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Previous tenant still using address
clueless123
Posts: 7 Forumite
Hi everyone,
Hoping you can help me. I'm brand new to this so hopefully am doing it right!!
My boyfriend and I moved into our house in July 09. It is a rented property and the previous tenant (we'll call him Mike) had to be removed by force some months earlier due to some mental health issues. When we first moved in we were getting post for two previous tenants but I just dropped it into the estate agents and let them deal with it.
We started getting letters for Mike, about 1 a week through the summer which I was posting to the estate agent but then I had a call from the agent saying he had been in to see them to say we were holding on to his post because he was expecting a credit card. It took me a while to register that he shouldn't be taking out a credit card in our address! So next time we got a letter I googled the return address and it was Llyods TSB. I held the letter up to the light (I know thta's really bad!) and coudl see it was a letter about unauthorised overdraft charges. I started getting very worried as these were coming one a week and we'd had around eight! I took the letter into the bank, explained he no longer lived there, and that was the end of it.
A few weeks before Christmas a policeman came round asking if Mike still lived at this address, I told him no and he said he believed he was sleeping rough.
Just after Christmas a letter came through for Mike form the DWP. I rang them and explained he hadn't lived there for 18 months, they told me I needed to open the letter to get his NI number so they cuold access his file so I did - up until this point I hadn't opened anything as I thought it was illegal but now understand it's only illegal if it's for personal gain - once they accessed his file he explained that a new job seekers claim had been opened at our address at the beginning of December. I was livid! So went through it all with him, explained he no longer lives at our house then took the letter into the local job centre.
That day when I got home, on my doormat, was a cheque book and current accoutn card for Mike's new current accoutn with Santander. Again - livid!!! I called them and went through it all with customer services who explained I may recuieve a pin number as they're printed at the same tiem but after that won't receive anything else.
Since then I have had another pin number and cheque book sent through, I called again and went into the bank, both times I was assured that nothing else would come to my address, then yesterday another letter for him outlingin the benenfits of his new account.
I don't know what else to do!!!!!!!!!
I am very worried about him applying for credit in my address and it affecting min and my boyfriends credit score and am feeling completely lost as to what else I can do to stop.
Sorry this is so long! But any advice anyone can offer will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Hoping you can help me. I'm brand new to this so hopefully am doing it right!!
My boyfriend and I moved into our house in July 09. It is a rented property and the previous tenant (we'll call him Mike) had to be removed by force some months earlier due to some mental health issues. When we first moved in we were getting post for two previous tenants but I just dropped it into the estate agents and let them deal with it.
We started getting letters for Mike, about 1 a week through the summer which I was posting to the estate agent but then I had a call from the agent saying he had been in to see them to say we were holding on to his post because he was expecting a credit card. It took me a while to register that he shouldn't be taking out a credit card in our address! So next time we got a letter I googled the return address and it was Llyods TSB. I held the letter up to the light (I know thta's really bad!) and coudl see it was a letter about unauthorised overdraft charges. I started getting very worried as these were coming one a week and we'd had around eight! I took the letter into the bank, explained he no longer lived there, and that was the end of it.
A few weeks before Christmas a policeman came round asking if Mike still lived at this address, I told him no and he said he believed he was sleeping rough.
Just after Christmas a letter came through for Mike form the DWP. I rang them and explained he hadn't lived there for 18 months, they told me I needed to open the letter to get his NI number so they cuold access his file so I did - up until this point I hadn't opened anything as I thought it was illegal but now understand it's only illegal if it's for personal gain - once they accessed his file he explained that a new job seekers claim had been opened at our address at the beginning of December. I was livid! So went through it all with him, explained he no longer lives at our house then took the letter into the local job centre.
That day when I got home, on my doormat, was a cheque book and current accoutn card for Mike's new current accoutn with Santander. Again - livid!!! I called them and went through it all with customer services who explained I may recuieve a pin number as they're printed at the same tiem but after that won't receive anything else.
Since then I have had another pin number and cheque book sent through, I called again and went into the bank, both times I was assured that nothing else would come to my address, then yesterday another letter for him outlingin the benenfits of his new account.
I don't know what else to do!!!!!!!!!
I am very worried about him applying for credit in my address and it affecting min and my boyfriends credit score and am feeling completely lost as to what else I can do to stop.
