Former tenant ruining my life!!!!

giggles_alot

widgery wrote: »

The first is why didn't they check the council tax records in the first place. The second was why am I having to tell the council how to investigate this matter? It boggles the mind. It truly does. .

Seems all logical and practical things go out the window with these type of people,

RobertoMoir

giggles_alot wrote: »

It getting to the point where we are scared to answer the door incase its some kind of baliff and we have done nothing to be in this position - its not our debt.

The comments about ignoring anyone who turns up babbling about some former resident's debts, and phoning the police to report a trespasser if they won't go away apply here too I think.

Why do you pay postage on letters you are returning to sender? Just write "Not known at this address" or something like that and drop it in the postbox. Job done. Don't get involved in writing letters to these people. They'll either 'get it' from doing what I just suggested, or they won't get it at all even if you send them a singing telegram along with the letter.

Remember, most of the people that knock on doors and which people call "bailiffs" are actually simple debt collectors. The difference is important. Debt collectors have the same power of entry into your house that your paperboy has (well less actually, because you might conceivably like your paperboy and offer them a cold drink on a hot day).

barrooo

I know its a pain in the bum trying to deal with previous occupiers problems and council tax in particular.

I sold my flat about 2 years ago and informed the council, i was moving to another county, and gave them my new address.
12 months on, about 7pm, theres a knock on the door, open it to find a couple of baliffs demanding payment for council tax on the property I'd previously owned.

Obviously told them the situation, and while they weren't happy, as apparently they'd driven for over an hour and half to get here , they accepted it and left.

In this situation I think they decided to leave on the basis I calmy explained the situation and just simply stated if I recieved another call from them, I would consider it harassment and take legal action.

supermezzo

I had a similar problem with the previous tenats of our house as they left everything behind - all the utilities, water rates, c tax, phone, internet, mobiles, even the video shop were after them for fines. Then it transpires they hadn't transferred the log book for their car and there was a parking fine, swiftly followed by a fine for driving in a bus lane. I sent the first one back, but opened the 2nd and eventually, I had to ring the fine people, who requested my details from the DVLA and they sent me a letter to confirm that the only vehicle registered here was mine - I faxed that to the fines people who wrote back and confirmed that the fines weren't mine. However, this was all well over 12 months after these people had moved, and when spekaing to the fines people, they let slip that as I suspected, the car was neither taxed not insured.
I still have a copy of the first c tax bill I received for this property along with another utility bill and rental agreement in a file for when the door bell goes though, nearly 3 years ago.

naijapower

This issue is a common property. Landlords have no control over what their tenants chose to do.
Most people ve given u good advise so far, but if it was me, i wouldnt even respond to them. I find that most debt collectors give up if they dont get a response. The only ones worth speaking to is the council. Sadly, they dont give up

RobertoMoir

naijapower wrote: »

This issue is a common property. Landlords have no control over what their tenants chose to do.
Most people ve given u good advise so far, but if it was me, i wouldnt even respond to them. I find that most debt collectors give up if they dont get a response. The only ones worth speaking to is the council. Sadly, they dont give up

Indeed. If someone who used to live at the house you now live at owes money to someone for a phone or some other trinket, that's between the previous occupant and the person they owe money to. I find ignoring these things the best thing to do.

It's like not speaking up if someone in your office at work says "Fred, can you pay me the money you owe me" and your name isn't Fred - they aren't talking to you so why worry.

giggles_alot

Why do you pay postage on letters you are returning to sender? Just write "Not known at this address" or something like that and drop it in the postbox.

If i pay postage then royal mail have to provide the service and deliver letters, so i have paid for the first letter recieved from each indivdual company and enclosed a letter explaining the situation. Now all letters are just return to sender.

RobertoMoir wrote: »

they aren't talking to you so why worry.

That is easier said than done. Especially when you share the same surname as the person in question.

I went into a bank that keeps sending statements and junk to the address - apparently they cannot or will not remove my address as the form of contact the account holder unless they have a forwarding address not my problem

RobertoMoir

I guess it's because I've worked as a bailiff, and as such it doesn't hold much mystery for me, but I'm actually quite happy to explain things to people like this once (as I do try to be nice and reasonable) and then ignore them if they come back again.

Once you understand how little power to interfere with your life a debt collector has it is easy enough to ignore them. I appreciate it does sound difficult and so-on at first but you'll be surprised how empowering it can be to understand your rights and ignore people who try to talk nonsense to you about other peoples problems.

liam8282

I have the same sort of problems with my house. It is a rented property and I am forever receiving mail for the previous tenants.

Every letter I get I just write "no longer at this address, return to sender", and the amount of letters does eventually start to decrease.

Anyway it turned out they had not paid there bill for virgin tv and several debt collection letters were sent round, in the end I had to start opening the letters and ringing the companies to tell them the person no longer lived there. Then when I went to sign up for virgin broadband, they told me that my address was a high risk property due to the previous tenants and if I wanted to use their services I would have to pay a £100 deposit, which I would have to claim back after 12 months!! Needless to say I didn't bother getting broadband with them, especially as it only worked out at about £10 per month for the broadband in the first place.