Bailiffs after previous house owner

Southpaw

Hi

Not sure if in correct forum?

Looking for some advice please.

My friend has purchased a new home about 3 years ago. In the first year had a few visits from bailiffs and plenty of letters for previous owner.

To start with letters were actually taken to previous owners business in locality (unfortunately no longer there). Then after a few months and constantly telling previous owner to inform companies (e.g monthly mobile phone bills etc) letters were returned to sender.

It started to improve slowly but then bailiffs started calling. Unfortunately my friend was rarely home as was in work and her son would usually be home.

Anyway after constantly telling them the previous owner was the named person they came round one night when she was home after work.

She finally managed to clear up the mistake with them and she never heard anything again.

Now with the very odd obvious junk mail does not have any mail for previous owner.

BUT today has missed a visit from bailiffs and they have left a letter saying they are after a sum of £220 for a speeding fine (or parking fine can't remember). The company is a different company and is EXCEL baliffs on behalf of HMCS courts.

She has telephoned them and informed them that the person they want is previous owner. They have told her that she needs to write them a letter and send them a copy of a utility bill to prove she is the new owner.

My question is should she need to do this? I'm sure I've read somewhere that you should NOT give your name as they may then send the bailiffs with the current owners name on the request for money.

Also why should she need to go through all this.

What do you suggest? And is it possible to notify the courts? Although we don't know which court has sent the bailiffs?

Thanks in advance.

mumOf2wonderfulkids

I had pretty much the EXACT same thing with this house

3 months after we moved in we even had a letter to say the were reposessing the house! obviously went mad at our solicitor, the claim for reposession went through 2 days after we were registered on land registry as new owners so was all voided out in the end.

had so much hassle with them with them telling me to prove i wasnt her i sent them a really really snotty letter that i found off the net - i think i still have it somewhere- threatening legal action if they contacted me again. never heard anything else

previous owner also got a parking fine so i phoned up dvla to say that she no longer lived her so keeper details were incorrect - didnt hear anything further on that debt

Im going to have a look and see if i still have that letter and will edit post if i find it

mumOf2wonderfulkids

Dear Sir / Madam,

I am writing in response to the numerous visits / letters you keep sending to this address for the attendtion of XXX
I have taken legal advice and have been instructed by my solicitor to inform you that the mentioned person has not resided at this address since XXX (The completion date of the sale of the house) and therefor has no goods or assetts here.

I ask that you delete the details of this address from your records under the Data Protection Act 1996 and that you further do not send any correspondance regarding (previous owner) to my home other than to acknowledge this letter.
If you continue to harrass me, I would remind you that this is a criminal offence under the Administration of Justice Act 1970 and criminal / civil court action could be taken against you if you ignore this letter

Yours Sincerely

Mrs Mumof2wonderfulkids



just seen the date of the original letter - march 2007 i can't believe i still have that lol i must learn to shread things

I have no idea if what is quoted in the letter is correct - its one i pulled of the net at the time and like i say i never heard a peep (not even acknowledgement!) afterwards

Hope this helps


oh and i never showed them or sent them any utility bills etc