Previous resident debt collection letters

leithia29_2

Hi folks

I hope this board in appropriate for this issue, it didn't seem to fit into the other boards.

I've been living in my home for 3 years now (bought not rented). Today, I accidentally opened a letter to the previous occupant. He gets a quite a bit of mail (2/3 letters a week), and I've always just recycled them. The letter I opened was from a debt collection agency. I then went through all the previous letters that were in the recycling bin and found the one from the finance agency that matches the debt collection.

I spoke to the finance agency and confirmed the guy didn't live here anymore. I also asked if the finance agency could tell me how old the debt was, he couldn't tell me for the obvious reasons but now I'm concerned, an agency isn't going to leave it three years to collect on a (sizeable) debt. At best, this is an honest mistake by previous occupant, at worst, fraud.

Is there anyone I can speak to about finding out if this debt is recent or anyway I can report him for suspected fraud? Secondly, if this is fraud, what can I do to protect my address from being blacklisted? I'm certainly going to keep opening his mail to keep track of any further debt activity.

unholyangel

Addresses are not blacklisted.

As for fraud, if it has been a recent debt I daresay the finance company will start a fraud investigation themselves and pass over any details to the police if necessary.

Also, not a crime to open anyone elses mail providing you're not opening it with malicious intent.

Crabapple

No addresses are blacklisted, only people are.

You should send the letters back marked 'not known at this address' or similar. If someone does come to your door (only allowed if they are a court ordered officer) you can easily prove you are not that person.

The timescale does not mean mistake or fraud, it cou ld easily be one of the many companies who buy old debts for a small sum then try to enforce them. They will obviously start at the address at the time the loan/finance was taken out.

bris

It's not your place to know the details, just inform the "gone away" department and leave it for them to sort it.

Valli

leithia29 wrote: »

Is there anyone I can speak to about finding out if this debt is recent or anyway I can report him for suspected fraud? Secondly, if this is fraud, what can I do to protect my address from being blacklisted? I'm certainly going to keep opening his mail to keep track of any further debt activity.

You would be better to mark the envelope 'addressee no longer resident at this address' and bung them back in the post.

That way your address will (eventually) cease to be linked to this debtor.

There is a possibility that , if bailiffs are instructed to seize goods, they may well attempt to sieze from your address.

4743hudsonj

A previous housemate of mine moved back to Hungary last year but not before taking out 10 or so pay-day loans at our address.

Obviously they all chased when they didn't get their money. All I did was open the mail, use saynoto0870 to call a normal rate phoneline and advise them that Mr.XXXX no longer resided here and had moved back to Hungary. I haven't heard anything from these companies since.

As others have said; debts are tied to people, not property, you really have nothing to worry about.

arcon5

I used to RTS mail for previous tenants - now it goes straight to the bin. I certainly won't be wasting my time phoning the companies.

As for reporting him for fraud - that's a massively wild claim based on nothing!! Write 'return to sender not at address' and return them for a few weeks then move on