Arms Ltd denies double-billing Mellieha man

Local utilities supplier ARMS Ltd has filed a counter protest against a man who is alleging that it had sent him a final notice for payment of a bill that is currently the subject of court proceedings.

Mellieha resident Jason Vella had filed a judicial protest last August against utilities supplier ARMS Ltd, alleging gross negligence after he received a final notice for payment of a bill that is currently the subject of arbitration proceedings.

In the original protest, Vella, who owns several properties in the block, claims that in December 2014, he had negotiated and entered into an arrangement regarding three unpaid bills with the company.

However, in spite of this agreement - and on the very same day of its signing - ARMS filed arbitration proceedings against Vella. These proceedings are ongoing and will resume in late September.

In the counter-protest filed today, however, ARMS Ltd categorically denied the accusations as completely unfounded at fact and at law.

It said that Vella had a total of seven outstanding bills with the company and had entered in to an agreement for the repayment of three of them, however these had not been paid by the agreed date. It denied Vella’s assertion that the company was asking him to pay twice the amount due, pointing out that during arbitration proceedings in July, it had reduced the claim from €7,668 to €4,184.

ARMS also highlighted the fact that it was legally entitled to cut off the electricity supply to any consumer whose bill remained unpaid 14 days after being notified. It was Vella’s responsibility to avoid the matter escalating to this level and the company should not be put in a bad light as a result of his inaction.

The company formally rebutted the allegations and discouraged Vella from taking further action.