Oklahoma Children Responsible for Their Parent's Utility Bills?

As the tale goes...

Imagine you're 27 years old, getting ready to move into a new place of your own, and the utility company informs you that you must first pay off the family gas bill from 2010 when you were only 12 years old.

Why? Because you lived in the house at the time and your parent's account is still that far behind...

Get our free mobile app

I've read stories about this in the past and was reminded when it popped into my Facebook memories this morning. It still begs the question, is this legal?

Now I know we collectively don't think much of our Oklahoma utility providers, always getting favorable decisions from the OK Corporation Commission, but these wild stories sound completely plausible from the archive of historical utility shenanigans we've become so accustomed to.

How would a person navigate this scenario? First, you have to ask a few questions.

Canva

Can a family member inherit debt?

No. If your parents died eyeballs deep in debt, it wouldn't be your responsibility to pay them. That being said, the debtors would stake claims on any property or assets your dead parents left behind to settle the accounts, but you wouldn't be liable to pay any of your own money.

Are you liable for anyone else's debt?

No. Plain and simple, you aren't. Of course, debtors can ask all they want to, but at the end of the day, you are not responsible for debt that isn't yours.

This happens a lot, especially among renters.

Canva

The scenario plays out like this... You move into a new rental home or apartment. You contact the utility company to start service. They inform you that the previous tenant owes "x" amount on their unpaid bill at that address and suggest you must pay it before they'll connect service in your name.

It's an illegal debt-collecting scheme, but you'd be surprised how many Oklahomans pay whatever they have to to get their service turned on.

Canva

That scenario might not be what is playing out when you hear "Oklahoma child liable for parent's utility bills" though. It could simply be that one or this person's parents used their social security number to get the service turned on in order to avoid hefty deposits.

Source: When I moved out on my own the first time, I used my dad's SS# to avoid the $300 deposit.

It was illegal but it's a pretty common practice in Oklahoma. Probably really common across America, but even if that is what is happening in this particular situation, the "child" isn't liable for any past balances.

Why not?

As any Gen-X or Elder Millennial can attest from our experiences with Columbia House Records, minors cannot enter into legal contracts.

Canva

Even if his/her social security number was used to rack up this debt, since they were under the age of 18 at the time, they aren't responsible for paying the bill. At least that's what the legal minds of the internet spew.

Top 10 Snobbiest Towns & Cities in Oklahoma

Don't shoot the messenger. I'm not calling these places snobby, the internet is. A recent report by Roadsnacks.net identified 10 of the snobbiest towns and cities in Oklahoma. The methodology behind the study used median household incomes, the percentage of the population with college educations, and median home prices in determining just how snobby a town or city is. Most would agree with the results below. Unless you live in one of these places, then you may disagree. Also, keep in mind this list was all done in good fun. Sure there's some truth to the findings but like most places, you'll find both good and bad. Keep scrolling to check out Oklahoma's top 10 snobbiest towns and cities to see if your hometown made the list.

Gallery Credit: Don "Critter" Brown

Oklahoma's Ten Poorest Cities and Towns

While it's a list no municipality aspires to be on, there's one in every state across America. Whether it's due to limited economic opportunities, the failing popularity of once-booming towns, or a generation of youth running away from their hometowns, but nine out of the ten poorest communities exist on the east side of I-35.

Based on the stats of those living at or below the state poverty level, median household incomes, and unemployment, here are the poorest communities in Oklahoma.

Gallery Credit: Kelso

Ten Iconic Oklahoma Restaurants You Have To Try

I think it's fair to say that each state probably has its own legends when it comes to restaurants. Pennsylvania has cheesesteaks, New York has wings and pizza, Texas has Franklin BBQ and Tex-Mex, etc...

Oklahoma is no different.

Birthed into statehood as a cattle state, there's no shortage of beef on any menu here, but there's a little room for chicken and fries too. Here are the absolute, hands down, best restaurants, in no particular order, everyone has to try in The Sooner State.

Gallery Credit: Kelso