Dealing with previous tenants debts

Steve1963

We moved to our current address 12 months ago. We rent privately. The previous tenant moved out about 6 weeks before and apart from showing us around on one occasion we had nothing more to do with him. He has since moved to New Zealand with his young family. We have no forwarding address and his local family have apparently been told not to divulge it to anyone.

Earlier this year we had a visit from a debt agency looking for this chap and my wife had a bit of an unpleasant time trying to explain we were not the family they were looking for. We have made sure his name has been removed from the electoral register. A few eeks ago we started getting mail for him and his family, we presume because his mail redirection has run out. The mail includes bank and building society statements and today a letter from the inland revenue asking for a refund of over £3000 overpaid child and tax credits. (Yes, we have opened their post - thought it reasonable in trying to track them down). The rest is junk mail.

So, what can I do to stop getting their post and more importantly stop his debts being asscoiated with our address? I'd be very grateful for any advice.

Thanks

Steve

DVardysShadow

Debts are associated with individuals, not addresses.

Send the letters back - if you have opened them, then send a covering note along the lines:
Mr <previous tenant> has moved away form the address and Steve1963 has been the occupier since <date>. I have not been given any forwarding address and <previous tenants> local family have been forthcoming. I regret that I am unable to help you further - and I hope you understand when I tell you that further correspondence from yourselves to <previous tenant> will be disposed of.

RobertoMoir

What DVardysShadow said. Return the letters you have now, with a covering note for ones you've already opened.

Ignore and discard any future ones. Don't worry about it. Really.

Steve1963

Thanks both. I'll get the letters off today and then make sure the recycle bin is empty.

Steve

muskoka

You need to contact the two main credit checking agencies - Experian (and the other one). They WILL arrange to have your names disassociated with the previous tenants, then these people wont show on your credit file.

Trust me, I let my debt laden brother stay with me for a time, and was being linked with him via credit agencies. It was easy to sort though once I dealt with credit agencies & explained. Think I had to write to them & confirm the disassociation. Give them a call anyway to protect yourselves. I wasn't prepared to have my excellent credit rating affected by him, just because he was staying at my address.

RobertoMoir

Muskoka, credit files are per person, not per address. I can see why a link might be created (inadvertently or otherwise) between family members, but not between total strangers who just happened to have lived at the same address at different times.

It's always a good idea to check your file though, I agree there. I just doubt there's an association between the OP and people who used to live at the address.

myrnahaz

Don't just destroy the letters - write 'not known at this address' on the front and put them back in the post box or give them to the postman. And don't open any more letters - I don't know if it's actually illegal, but I know you shouldn't tamper with mail intended for someone else.

neilmcl

myrnahaz wrote: »

And don't open any more letters - I don't know if it's actually illegal, but I know you shouldn't tamper with mail intended for someone else.

It's not illegal, the owner of the property is entitled to open any mail delivered to that address, regardless of whether they are the named recipient.

RobertoMoir

myrnahaz wrote: »

Don't just destroy the letters - write 'not known at this address' on the front and put them back in the post box or give them to the postman. And don't open any more letters - I don't know if it's actually illegal, but I know you shouldn't tamper with mail intended for someone else.

It's not illegal. I still suggest not opening stuff like this when you can tell its just more debt recovery company nonsense, not because you "shouldn't" but because its needless stress. Why give yourself an ulcer for no good reason I say.

gemz20

If the debt collectors turnt up again if you have a copy of your tenancy agreement to hand maybe show them as it will show your names and you are the tenants not the person named on the debt

sillyvixen

RobertoMoir wrote: »

It's not illegal. I still suggest not opening stuff like this when you can tell its just more debt recovery company nonsense, not because you "shouldn't" but because its needless stress. Why give yourself an ulcer for no good reason I say.

and having a debt collector/ baliff turning up for a previous resident does not cause needless stress, open everything for the person and phone the companies and explain the situation, and be prepared to supply details of your tenancy if needed - i have been in this situation in several rented properties and in a purchased property - if you send back letters return to sender nothing happens if you talk with these people and provide evidence they can start trying to trace the offender!