Baillif Letters to My Address

ceebeeby

A relative of mine moved abroad about 4 years ago. He had recently taken out a loan. On moving, he transferred his UK mail to my address so he could still receive pension letters / bank statements etc. On instruction I open them, scan them into the computer and email them to him.

About 6 months ago a letter came for him telling him he owed about £10k on this loan and he'd defaulted payment for a number of months. The letters have become increasingly irate by the company (later a debt collection agency) and now finally they've sent a letter saying they're sending round baillifs.

I've kinda presumed this is "nothing to do with me", and will tell anyone that turns up at my door, however, just want to double check with anyone on here. I'm assuming he's not been in touch with them, hence their continued letters to me.

Relative doesn't intend to make the payments (as no longer can afford it) :mad: :mad: :mad: and I don't see why I should :mad:

Can you foresee any hassles for me personally?

kazwookie

I would be returning all letters to send and not even opening them, if I were you.

Write on them RTS and put in nearest post box.

I would email your relation, and tell them you don't want any hassel and ask them to make other arrangements for their letters etc.

With regard to the baillifs, do NOT let them into your house, i am sure others will be along with other advise.

ceebeeby

But hyperthetically, surely though bailiffs can't take anything from my property, even if I let them in (which I wouldn't anyway)! Wouldn't that be blatant theft as I don't owe them anything at all?

Good advice on the letters - think I'll do that.

nimbo

ceebeeby wrote: »

But hyperthetically, surely though bailiffs can't take anything from my property, even if I let them in (which I wouldn't anyway)! Wouldn't that be blatant theft as I don't owe them anything at all?

Good advice on the letters - think I'll do that.

it would be on the very side of dodgy, but however i think that getting anything back from them would be difficult... i would give them a call saying that you have never heard fo the person named on the letters, and that they have the wrong address...

i have done this in the past and had no problem... (although i actually didn't know the person...)

good luck...

Crazy_Jamie

ceebeeby wrote: »

I've kinda presumed this is "nothing to do with me", and will tell anyone that turns up at my door, however, just want to double check with anyone on here. I'm assuming he's not been in touch with them, hence their continued letters to me.

Personally I wouldn't wait for the knock on the door, because you're then asking for a potentially difficult situation that can be avoided. You need to contact this company and inform them that he doesn't live at that address and never has lived at that address.

nomoneytoday

Why not give his new address?

exel1966

You seem to be inviting or asking for further hassles by not telling your relation to make other arrangements and by not informing the DCA of the facts. Far easier to put a stop to it all now.

The bailiffs have no right of entry unless invited in or can produce a court order to such effect and even then they would have to prove that the property personally belongs to the relation rather than you.

Robert_Sterling_3

nimbo wrote: »

i would give them a call saying that you have never heard of the person named on the letters, and that they have the wrong address...

Far be it from me to recommend you to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth but I would suggest that you do not follow the advice given above and lie.

ceebeeby

I've absolutely no problems with telling the truth.

TBH he now lives in a country that I don't think debtors would be able to get anything from him anyway ... maybe they would?? He has no intention of ever returning to the UK as far as I know.

I just don't want these people turning up on my door making trouble or causing a scene - my DH would go nuts! He hates debt!

geordie_joe

They can't send the bailiffs round, only the courts can do that. They (the courts) won't do this until you have appeared before them, it has been proved you owe the money, they have told you how much to pay each month, and you have not kept up the payments.

In short, don't worry, you won't ever see any bailiffs.

In your situation I would simply pass on the contact details and leave it at that.

Just a point, how do you mean "he transferred his mail to your address"? Did he write to everyone and tell them to send it to your address, or did he have it redirected by the post office?

If it's the latter then the debt collectors don't actually know where you live, they are sending the letters to his old address and the PO is delivering them to you.

geordie_joe

exel1966 wrote: »

The bailiffs have no right of entry unless invited in or can produce a court order to such effect

That's not quite right.

The bailiffs can't force an entry to a domestic dwelling, but they can gain entry if unopposed. If your door is unlocked they don't have to knock on it, they can just open it and walk in. If you have an open window they can climb through it.

Once they have gained entry, and if you sign a "Walking Possession Agreement", which is an agreement for them to let you keep your possessions if you make regular payments to them, and you default on the payments they can force their way in.

The exception to this is if you owe money for any kind of tax, in this case they are coming into your home on the first visit, and you are not going to stop them.