Bailiffs for previous occupants

skintstudent21

Can anyone help?

We moved into this house and brought it in October. Since then we have had numerous bailiffs here either in person or letters chasing the previous owner for unpaid water bills/parking tickets/speeding fines. Now this is extremely unpleasant when the appear at the door a 7.30am!! When they realise we have nothing to do with them they are usually pleasent and go away, but then we just get different ones appear.

This is now getting quite distressing for us but everytime we phone the debt collecting companies to say they don't live here they say Ok it will stop but it doesn't. We don't have a forwarding address for them and for DPA reasons the solicitor/estate agent won't give it to us.

We have searched online as we know their names and approximate location of them. We think we have found them on 192.com but you have to pay to get their address. We have also found the company they may be MD for.

But really what is the best way for us to deal with it?

Many Thanks

Nanny.Ogg_3

Dunno but will be watching with interest as I've had the same problem with harassing letters/visits from 5-6 different companies. I usually write "not at this address" on the letter and chuck it back, but they keep coming.

In fairness, its died down recently (last 2 months), so I don't know if its a case of ignore it and it'll go away?

hallowitch

skintstudent21 wrote: »

Can anyone help?

We moved into this house and brought it in October. Since then we have had numerous bailiffs here either in person or letters chasing the previous owner for unpaid water bills/parking tickets/speeding fines. Now this is extremely unpleasant when the appear at the door a 7.30am!! When they realise we have nothing to do with them they are usually pleasent and go away, but then we just get different ones appear.

This is now getting quite distressing for us but everytime we phone the debt collecting companies to say they don't live here they say Ok it will stop but it doesn't. We don't have a forwarding address for them and for DPA reasons the solicitor/estate agent won't give it to us.

We have searched online as we know their names and approximate location of them. We think we have found them on 192.com but you have to pay to get their address. We have also found the company they may be MD for.

But really what is the best way for us to deal with it?

Many Thanks

Its not for you to find out where the debtor lives the bailiff company chasing the debt should do that (let them pay for it they have access to all this information)
bailiffs here the don't live here anymore senario all the time so when a genuine case comes up and the debtor has moved the bailiffs tend not to believe it

the best way to deal with this it to photo copy your council tax bill and send it by recorded delivery letter/ e-mail informing them that you moved into the property on (date) and have on several occasions tried to resolve this with the bailiffs and (name of bailiff company) inform them that you have now provided proof that the debtor does not live there and tell them to remove your address from there collection data

if you know what council (parking ticket) speeding fine(court)water bill (company ) send it to them also

bargainbetty

I would like to slightly amend hallowitch's advice - you are not legally required to send them any proof of your residence or ID, and personally, I wouldn't want debt collection agents haveing ANY of my personal info.

Send them a letter, signed for/recorded, stating that the named person does not live there, the date you can confirm you moved in, and use the template in here to revoke their permission to attend your property and request their remove your details. Do not sign the letter in your usual signature, preferably print your name, as there have been allegations of documents being forged. State that all further correspondence will be marked 'Not known at this address' and returned.

Send the letter to anyone who writes or phones, and save a few copies on your doorstep for anyone who decides to turn up. Do not give them a copy of anything else. Show them it if you want, but don't give them anything for their files.

Good luck

hallowitch

I would like to slightly amend hallowitch's advice - you are not legally required to send them any proof of your residence or ID, and personally, I wouldn't want debt collection agents haveing ANY of my personal info.

Fair point bargainbetty :cool:

skintstudent21

Got another letter today saying they will be coming this weekend to remove goods and will be bringing a removal contractor. The letter is headed 'Removal notice'. They then go on to say that they would prefer the person to be there when they call..

Now clearly they wont find the vehicle in question here as it is not ours. If we are here what should we do? I am guessing and hopeful they cannot take either of our vehicles?
Can they enter the property?

Also we do have plans to be out for part of the day, if we are not here can they enter the property?

Any advice would be great thank you

HappyMJ

skintstudent21 wrote: »

Got another letter today saying they will be coming this weekend to remove goods and will be bringing a removal contractor. The letter is headed 'Removal notice'. They then go on to say that they would prefer the person to be there when they call..

Now clearly they wont find the vehicle in question here as it is not ours. If we are here what should we do? I am guessing and hopeful they cannot take either of our vehicles?
Can they enter the property?

Also we do have plans to be out for part of the day, if we are not here can they enter the property?

Any advice would be great thank you

Technically if they have a Walking Possession Agreement they can enter so it's up to you to tell them to go get lost and tell them that they have moved before they get to your house. As soon as you tell them that they should not call you again but do make sure that their names are not on the electoral roll at your house any more.

dancingfairy

I'd try and get in contact with them before Saturday if possible.
They may be able to enter if they have entered before but surely that was for the previous occupants so trying to enter now would be akin to a burglar? If anything kicks off I would call the police - hopefully they have done their homework and realised the person(s) concerned don't live there anymore.
Have you got an address you can get a letter sent off to the bailiffs asap? I would also phone them and also send them an email and point out to them that you won't stand for any nonsense and that you will have no problem in calling the police if required.
df

dancingfairy

I would also check the electoral role and get it sorted.
I believe you can also use the mail preference service to ensure you don't get post for previous occupiers.
I would get hold of your credit files and monitor it - just in case any of the debt collectors are stupid enough to try and link you to any of this - just as a precaution.
If I had had any correspondence regarding court fines etc I would write to the courts/bailiffs concerned and point out that the person(s) didn't live there anymore as well.
I don't know if you get any letters to 'the occupier' or anything like that with threats of bailiffs etc but you can report the companies concerned to the OFT/Trading Standards etc I believe and also if they write to you in your own names as again they've got the wrong person.
Not sure what else you can do to be honest.
df

mne2

Are you legally allowed to open letters addressed to previous owners?

de1amo

someone suggested the mail preference scheme to dump the mail--my home address in the uk is under siege in the same way as the OP-its locked and no one lives there now but last time i was home a baliff came knocking-i dont open the mail so i have no idea of the originators--they get filed!-i did try posting back but it made no difference to volume