Letters to unknown person - what to do?

thegirlintheattic

Usually when letters arrive addressed to the landlord (or old tenants in previous properties) I have passed them onto the landlord. However in the last two weeks we've received numerous letters for two people with a surname that does not match the LL or the previous tenant. My OH has been in the property a year and letters for these people have never arrived before and now four in two weeks!

Had a little look at the return address and the letters seem to be from a debt collection company and a insurance company; a internet search also shows one of the people on the electoral roll at our address for the past two years. I haven't opened the letters but the look at the insurance one suggests policy documents which worries me.

I'm concerned that someone is using our address and that one morning I'm going to have debt collectors on the doorstep. My parents had a similar thing happen several years ago which spiralled out of control and I want to avoid this. As such I'm wondering if I should:

a) pass them onto the LL
b) sent the back through post marked [not known at this address]
c) call up the companies direct and advise them that no one by that name lives here.

Any advice would be appreciated?

Mrs_Arcanum

I would get on to the council electoral registration officer to get them removed from the electoral roll. You should always submit your own electoral roll form unless you are in shared accommodation. The forms should be appearing on your doormat sometime during September make sure the information is correct and sign accordingly.

As for the letters just write across return to sender no such person at this address and stick them back in the post.

KateLiana27

Don't open them and don't give them to the landlord. Mark them "Return to sender - not known at this address", and KEEP doing this for as long as you continue to get them. Every time a letter is returned the sender will make a note and eventually the letters will stop.

If you give them to the landlord, chances are he is just passing them to the tenant who is conveniently binning them if they are bills etc. And the sender has no way of knowing they have moved on.

G_M

thegirlintheattic wrote: »

...
I'm concerned that someone is using our address and that one morning I'm going to have debt collectors on the doorstep. My parents had a similar thing happen several years ago which spiralled out of control and I want to avoid this. As such I'm wondering if I should:

a) pass them onto the LL No. They are not addressed to him!
b) sent the back through post marked [not known at this address] Yes
c) call up the companies direct and advise them that no one by that name lives here. Do this too!

Any advice would be appreciated?

As Mrs A says, ring the council and get the names removed from the electoral register.

Just as a precaution, make a photocopy of your tenancy agreement, and passport, and keep them by the front door. If a debt collection agent calls, explain you live there not the people they are looking for, show the proof, and they will go away.

RobertoMoir

Either return to sender - my preferred option, or put them in the bin and forget you ever saw them.

It isn't like 'debt collectors' can do anything to you about someone else's debt in the very unlikely event they show up, in fact they can't even really do anything to the debtor.

DVardysShadow

KateLiana27 wrote: »

Don't open them and don't give them to the landlord. Mark them "Return to sender - not known at this address", and KEEP doing this for as long as you continue to get them. Every time a letter is returned the sender will make a note and eventually the letters will stop.

If you give them to the landlord, chances are he is just passing them to the tenant who is conveniently binning them if they are bills etc. And the sender has no way of knowing they have moved on.

Do open them, so you know what may be coming your way. Covered many times on this site, it is not illegal to open delivered mail, provided you don't intend to act to the detriment of the addressee.

jjlandlord

DVardysShadow wrote: »

Do open them, so you know what may be coming your way.

Nothing's coming to him as the letter is not for him or his landlord...

prowla

I would mark them "Not know at this address" and put them in a post box (no stamp).
Assuming they aren't addressed to you, then you are merely doing the sender a courtesy by returning them.

clutton_2

if you suspect fraud of any sort.. i would phone the person who is writing to these "anonymous" people and let them know they have not lived at this address

i have stopped several fraudulent attempts by non-tenants at properties i own over the years.

fraud costs us all money in the price we pay for goods and services

DVardysShadow

jjlandlord wrote: »

Nothing's coming to him as the letter is not for him or his landlord...

Although correct, that is exceedingly naive. Debt collectors and bailiffs may come. If you don't know about it and you are caught on the hop, it is very difficult to convince one of these who has come to the door that they believe to be correct that you are not the person they are looking for and that that person is not and has not ever been at the address.

J_i_m

Unless you've ever heard of ID.