Bailiffs calling for previous owner after 18 months !

lilly82

Hi,
Hope this is in the right place please feel free to move it if not.

Just looking for a bit of advise.

We bought or first house in Novemebr 2008 and were really excited to move in. When the estate agent showed us round she said the owners were moving back to the west indies where they were originally from.

After a while we were still getting post for the previous owners and because we did not have an address for them we were returning it to sender.

Then we started to get letters addressed to the ocupier asking us to call a number when we were then asked where the previous owners had gone and again we said we didnt have an address for them.

We then started to get the bailiffs calling round at our house. The first time they called my husband spoke to them told them the situation and asked them not to call again.

However 18 months on we are still getting regular calls from bailiffs and letters addresed to the previous owners. We have started to open the letters and call the companies who are all demanding money to tell them that these people do not live at our address and we have even sent proof in the post but nothing is stopping them coming.

I am now frightened to answer the door when my husband is not at home and wont even answer it to friend unless they ring ahead it is starting to ruin our happiness in our home and i just feel like i want to sell up and move.

So just wondered if there is anything at all we can do.

Is it because they have moved abroad that we are having to go through this ?

Could we ring the police or would they say we were wasting their time ?

Should we pay a solicitor to try and sort this out for us ?

We have had a bailiff round today from the high court who put a letter through the post box saying he had notice to collect goods. The debt was from the local council so i assume it is for council tax. I was really annoyed because surely the council have records to show we have been paying the council tax for 18 months so they obviously dont live here !

The bailiff also told me they still have their car registered at our address !

hope this makes sense and is not too long I really could do with some help
Many Thanks:)

hayley11

I don't have much advice but what a horrid situation.

Just wanted to say, try not to be worried about the baliffis, you can prove it's your house, when you moved in etc so they have no legal rights to take anything.

Don't let the baliffs in the house, under any circumstances. They can't come in so don't listen to any threats. (assuming they are threatening of course)

Maybe ring the council and ask them if there's anything they can do?

It might be worth getting an appointment with CAB to see what advice they can give you?

lilly82

Thanks for the quick reply hayley.

Its just so upsetting everytime someone knocks on the door i think its them and sometimes i just don't want the confrontation.

My husband has said he will ring the council again tomorrow.

Just wish it would stop
Thanks again

GEEGEE8

That is really bad

Hopefully someone will be along with some useful advice as to what you need to do.

I'd be really mad!

LillythePink

Can you not take out a personal ad in a paper declaring that so and so does not live at this address (list the address) and you do not have any forwarding details or even just refer them back to the estate agent who sold you the house?

I'd be worried - but probably more p1ssed off that they keep calling/posting and turning up.

hayley11

GEEGEE8 wrote: »

That is really bad

Hopefully someone will be along with some useful advice as to what you need to do.

I'd be really mad!

Oi you trying to say my advice wasn't useful? :eek:

:rotfl:

I agree though, hopefully you will get some more advice, it would be driving me mad. Being chased for debt you owe is bad enough but somebody elses debt! :eek:

Let us know what the council say.

chimney_kev

Hi
Copy out a standard letter explaining your situation keep it simple in quite large type, now every debt collector that turns up give them a copy and get him to sign a peice of paper with the name of the agency on it saying hes had a copy.
This may take a while but dont stress out they can do nothing to you just turn it into a game and see how many you can get in a week.
Cheers Kev

lilly82

Thanks everyone we are really mad but its turning to upset now i just feel unhappy in my own house and shouldnt have to feel like this.

Like Hayley said it's not our debt !

The newspaper is a good idea though lillythepink

Im hoping the council will help but they are just one in a long list they owe money to.

I wish i did know where the previous owners are but if they are abroad i think we have little chance of being left alone to enjoy our home.

thanks again

lilly82

chimney_kev wrote: »

Hi
Copy out a standard letter explaining your situation keep it simple in quite large type, now every debt collector that turns up give them a copy and get him to sign a peice of paper with the name of the agency on it saying hes had a copy.
This may take a while but dont stress out they can do nothing to you just turn it into a game and see how many you can get in a week.
Cheers Kev

Thanks Kev thats a really good idea i suppose i am going to have to pluck up the currage to answer the door next time they come having this would help loads just wish they did'nt come round when im on my own

Zelie

You might also want to put a formal complaint in to the council. If they are taking money from you as the new owners then they obviously know that the debts of the previous tenants are nothing to do with you. And being a council they are probably more likely to be scared of complaints than a private bailiff company.

dfh

put in formal complaints to every company chasing debts