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I keep getting invoices for ground rent on a property I no longer own!
JennyP
Posts: 1,067 Forumite
I keep getting invoices for ground rent on a property I no longer own.
They're from a company called HB Ford in Stockport that claims to be an estate agent and a surveyor but they don't appear to be members of any professional bodies for those trades or I could contact the professional bodies for help. They don't seem to have a website either and there's no email address on the invoices. There is a phone number but the phone never gets answered when I ring.
I did own the property concerned but I sold it nearly two years ago. I let them know at the time. This time last year I still received an invoice for ground rent at my current address. I let them know again. They've now sent another invoice for this year's ground rent and last year's ground rent.
Strangely, they've addressed it to both my name then "/the occupier". This seems very illogical since the property I live in now has no connection with the property on which ground rent is payable. I mean, it would be logical to address it to "The occupier" and send the invoice to the address of the property where the ground rent is due.
The amount concerned is piffling - it's just worrying me that a "bad debt" is mounting up in my name and on my current address. I've written three times now and I don't see what more I can do!
I'm worried I'll find bailiffs on my door step this time next year, wanting 3 years' worth of ground rent!
They're from a company called HB Ford in Stockport that claims to be an estate agent and a surveyor but they don't appear to be members of any professional bodies for those trades or I could contact the professional bodies for help. They don't seem to have a website either and there's no email address on the invoices. There is a phone number but the phone never gets answered when I ring.
I did own the property concerned but I sold it nearly two years ago. I let them know at the time. This time last year I still received an invoice for ground rent at my current address. I let them know again. They've now sent another invoice for this year's ground rent and last year's ground rent.
Strangely, they've addressed it to both my name then "/the occupier". This seems very illogical since the property I live in now has no connection with the property on which ground rent is payable. I mean, it would be logical to address it to "The occupier" and send the invoice to the address of the property where the ground rent is due.
The amount concerned is piffling - it's just worrying me that a "bad debt" is mounting up in my name and on my current address. I've written three times now and I don't see what more I can do!
I'm worried I'll find bailiffs on my door step this time next year, wanting 3 years' worth of ground rent!
0
Comments
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Return the bills in the post with a letter telling them that you are no longer the owner and will not be entering into any further discussion with them about the old property.
If the amounts are small the chances of them appointing debt collectors to arrive at your door are slim.
Have you forwarded any of these bills to the current owners?0 -
I've been returning the bills with a letter each time, and this time I did say that I wouldn't waste my time on any further discussion and would just ignore all future bills. So no, I haven't forwarded the bills to the current owners as I sent them back.... I could do that next year I suppose. What a pain! I can't believe how inefficient they are.0
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It might not be them who are being inefficient: it could have been overlooked by the solicitor who handled the sale not informing them.0
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Should my solicitor or my buyer's solicitor have sorted that?
Even so, they are being inefficient if they've ignored my first two letters....0 -
Your solicitor should have dealt with this if they had the information at the time of the sale. Do you have any documentation you could send the freeholders a copy of to prove that the sale went through?0
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