Can I be forced to put other tenants utilities in my name?

[Steph K]

I am new to the west coast and new to my building. I have searched the ends of the internet but can't seem to find an answer to my question, so I come to you.

I am recently moved to a duplex. The lower tenant and I share the same mailbox, same meter. She has been here for two years and the utilities are in her name (I am to pay 50%). I have found out that she is breaking her lease and moving out, which means the building utilities would have to go under my name. I am not comfortable with this, it seems like this isn't even legal. I don't want the new tenant (a stranger) to be responsible for keeping me in good credit. I have been here for two months and haven't gotten any info in what my share of utilities should be in this time, in the past I had to threaten to take my own roommate to court for months to get a $450 phone bill she wracked up taken care of.

This reeks of problems, legal and otherwise. Is this legal? If there is one meter for the building, shouldn't the landlord have to put it in his name and have us compensate him?

Like I said I have searched for an answer to this. I only can find that this is illegal in CT. I live in OR.

Any advice?
Thanks!