Bailiffs are coming and I don't know why!

the_why_bird

Sorry, I must not be doing a good job of making myself clear.

I haven't spoken to the tenants directly. I am getting all news through their letting agent, who is then calling my parents, who are passing it on to me. The property in Manchester, we now live in the Midlands and my parents (the landlords) live in Wales, so none of us are local and we don't know the tenants on a personal level. They phoned the letting agent feeling angry that they had bailiffs on the doorstep, promised to forward the paperwork but still haven't.

I am trying not to panic, sorry! I am probably getting ahead of myself with this. I am not overly concerned about bailiffs as such because I know my rights. I am just concerned that things are going to go further and further through the process while I am waiting to find out who to call about it.

Experian_company_representative

If the debt is yours perhaps it's over six years old which is why it isn't showing on your credit reports. Defaults get dropped after six years even if unpaid.

James

fatbelly

Get the paperwork and go from there. The spectrum of what this might be is huge until you get something concrete.

mystery_girl

PasturesNew wrote: »

My opinion is that if they had done something they wouldn't have been so helpful. They'd have just told the bailiff the person doesn't live there, no idea, then close the door in their face.

But her mum being the Landlord it would look fishy if they did not say something. What happened to any debt letters? Could be they used her details or allowed someone else to.

dfwsometimesoon

My first question to the new tenant would be....why on earth are they opening your mail???

the_why_bird

It's now been a week and the new tenants still haven't forwarded the letter or passed on the phone number as we asked. We have phoned the letting agent every day who has been chasing them up, but they are just not doing it.

Does anyone have any other ideas for ways we can find out who is looking for us?

patanne

I have a nasty suspicious mind and so I am wondering if the new tenants want to get out of their lease early & without penalties. Is it possible they could be attempting to guilt your mother into it? I'm probably completely wrong but as I said I do have a suspicious mind but if they are not on holiday etc what possible reason could they have for not forwarding the information?

the_why_bird

patanne wrote: »

I have a nasty suspicious mind and so I am wondering if the new tenants want to get out of their lease early & without penalties. Is it possible they could be attempting to guilt your mother into it? I'm probably completely wrong but as I said I do have a suspicious mind but if they are not on holiday etc what possible reason could they have for not forwarding the information?

Do you mean they might have invented the whole thing?

I suppose they could be trying something on, but I don't think they know I'm their landlord's daughter (we don't have the same name) so it would be an odd way to go about it.

ValHaller

the_why_bird wrote: »

Yes he's angry because he's got the bailiffs turning up when it's nothing to do with him. I don't blame him for being annoyed. I don't know him personally so I can't be of any reassurance to him.

the_why_bird wrote: »

It's now been a week and the new tenants still haven't forwarded the letter or passed on the phone number as we asked. We have phoned the letting agent every day who has been chasing them up, but they are just not doing it.

If the tenant is that angry that he is not bothered to forward the letter, perhaps you should not run around after it yourself. I am beginning to agree, it could be something the tenants are cooking up themselves to fob off some of their debt on to you.

Make sure they don't get your address if it is not too late. And I suggest you have a chat with your parents about this. They might do themselves a favour to get rid of this tenant ASAP.

patanne

I meant more in the sense of them being harassed by a previous tenants creditors/bailiffs. But as ValHaller says they could be trying to dump some of their debts onto a previous tenant. They wouldn't need to know about your relationship.