Sorry this is so long! But any advice anyone can offer will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
0
Comments
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Write on it all "Not at this address" and put it in the post.
Ringing up is more effort.0 -
I would just put on any post that comes to the property that isn't for you 'ADDRESSEE NOT KNOWN AT THIS ADDRESS RETURN TO SENDER' and pop it back in the post. That is what we've been doing in our rented homes for the past couple of years and found after a few months the post stopped coming.
I believe and I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong that credit is attached to a person and not a property.Turning our clutter to top up our house deposit: £3000/£303.05 we're on our way!0 -
Tell your actual postman the problem and ask him to not put any more MIKE post through your box.
Any that does come through write not known at this address-return to sender in marker pen and stick it back in a post box.
Thats what I did and it stopped.
You could even get a rubber stamp made up at a local stationers or online with the words on.
0 -
Please note
In relation to your credit score it will not be affected by this.
Unless you happen to have a joint bank accouunt with MIKE.
You are your own entity when it comes to credit scoring, they do not associate the address to represent your credit score. If they did do you think someone would buy a repossessed house.
Your address is used for the electoral role, which will help your credit score. YOu must inform the council that MIKE does not live there if he is on this.
Personally just post back return to sender not known at this address. If it continues just start binning them.I all have learnt is from others on many sites.
Seek legal help if unsure.
Dont pay Private Parking tickets - they are mere invoices.
PRESS THANKS
}0 -
You have several choices: Return all post to sender marked "no longer living at this address". Open all mail and phone the senders telling them that the person they are trying communicate with does not live at your address any longer. Put all mail addressed to anyone other than yourselves in the bin.
Credit-scores and the like are attached to people not addresses so there will be no impact on you personally for whatever this dodgy ex-tenant chooses to do, save having to deal with debt-collectors if and when they turn up on the doorstep. Which they inevitably will eventually if the lenders sell the ex-tenants debts on0 -
I would check that Mike is not still listed on the electoral roll, as well.The person who has not made a mistake, has made nothing0
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Debt Collectors, what fun.
When and if this happens please come back and we can sort the situation out for you.I all have learnt is from others on many sites.
Seek legal help if unsure.
Dont pay Private Parking tickets - they are mere invoices.
PRESS THANKS
}0 -
Please note
In relation to your credit score it will not be affected by this.
Unless you happen to have a joint bank accouunt with MIKE.
You are your own entity when it comes to credit scoring, they do not associate the address to represent your credit score. If they did do you think someone would buy a repossessed house.
Your address is used for the electoral role, which will help your credit score. YOu must inform the council that MIKE does not live there if he is on this.
Personally just post back return to sender not known at this address. If it continues just start binning them.
This is how it should work and is not necessarily how it does work - get yourself onto experian or equifax and look for ALIAS to ensure you and MIKE have not been linked.
I have first hand experiance of a christmas catalogue company linking me to the next person who lived at my old address and she ended up with 3 debts (catalogue, credit card & loan) linked to my file! so it really is worth checking - you can do that for free with experian if you cancel within 28 days.
Also please stop sending mail to the estate agent, it could be them who have become MIKE because you are giving them his identity!
Return the mail to the companies sending it, it the accounts are live they will suspend them until MIKE contacts them.
Credit agencies are very different as they will hound the address they have for old debts, in this case you need to open the envelope, ring the company and advise them he is no longer at that address - write the name of the person and the date & time on the letter and keep it for a while. some agencies sell debts on but they are legally obliged not to sell on a debt that they have been advised they do not have the correct details for, you can report these agencies to the Credit Service Agency if they continue to hound you.0 -
Thanks for all your helpful replies.
To begin with I was putting it all back in the post but they just kept coming so obviously no notice was being taken. As with the estate agent - they were just passing the post on to him when he came in so he was getting away with using our address! I have stopped doing both these things now and I am ringing everyone, it was just concerning me how many bank accounts etc he could open.
I changed the electoral role thing as soon as we moved in so that's sorted.
I'll definitely do the experian thing though - thanks!0 -
You can fill out a 'disassociation form' with the credit reference agencies, just to make sure it's fine. Also, I'd give the council a ring to make sure he's definitely not on the electoral roll.
Then get some "not known at this address, return to sender" stickers...0
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