Ex-boyfriend's debt

skm44

Hi everyone,

Not sure if I'm posting this in the correct place but hopefully someone can help me out. I posted a while back about my partner and I splitting up. We broke up in the middle of May. I decided to stay in the house that we rented and find a new tenant.

Since splitting up, letters have been coming to the house addressed to him. Some of them are for the virgin media account which was in his name. The account was closed shortly after he left (by him I presume) but letters have been coming requesting outstanding payments and are now threatening to send debt collectors etc. I have been returning the letters with 'No longer at this address' written on the envelope.

The other letters are from debt collectors on behalf of his bank, whom he owes a lot of money to.

Does anyone have any advice about what I should do about these letters? I am very worried about bailiffs coming to the house, and as I have a new flatmate moving in soon, I don't want to scare her off! Do I call the debt agencies and tell them my ex moved out and I don't know where he is? Will they make threats to me on the phone wanting me to pay?

I hope someone can help me out as this is really stressing me out and I'm quite timid on the phone and nervous about having to stand my ground in confrontational situations! Thanks in advance.

raven83

skm44 wrote: »

Hi everyone,

Not sure if I'm posting this in the correct place but hopefully someone can help me out. I posted a while back about my partner and I splitting up. We broke up in the middle of May. I decided to stay in the house that we rented and find a new tenant.

Since splitting up, letters have been coming to the house addressed to him. Some of them are for the virgin media account which was in his name. The account was closed shortly after he left (by him I presume) but letters have been coming requesting outstanding payments and are now threatening to send debt collectors etc. I have been returning the letters with 'No longer at this address' written on the envelope.

The other letters are from debt collectors on behalf of his bank, whom he owes a lot of money to.

Does anyone have any advice about what I should do about these letters? I am very worried about bailiffs coming to the house, and as I have a new flatmate moving in soon, I don't want to scare her off! Do I call the debt agencies and tell them my ex moved out and I don't know where he is? Will they make threats to me on the phone wanting me to pay?

I hope someone can help me out as this is really stressing me out and I'm quite timid on the phone and nervous about having to stand my ground in confrontational situations! Thanks in advance.

Whatever you do, do not ring them! I would just continue as you are and send them back to sender, if they do send out a debt collector you do not have to answer your door, but if you do just tell them that they have moved out and give them his new address.

BitterAndTwisted

Few Debt Collection Agents will accept that whatever information you give them over the phone is the truth. People get others to lie for them all the time.

Keep sending the letters back as "Gone Away" or "No Longer At This Address:"

Should any debt collectors arrive at the door, don't let them in and have a copy of your tenancy agreement and ID to hand. If all of these debts are in his name only they cannot be collected from you.

Do you have any joint bank accounts or other financial products or debts in joint names?

timberflake

Don't worry, the debt is registered against the person not the address so they can't come after you for the money.

Simply keep returning the letters "Not at this address". If you do get a phonecall or a knock at the door, simply explain that he doesn't live there any more and either give them his current address or his parents if you don't know where he is.

elletee

Hi

I moved into my flat in October. I was constantly getting letters from British Gas addressed to the previous owner, that I always returned 'No longer at this address'. That didn't work, so I opened one and phoned BG and told them I was the new tennant and the other person had left. No problem they said, we'll sort that out. Surprise surprise the letters still kept coming, then letters from a collection agency. I phoned them and told them I lived here the debt was nothing to do with me and I didn't know where the new person was. They were very polite, and I haven't heard anything since - and that was over 3 months ago.

So I'd phone them and tell them, better that than someone turning up on your doorstep!

Just my opinion, based on my experience

skm44

Thanks for your quick replies!

BitterAndTwisted no we don't have any joint accounts. Actually, I am due to sign a new tenancy agreement later today, with the new tenant, but up til now he has officially still been on the current contract.

I was leaning towards ringing them as it's causing me a huge amount of worry and I'd rather it was sorted right away but I can see that they might think I was lying.

Elletee the thing that worries me about ringing is that I have a connection to him, I'm not a new tenant that is completely unconnected to the old one, if you see what I mean. I have no idea where he is, but I'm afraid that because I was living here with him , they would come after me anyway, or make threats.

krlyr

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

Few Debt Collection Agents will accept that whatever information you give them over the phone is the truth. People get others to lie for them all the time.

Phoning up was the only thing that stopped the repeated letters and bailiff visits in my case (chasing debts by my little brother who no longer lived there). I initially sent every letter back with "No longer at this address" but when I spotted a van pulling away from the postbox and went to check what had been left, I found a "notice of seizure" or whatever it's called detailing what items he was going to return and take later that day :eek: Gave him a ring and explained over the phone that we'd had to turf little bro out of the house share and he hadn't been there for at least a year. After that, I opened all his letters and phoned each company to let them know, they all were happy to make a note of it and the letters etc. soon fizzled out.

Kayalana99

You don't have to tell them he is your ex partner - not that it matters anyway.

Just ring up and say that no one of that name lives thier and you are now renting it out

BitterAndTwisted

skm44 wrote: »

Thanks for your quick replies!

BitterAndTwisted no we don't have any joint accounts. Actually, I am due to sign a new tenancy agreement later today, with the new tenant, but up til now he has officially still been on the current contract.

It doesn't matter that you had a joint-tenancy with him. This is not a financial association like a joint bank account or bills/accounts in both of your names.

I was leaning towards ringing them as it's causing me a huge amount of worry and I'd rather it was sorted right away but I can see that they might think I was lying.

If you are planning to speak to the creditor directly, like a utility company, it might have an effect. But with a d=Debt Collection Agency it likely won't. They work on commission for debts collected and they can be very persistent indeed. If you have to deal with them at the door, the copy of your new tenancy agreement together with your ID should keep them at bay.

Elletee the thing that worries me about ringing is that I have a connection to him, I'm not a new tenant that is completely unconnected to the old one, if you see what I mean. I have no idea where he is, but I'm afraid that because I was living here with him , they would come after me anyway, or make threats.

They can make all the threats they like, but if the bills are in his name only, then having lived with him in the property does not equal a joint-liability for any debts. They can be very tenacious but if the bills/debts are in his name they cannot enforce collection from you, whether you know where he has gone or not. They couldn't collect from you even if he was still living there with you.

It's going to be a hassle but you are in no danger of acquiring liability for someone else's debts no matter what your relationship was.