debt collector letters for previous tenant

fredboris

I've lived in my house for just over 3 years and still get alot of post with regard to outstanding debts from the previous tenants, they did a bunk owing the landlord money and no forwarding address.
I was even arrested on my door step one day for a hit and run even though i protested i wasn't the person concerned, luckily my wife was home a waved my passport under the officer's nose.
I've since done some detective work and no where the previous occupants live and work, so all mail is returned to sender in a new envelope with a letter giving there new address.
I know its working as the baliff's have called at there new house several times and as they live above the shop they work in word soon gets around.

bx19rd

I still get LOADs of mail and bailiffs and some times police turning up here, even though I have lived here for 6yrs for the previous tenent... yes the person who lived here before when they get in trouble still give the police my address (last time they was caught shop lifting socks from a local PoundLand no joke and a time before that lifting strepsils from a chemist)... thing is they still live in the same block... council evicted them them and then moved them in 3 floors down

I can't have cable because of her because she gave them 3 names and cable want a £150 deposit outta me, they think im her im sure. Even had my the police boot my door off thanks to her.

Now I don't even bother talking to them/sending the letters back to them just ignore them

lloydcov

I'm getting letters every month for a previous tenant. What should I do if baliffs come round?

POSSETTE

im getting letters for 18k debt i dont have...and i have a brand new house that only i have lived in.! They are for a neighbour.Apparantly the bailiffs were coming this week,when i opened the last letter, i called them and told them the address they require,and they changed it,so all this "cant change address because of data protection etc is cr4p.They didnt arrive and i had no letters this week.I will see if i get anymore in next month!

never-in-doubt

I would use the following template to get them to stop.

See how you get on - just amend the bits as you see fit. Worked for me.

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Dear Sirs,

Reference: XXXXXXXXXX / Breach of Data Protection, Debt Collection & Harassment Laws

I have been receiving letters from your company for the last year or so and each time I receive one I photocopy the envelope, date it (for my proof) and return the letter back to you as addressee unknown. On a couple of occasions I have telephoned your offices and tried to explain this person is unknown to me and have been met with rudeness and a generally unprofessional approach by your staff.

Further to my repeated requests for you to cease processing data about an individual unknown to me, at my address, I formally demand this ends here and now, today. Should you ignore this request I will report you to the Office of Fair Trading to consider your suitability to hold a credit licence in addition to a complaint to Trading Standards, as you will be in breach of the Administration of Justice Act 1970 along with many more.

As you are no doubt aware, the law stipulates that the moment you receive notification that a person does not reside at an address given to you then you must immediately cease communication until you are satisfied you have taken the necessary steps to confirm that the person does indeed reside where you stipulate.

In this instance you are way off the mark and a simple search of electoral register records will confirm who resides at my address and I am quite certain you will not find the named person on the communication I keep receiving.

This letter is a formal demand for the immediate cessation of communication. I demand that you immediately remove my address from your systems and shred every piece of data that bears it because I have no dealings with you or any of your subsidiaries.

I expect, within 14 days, a response from a senior manager confirming the above has been actioned with a personal guarantee that I will never receive any mail at my address again for persons unbeknown to me. Failure to comply will result in my seeking immediate legal advice.

I respectfully request a response to this letter in 14 days.

Yours faithfully,

lazybill

I used to get sacks full of mail for erstwhile tenants when I moved here a year ago. I now get hardly any. As others have done, I had a whole load of "MOVED AWAY, WHEREABOUTS UNKNOWN, PLEASE RETURN TO SENDER" stickers, which I put on all the unwanted mail. But the key to my success was also adding another sticker "PLEASE UPDATE YOUR RECORDS ACCORDINGLY" It has worked a treat. I think the PLEASE helps too.

dld2s

I used to use all of the things like gone away, update records please etc. it didn't stop the majority of letters, also on a couple of occassions I have called companies and told them that I was not the person they were looking for, their reply was "they could only take a letter from the person whose debt it was to change the adress" Now I just bin the letters, and anyone that phones, I just tell them i'm not the person they are looking for and put the phone down without waiting for a reply, If I get a particularly troublesome company, again I tell them I am not the person they are looking for and as they are replying just leave the receiver on a table and go about doing whatever I was doing and leave them speaking to themselves

MrsMillar

Well, I have now moved into a new house that we have bought. We have no forwarding address for the previous owner. We've had a lot of junk arrive, and just the other day, a letter with no return address on the envelope. Opened it to see where to return it to - and it was chasing a fine payment and requesting payment within 7 days. Have resealed envelope and returned to sender. Will be interested to see what happens next.......

newstran

Been recieving stuff since I moved into a new place in August. Sent them all back, but then got one with the previous occupant's name/current owner on it. Opened that and was threatened with someone turning up at the door. Not wanting that I rang up the company (loreburns) and said the occupant wasn't known. They said that I wouldn't recieve any more correspondence and simply asked if I had a new address for the previous tennant. I didn't and nothing else has come.

Now I google the return address of any mail to see if it is a debt collecting agency. If it is I give them a ring. All ask me to open the letter for a reference number, and guarantee me that I will recieve nothing else. We'll see. They also ask for a new address for the previous tennant but never bother checking in another way.

I feel that opening the mail is fine if it averts the threat of someone turning up.

RobertoMoir

newstran wrote: »

I feel that opening the mail is fine if it averts the threat of someone turning up.

Except of course that debt collectors are no threat:
"I'm sorry, I'm not the person you're looking for. I don't know where they are. You have to leave now, you're trespassing". *close door*

Problem dealt with.

It's quite empowering to know how many rights you have and how few rights debt collectors have... I hate the idea of people getting stressed out or thinking they have to put a lot of effort into ringing around over people who don't actually have any "powers" to do anything to them.