Jacobs Bailiffs Letter - person not known

sghughes42

I can't really find an appropriate board for this query so if someone can point me to a better place please do so!

We received a letter today from someone called Jacobs chasing a debt of over £2500 from Salford City Council.

There is no-one of the name on the letter living here and as far as we are aware has never lived here. We have been here over a year and this is the first we have heard of this.

We also have never known anyone of this name, nor have either of us lived in Salford.

My wife has a vaguely similar name but only someone who has no experience of Asian names could possibly mix them up. Both first and second names are different but similar.

What is the best way to deal with this? They have given us 7 days from the date of the letter to pay. (As an aside, isn't this illegal as the letter was posted normal second class and you always read that proof of postage isn't proof of receipt and using a service that can take 5 days to arrive but giving a 7 day window from the date of posting doesn't seem too fair)

The general advise I see online is not to engage with the baliffs but rather the person the debt is owed to. I've emailed Salford council to get a foot in the door and will do my best to call tomorrow but as they are only open during office hours and I have a day full of meetings tomorrow that won't be so easy.

I've also advised my wife that if anyone does call not to let them in and to just explain that this person is not connected with this property.

Also, what are the potential implications of this? We are just about to buy a house - the mortage offer is due any time - and I don't want this to cause us any problems!

Kirstyb1987

I know this may seem like a completely stupid question but have you been paying your council tax on your property? If you have then this shouldn't be a problem, I am sure this can be rectified and if the name is incorrect then I am also assuming that this could not effect your wife's credit ratjng.

sghughes42

As I mentioned, neither of us have ever lived in Salford (or owned property in Salford) - we even had to look it up on the map to find out where it is despite me having lived in Greater Manchester for 15 years and my wife for 6.

We have no link to the property or the person on the letter at all.

I'm worried how they've decided this person actually lives here at all!

Kirstyb1987

Oh I see now, sorry.

I wouldn't worry. I would contact the council and explain the situation. I am sure you will have nothing to worry about.

Good luck.

tiggerbodhi

Hi,
Personally wouldn't engage with the council of Bailiffs, as the letter was not addressed to either of you, you really shouldn't have opened it, put it back in the envelope, write on it "not known at this address, return to sender" and put it back in the post box, job done.


IMO the original debtor has picked your address at random as a forwarding address.

sghughes42

It's supposedly resolved but I can't say I have much confidence in the replies I've received...

If we'd noticed the name before opening we would probably have returned it as not known but I guess also actually explaining the situation is probably a lower risk strategy. Unfortunately the name is similar to that of my wife and she just opened it without thinking.

The council disclaimed all knowledge - it actually took a few calls to get through to anyone at all. The council tax queries line just said 'Sorry, everyone is busy, ring back later'. The debt recovery line just passes you straight to the baliffs... Eventually got an answer from someone who said our address isn't the one on their system, the baliffs must have done a search and found it.

She called them and asked them to remove the link but said I needed to call them as apparently there had been activity by that person at my address recently.

I was loth to call the baliffs but thought it best to find out if there might be other problems lurking. However, the person I spoke to there was totally useless. Wouldn't tell me anything, just said he'd removed the link to that account but wouldn't tell me how it had been linked in the first place.

So, in theory it is settled, in practice I wouldn't be surprised if we hear more about this in the future... Personally I suspect someone has seen that my wife has a similar name and decided to see if anyone noticed the difference.

hallowitch

send an e-mail or recorded delivery letter (preferably both)to the head of revenues' at Salford City Council and ask them confirm in writing that you are not the debtor ask them to clarify how your name and address were liked to this person give them 14 days to reply inform them that if you don't receive a reply in 14 days you will be making a formal complaint to MR CEO of Salford City Council (look on there web site and find out who the ceo is and use name)


Its very very important to get it in writing that you or your wife have no connection to this debt and that a mistake was made (it only takes one person not to do there job properly and you could be back where you are in a few years time )


Keep the reply very very safe and keep it for years its not uncommon for councils to chase 20 year old council tax debts


as for your mortgage no worries there mate nothing is recorded by credit reference agency's for council tax debt

National_Debtline

Hi sghughes42

Just to back up what hallowitch says above, this has no implications for your credit file or mortgage application whatsoever. See this Experian answer on the topic of council tax:

http://www.experian.co.uk/consumer/questions/askjames226.html

Regards

Dennis
@natdebtline

mattannar

If the letter wasn't addressed to you, why did you open it?
It is an offence to do so.

terryw

mattannar wrote: »

If the letter wasn't addressed to you, why did you open it?
It is an offence to do so.

No it is not

sghughes42

mattannar wrote: »

If the letter wasn't addressed to you, why did you open it?
It is an offence to do so.

I'd be very interested to have you point me to the legislation to prove that...

Also, have you never received a pile of letters and opened them on autopilot before you realise one isn't actually addressed to you?