Debt collectors looking for someone who lived in my flat before me?

silverwhistle

Shelldean wrote: »

the myth opening other people mail has been explained nicely by pmlindyloo, so nothing further to add on that.

Although I could reasonably argue that opening yet another letter from the same source would not be acting " intending to act to a person’s detriment and without reasonable excuse,".

Since it appeared the original debt was for Npower who are aware who is now resident in the property, there must be a duty of care on them to ensure that any debt follow up is appropriate. Do they inform the debt collectors that the debtor is no longer at the property. If not, why not? (Your universal cries of "incompetence" would be agreed with, but I suspect they don't even try.)I certainly feel neither guilty or culpable in my case. The onus is not on me to send expensive registered letters or make expensive time-consuming phone calls. I do make time to have the odd cathartic moan on bulletin boards though!

CWSmith

We also had this problem when our neighbours did a flit owing money here, there and everywhere, and it went on for years. The creditors just wouldn't accept that we didn't know where our neighbours had gone - which we didn't.

It was actually quite funny as the methods of worming the information out of us became more and more imaginative! They included a visit from a little old lady informing us that our neighbours had inherited money in a will ............. another one was that they had won a major prize in a competition .............. then we had a visit from a tearful gentleman begging for neighbours' address because the brother of one of them had been taken seriously ill. We knew for a fact that neither neighbour had a brother!:D

RobertoMoir

Yasmin25 wrote: »

Thanks for your advice everyone. You have calmed me down a lot. The letter said that the next step of action would be legal action, is that bailiffs or could that mean something else? Like I said, I know nothing on the subject and would just like to be prepared for who might show up at my door looking for the old occupier.

Credit is on the person, not their address so it won't harm your credit rating.

For "normal" debts, its unlikely that anyone will turn up, ever, and if they do they certainly won't break in and can't do anything to you. The only rights a debt collector has on your doorstep are their right arm/leg/eyeball, etc whether or not you are the actual debtor, and a bailiff has the exact same amount of rights if it is not your debt.

I really wouldn't worry too much about this.
Feel free to phone them, return the letters as "not known" or just bin the letters and ignore them. It'll have the same net result. The only problem you're likely to encounter is that your bin will fill up quicker or you'll need to take more trips to the nearest postbox and that might be annoying once it gets cold...

Soleil_lune

CWSmith wrote: »

We also had this problem when our neighbours did a flit owing money here, there and everywhere, and it went on for years. The creditors just wouldn't accept that we didn't know where our neighbours had gone - which we didn't.

It was actually quite funny as the methods of worming the information out of us became more and more imaginative! They included a visit from a little old lady informing us that our neighbours had inherited money in a will ............. another one was that they had won a major prize in a competition .............. then we had a visit from a tearful gentleman begging for neighbours' address because the brother of one of them had been taken seriously ill. We knew for a fact that neither neighbour had a brother!:D

Same here actually. We were at a private let property for 3 years a few years back, and the old tenant took out about £30K worth of debts, and the creditors would NOT have it that we were new tenants and didn't know where he was.

Whether you ignore the creditors/debt collectors or not, they will STILL not believe you. May as well ignore them. Save yourself some trouble.

When this one guy called to see the old tenant, and caught my OH mowing the lawn, OH said 'no I am NOT Mr Jones: I have only been here 2 months.' The debt collector said 'can I see your tenancy agreement?' and OH said 'no.' Basically, it's not up to us to prove we aren't Mr and Mrs Jones, it's up to them to prove we are!

LADYXXMACBETH

God I never knew saying something like "it's illegal to open other people's mail" would get such an outcry. I wasn't being serious or accusing them of breaking the law. Some of you should chill out!
Anyhoo, the OP has obviously taken the great advice everyone has given and all will be sorted from now on.

lord_tyrannus

the simple thing to do is write not at this address and put them back in the post box,




unless it's council tax when it that case they will send the bailiffs to force entry. but if your registered for council tax at the property then that should be an issue

carefullycautious

pinkteapot wrote: »

I really don't know where spacey's advice is coming from. We've called several companies and agencies over the last few years who have sent letters to the previous occupiers about their debts. We've told them the date we bought the house and they've accepted us at our word. All have stopped writing to our address after we called them.

I have done exactly this in the past and it stopped most although not all so we ignored the ones who refused to believe us. It all stopped within one year

ValHaller

LADYXXMACBETH wrote: »

God I never knew saying something like "it's illegal to open other people's mail" would get such an outcry. I wasn't being serious or accusing them of breaking the law. Some of you should chill out!
Anyhoo, the OP has obviously taken the great advice everyone has given and all will be sorted from now on.

It is a common misconception. On housing it is stated and refuted at least once a month. It probably crops up weekly on the MSE forums.

Don't be surprised at the outcry. We have had to deal with previous occupiers' debt recovery in this house and the previous one. One of the best things you can do is open the letters without exception, because you will at least know what to expect. And you don't need to be afraid of breaking the law to do it.

As for people needing to chill, well that should start with you.

CC-Warrior

I've been ignoring letters at every address I've lived at. Never seen or heard a bailiff.

LADYXXMACBETH

I am always chilled. I think maybe everyone took my post in the wrong way and I apologise. No need to swear in you posts towards me though.