changing address when months away from being statute barred

pound_coin_2

Hello you helpful and knowledgeable lot

I moved house over a year ago and the occupants of my previous address are getting VERY annoyed at receiving letters about three debts I have with Debt Collection Agencies. They are opening the letters and bringing them to my place of work and causing a quite a scene. Its too late for me to redirect my mail according to the post office as its over a year since I moved. These debts are all a matters of months away from being 6 years since default so eligible to be SB.

Can I change the address to my new home without admitting liability and thus returning to scratch re statute barred? They are not huge amounts (less than £5K in total and mostly made up of charges etc)

Thanks guys!

handyman123_2

Hi Pound coin, just a thought and for the life of me I cant see why the occupants of your previous address are opening the letters, why dont they just scribble no longer at this address and then return to sender.

But if they wont or are unable to do that why not give them a couple of stamped self addressed envelopes (your works address - as they have that allready) and ask them to send them on.

I am suprised that if they have been personally hassled by a DCA they havnt given out your works or a new address. Someone else will advise if you can change address without admiting liability, But if you go down the CCA route this sometimes will spin the proccess out so it goes over 6 years.

Hope this helps.
Regards handyman123.

justbcuz

I would be really annoyed if my letters were being opened like this and especially if they were coming around to my place of work talking about the contents. But it's a good idea to ask the current occupants to forward your mail in pre-paid envelopes. You can always return to sender yourself without getting the occupants involved.

And to keep them sweet for the time being, going around with a bottle of something to say thanks. This will deter them just in case they do think about forwarding on your new address.

DarkConvict

Letters should only be opened if not to the detriment of the intended recipient. In this case they knew your place of work/new address and have no need to open the mail in these circumstances. As such they would be in breach of the postal act, further to this is the stress of bringing it to work. If i were you i would contact your local post office to discuss the matter.

Been so close to going SB i would leave it, and let the royal mail deal with previous residents opening your mail instead of redirecting it. By the way if they get a CCJ the debt won't go statute barred.

pound_coin_2

DarkConvict wrote: »

Letters should only be opened if not to the detriment of the intended recipient. In this case they knew your place of work/new address and have no need to open the mail in these circumstances. As such they would be in breach of the postal act, further to this is the stress of bringing it to work.

It gets worse! The lady brought a letter to my husbands place of work (he is a Dr and she took it to the surgery and proceeded to tell the receptionist and another Dr about it, and showed them the letter). My husband knew nothing of this debt as it was accured before we even met and it was in my maiden name. I can't begin to tell you the trouble this has caused now. My husband is furious with me (rightly worried about his reputation). Its a real mess.

Thanks for all your advice and points of view. I appreciate you taking the time to read and reply.

DVardysShadow

It is harassment, AFAICS. You need to communicate with this person that she is not to do this again, otherwise you will treat it as harassment.

mutron_2

It is ILLEGAL to open someone else's mail.

DVardysShadow

mutron wrote: »

It is ILLEGAL to open someone else's mail.

That is far from being universally true.

DarkConvict

Agreed, it is not universally illegal to open mail that is a common misconception.

Basically if you have a reason to open it such as you keep getting them even though you do return to sender and have no forwarding address. Then you can open it to enquire why you keep getting letters to your address.

However opening mail when you know the address is a grey area, if it continues what they could do is ring up and directly tell them the forwarding address. However to open it and disclose personal information to the general public is indeed in breach of the postal act as it cause detertiment, and as DVardyShadow says is harassment. Whilst this is still going down civil breaches you are well within your rights to inform the police and gauge their response to the situation, as well as notify the post office that the previous occupant is intentionally opening your mail to cause detriment to yourself.

pound_coin_2

Thank you to everyone who took the trouble to reply. Sage advice; thank you!

forgotmyname

How do the post office know you have moved for over a year? dont tell them?