my roomate situation

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-03-2005
my roomate situation
1
Fri, 09-23-2005 - 11:41am

A little backgroud info: i've been best friends with my roomate since we were 10. We have no problems for the most part except for when it comes to the oil bill which has my name on it but both of us pay half.

So the oil bill is normally for about $200. On tuesday i noticed we had no hot water. Both of us are bad about checking to see how much oil is left so that is both our faults. It's not a huge deal to me that we ran out, it's still warm out and the oil company normally delivers the same day or the next once we call to tell them we've run out. If my roomate was in dire need of a shower she could go to her bf's house-she's there quite a bit as it is.

The last time we had an oil delivery was in may. The oil bill sat on the dining room table all summer-it was there since may and she knew it was due. Anytime I thought about asking her for the money she'd go on about how she had no money, had car problems, had atm overdraft charges so I didn't say anything. So now that we have run out of oil and I need the money she of course makes me wait a few days until she has $100, then has the nerve to ask if I called the oil company and starts making demands about the type of plan we should be on-a monthly plan. The oil company told me that we had 5 oil deliveries last year and that we would probably be better off just calling in when we needed rather than be on a monthly plan. I asked them how much the oil would be monthly and they said they didn't know. I honestly don't want to have some surprise bill due every month. As it is I've been feeling overwhelmed with bills all summer. I just feel like she holds me responsible for everything having to do with the oil. My name is on the bill so anytime something happens, i call them, i put the amount on my card. I told her what the company said abot the monthly plan, she corrected me and said, well my dad said this. I told her, well you are more than welcome to call them then, but this is what they told me. She wants ME to call them about everything when she could easily pick up the phone as well.

We had all summer to talk about plans for the oil, but she decides to bring them up at the last minute when we're out of oil and she doesn't even have the money to pay. Not once has she ever said to me, oh I have the money for the oil. I have to ask everytime and she makes me feel like it's MY bill. I really don't think I've been that picky about this situation. A lot of people would just say, well I will wait to call the oil company when you give me the money or even worse they could say, sorry I CANT even pay the bill until I have your money because I don't have $200. Its not like this is a $1000 bill we have due, I don't think $100 is that unmanageable of an amount, but at the same time it gets annoying for me to put this on my card every time it's due. I currently have $10 in my account until I get her $100. She said she'd have it today and I really hope she does since I'm leaving for vt tomorrow...urgh. I do have a savings account (which she bring up ALL the time telling me, oh you can get the $$ out of your savings) then she tells me that i am cheap and stingy!

Am i wrong? at this point i'm thinking she's mad because i had a 'tude on the phone (i was pissed, maybe i should have just said why at the time) or because i am not all for her monthly plan...which she wont just call abot herself to get more details!

Avatar for northwestwanderer
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Fri, 09-23-2005 - 4:06pm

Of course you're not wrong...she owes you the money, plain and simple. Does she pay some of the household bills, so that you can deduct what she owes you from what you pay her?

If not, then I would just calmly remind her, every day if you need to, that she owes you $100 for the last bill, and that she is going to owe half of the bill for the oil you're ordering now. You're sorry she's having money troubles, but you can't afford to dip into your emergency savings for a routine expense like this. If she needs to continue to borrow the money from you, then you'll do it as a favor to her, but you'll need to charge her whatever amount of interest you're paying on the credit card you put the bill on (or if you've paid the credit card off, then at least the rate of interest you're getting on your savings). I'd write up a simple IOU for her to sign if that's what you decide to do. Put the business part of things on a business-like footing and keep the friendship part separate.

Sheri