Nor have I ever met her). Saying I owe my ex's mom(her new mother-in-law) $600 dollars and that I owe her $300.

When my ex and I first got together he signed up for a new Cell phone Plan and got me a phone and added an extra line to his plan from me. The bills were sent to him and paid by him. When I moved out(may 07) I tried to separate our phone lines in May but was told by the phone company I couldn't do so because I was an added/extra line. I was told that he needed to call or go into confirm it. I told him that but he didn't go in and get it separated. He didn't cancelled the phone agreement until October 2007. Now his mom is threatening to get a lawyer, saying I owe her $600 for the phone bill that she apparently paid(from may-October). Can she sue me for this? Would she win in a case like this? The bills where always sent to my ex because it was under him. I was never aware of the cost or the fact that his mom was paying it. And because he had his mom pay his bill do I legally owe her this money? My ex's new wife is also claiming I owe her $300 for the cancellation fee that she says she paid(in october). The last I heard form my ex was that he was cancelling the phone and I could go into Cingular within the next two weeks to start my own plan if I wanted to keep my number. He never told me that there was a cancellation fee or that his girlfriend(now wife) was going to/did pay it... or that I would owe her money.

I am just very confused because I haven't heard from my ex or his family since last summer. I didn't even know he had gotten married. Can they sue me for this?

State: Hawaii

If you made $600. Worth of phone calls between May and Oct and your name is on the bill then there is no doubt you owe the bill. You have to get an itemized bill and dispute any charges you do not agree to being yours.
You most probably need to pay the cancellation fee too because they probably wouldn't have bothered canceling it if you had been paying what you owed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by aloha86

My ex and I were together for 3 years. I finally moved out in May 2007 after breaking up a few times(all the while living together) because he had cheated on me. Today, I recieved an email from his new wife(I wasn't even aware he had gotten married..since May 08. Nor have I ever met her). Saying I owe my ex's mom(her new mother-in-law) $600 dollars and that I owe her $300.

When my ex and I first got together he signed up for a new Cell phone Plan and got me a phone and added an extra line to his plan from me. The bills were sent to him and paid by him. When I moved out(may 07) I tried to separate our phone lines in May but was told by the phone company I couldn't do so because I was an added/extra line. I was told that he needed to call or go into confirm it. I told him that but he didnt go in and get it separated. He didn't cancelled the the phone agreement until October 2007. Now his mom is threatening to get a lawyer, saying I owe her $600 for the phone bill that she apparently paid(from may-October). Can she sue me for this? Would she win in a case like this? The bills where always sent to my ex because it was under him. I was never aware of the cost or the fact that his mom was paying it. And because he had his mom pay his bill do I legally owe her this money? My ex's new wife is also claiming I owe her $300 for the cancellation fee that she says she paid(in october). The last I heard form my ex was that he was cancelling the phone and I could go into Cingular within the next two weeks to start my own plan if I wanted to keep my number. He never told me that there was a cancellation fee or that his girlfriend(now wife) was going to/did pay it...or that I would owe her money.

I am just very confused because I havent heard from my ex or his family since last summer. I didn't even know he had gotten married. Can they sue me for this?

State: Hawaii

Well, anybody can pretty much sue anybody else for anything to start with - but I'm sure you know that. It's proving the case that's the problem.

After you found out that the phones could not be separated and you were not receiving bills did you continue to use the phone? Did you go in and get a new plan with the same number? The fact that you took the phone with you might enter into this - you would have been in a better position if you had just left it behind and he could have given it to some else.

I think I'm confused about the charge(s) for phone use - I understand the cancellation fee.

I think his new wife should stay out of this (she has no legal standing. If she paid the cancellation fee, that's nice, but that's not your problem) and if his Mom has a problem (also, no legal standing) she should contact you but that being said - I think legally you are going to owe him at least some of the money.

Both Mom and wife would have to sue HIM - they cannot sue you directly, they have no standing - and then HE could sue YOU to be reimbursed.