Advice on Utilities Bill Dispute with Tenant

[Christina Greaves]

Hey y'all I just had a really annoying experience and wondering what the community recommends I do. 

Here's the deal: I have a tenant who signed their lease in January, with start date February first. Back in January I sent them all the information on how to set up the utilities with Seattle City Lights. As you local landlords know, the Electricity account of the landlord closes as the tenant opens one theirs, whereas Water/Sewer/Garbage remains on the Landlords account and the Tenant is set up as a proxy resident. 

So, I do continue to receive emails from Seattle City Lights when bills are issues... but of course after February, I wasn't bothering to even open the bill emails since in my mind that was now my tenant's responsibility.... Well... I got a debt collection letter in the mail, for a Seattle City Lights bill that was issues in mid March. When I called in to figure out what is going on, I find out that my tenant didn't actually set up the Electricity account until April 1!! So the amount that was unpaid  which corresponds to usage from Mid-Jan through end of March is mostly the tenant's responsibility but it was billed to my account that unbeknown to me was still open. 

I'm annoyed that (1) He didn't set up the account promptly even though he was given the instructions immediately after signing the lease. (2) He didn't let me know that he was delayed in taking care of it (at least that would have given me a heads up to make sure my account was settled) and (3) Because of this I'm the one who got a debt collection that probably hits my credit score!!

I haven't reached out to my tenant yet. I went ahead and paid the debt because by the time I opened the snail mail notification the dispute period was already past due, but now I'm debating whether I should reach out to my tenant and have him pay me back for this, or at least the prorated amount corresponding to Feb 1 through end of March when the lease was already in effect. 

My tenant is otherwise wonderful. Always pays on time, doesn't really complain about anything, and he seems to be in it for the long haul, he repainted the interior, he contracted a company to re-do the landscaping in the front yard, he even asked me if I'd be ok if he contracted a friend of his that owed him a favor to re-finish the hardwood floors in the living room!

I'm basically wondering whether this $200 collection is worth is worth potentially creating a wedge with him... 

Any thoughts?