Debt collectors - previous occupier

caz2703

Long story short we've had I don't know how many letters threatening debt collectors for money owed by the eejits that used to live in our house. From what I know the owner was a bloke whose partner and kids then moved in with him. They broke up but the woman and her brood stayed on but not sure if they were ever on the electoral roll or anything and we don't know the blokes name either.

We've had letters from Next, O2, local college, GCSE certifcates etc etc. We were not given a forwarding address and no-one knows where they've gone to. The woman was actually at the house the day we moved in and gave me the keys (not the estate agent) and left things like crockery, sofa, washing machine as well as her cat - yes, honestly, she left her cat which the neighbours looked after until she picked it up.

I spent 20 mins on a premium number this morning to inform Next that the woman they're looking for hasn't lived here for 3 years. My hubby said I should have asked when she last placed an order as he's fairly sure that Next wouldn't let a debt go on this long so how is she getting the stuff without a change of address?

Is there anything we can do in this situation or is it just a case or contacting the debt collectors as and when they send demanding letters?

HappyMJ

Do you know how to write return to sender on the envelope and put it in a mailbox?

Golden_Anemone

caz2703

I had a similar experience when I moved to my current address [made worse by the fact that I had bought the house from a close family member who had left the country and clearly didn't care if there was any impact on me].

I became suspicious when red letters started to arrive - the mail had been forwarded for a year - and after sending written confirmation of the new address abroad but still letters kept arriving I finally got to speak to someone in the debt collection agency.

She was able to assure me that the rules have now changed so that bad credit histories can no longer be attached to an address but must only be associated with an individual. I have had no difficulty making normal financial transactions in the couple of years since then so I'm assuming this is the case in practice too.

I would write Return to Sender - Not at this address since ??/??/?? on the envelope and pop into a postbox as HappyMJ so helpfully suggested. My own experience suggests that you may have to continue to do that for some time before bills stop arriving but the message will hopefully get through eventually. The bills are not yours and nobody can make you liable for them.

HTH

Bigcammy

All you can do is keep returning the mail to sender by writing no longer at this address and putting it back in the postbox. I used to open the odd one so I could reply to the business concerned but it wasn't worth the effort I found.

caz2703

HappyMJ wrote: »

Do you know how to write return to sender on the envelope and put it in a mailbox?

Strangely enough I do but it's had no effect. There have been some envelopes with no return address so I've had no choice but to open and contact the company concerned. What worries me is that some letters have asked for money, other have said if you don't contact us we'll sell your debt, others have been from actual debt collectors and I don't want to come home some day to find the door open and the telly lifted. I want to make damn sure that the company concerned has been contacted directly rather than relying on Royal Mail to return to sender.

I was worried that the debts would be associated with the house so I'm glad to find it's not.

CL

Same happened with my first house. We were getting several letters per week obviously from the same company and after a few months I opened one and it said if there was no reply, they would be coming to repossess property. I called the number and told them that we were the new owners and that we had no idea who or where the last occupant was (which was true). No letters after that. And they also confirmed that debt is attached to a person not an address, so there was no effect on our credit rating.

custardy

caz2703 wrote: »

Strangely enough I do but it's had no effect. There have been some envelopes with no return address so I've had no choice but to open and contact the company concerned. What worries me is that some letters have asked for money, other have said if you don't contact us we'll sell your debt, others have been from actual debt collectors and I don't want to come home some day to find the door open and the telly lifted. I want to make damn sure that the company concerned has been contacted directly rather than relying on Royal Mail to return to sender.

I was worried that the debts would be associated with the house so I'm glad to find it's not.

it seems to be that debt collection companies just keep trying the last address they have on file
Ive seen letters for folks when they havent lived there for many years

leftieM

We have the smae thing. the previous tenant lived well beyond their means and the debt collectors started to call. I used to open the letters and contact the creditors directly. That didn't always work. Now I return the letters and tell them to check the electoral role to confirm the named person is no longer at the address. I sometimes referred them to the letting agency to confirm that we were the tenants.

spike7451

I'd say contact Experian & inform them that you are the new owner & the debtor is no longer at your address.As one of the main credit reference agency's,they should be able to amend their credit file for that person/your address.
May cost you a few quid to get it sorted tho.

bettybelle

Same thing happened to me once. Just keep writing return to sender and popping them back in the post - a pain I know, but I think it took a good year before the collectors gave up!

Make sure you're on the electoral roll as well.

liam8282

It is illegal to be opening another persons post, even if it is addressed to your house.

Just continue to return to sender.

I have the same problem at my house, still get mail for the previous occupiers after 6 years.

They do eventually start to dwindle down, but there is nothing much you can do.

Don't worry about debt collectors or anything, it isn't your debt and not your problem to worry about finding the previous occupier.