Being blacklisted

moneybunny123

I don't really know if this is the correct forum to post this question, but I always get a good response in here, so hopefully someone can help.

My first, last and only tenants left my house at the weekend (owing me money, but that's another story....)

There used to be a man, woman and her kids living at the property but the couple split about six months ago and just the woman and her kids remained living there. She told me when he left that one of the reasons for them splitting was his huge debts and her having to constantly bail him out.

Anyway. I was at the house yesterday and there was some mail with his name on. I could clearly see through the window of the envelope that the first line in the letter was "county court judgement for £330 owing".

I wrote on the envelope "no longer at this address" and shoved it in the postbox.

I text the woman to say that some mail had arrived for her ex, and what I'd done with it. She replied saying that she had a huge box full of similar mail that had arrived for him. This sort of got me worried because if she hasn't been returning the mail, will this company (and most likely lots of others too) still think he's living there?

My hubby and I will be moving back into this property to do it up and sell it, and we are now worried that this guys credit rating will affect our own borrowing chances. My mum reckons that it's the ADDRESS that becomes black-listed and NOT the person. How can she be right?! Surely the address is just a way of tracing that it is one Joe Bloggs that has a bad credit rating and not the Joe Bloggs from round the corner?!

Who is right? Oh, and any advice as to how to deal with his (and maybe her) mail?

Wilma33

It won't affect your credit file. Only people who are financially linked to you matter (e.g. if you have a joint account or loan).

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/loans/credit-rating-credit-score

gz33zg

Unless you have any type of financial association with the debtor (joint bank account, joint mortgage, etc) then you will not be impacted by their credit issues.

Just keep "Not known at this address"ing the mail, and should anybody come knocking - just explain the situation, the bloke that ran up the debt has long gone.

Tim

Edit: Beaten by Wilma

KateLiana27

The others are absolutely right, don't worry. I worked myself up into a complete state worrying about it when I rented a place where the previous tenant had left lots of debts - letters came (which I shouldn't have opened) demanding final payment, saying his credit score would be affected, threatening bailiffs (!) etc. I was given the same advice as above - credit ratings are done by individual people unless there is a financial link. Just don't open the letters and send them back.

My credit rating is still spotless. Rest assured.

moneybunny123

Phew. Thanks everyone. I thought my mum must be wrong, but it just sort of unsettled me.

shimano

Yeah you will not be affected. Our previous owner left behind a lot of sub prime debt (everything from CC to owing lawyers money), they stopped paying them 1 month before completion, even had the cheek to tell the council and utilities I moved in 1.5 months before we actually completed. They had cancelled all the direct debits, and had some debts which they hadnt paid for a long time.

Had the last laugh as we gave all companies their new address, and phone number, and most the debt agencies told me they had their new details from Experian anyway - I think some people genuinely believe they can escape debt when they move.

RAS

Mum was right, about 30 years ago addresses were balcklisted but all those 18 year olds with credit were wrecking thier parents' perfect credit records. So since then, the credit record has been assigned to the person.

Experian_company_representative

That's right. The Data Protection Act was updated in 1998 and this led to a tightening up of how credit data could be shared, which came into effect a few years later. Before then credit checks were effectively on families at the same address, and before 1993 checks were simply on addresses. Much less data back then of course.

James Jones

tbs624

moneybunny123 wrote: »

My mum reckons that it's the ADDRESS that becomes black-listed and NOT the person. How can she be right?

Mum is wrong,as the others have said. Tell her gently:)