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Crinklewood

Hello,

Sorry to be a nuisance. I am a widow and have 2 grown up children. I discovered this morning from my Postman that someone is using my address!

He stopped me as I was going out and showed me a letter which was for my address but it had the name of the daughter of someone I was in a relationship with years ago (we split in 2007).

His daughter had never lived here - and neither have any of his other children. They are nothing at all to do with me and I don't know where they live.

However the Postman had this letter with the daughter's name on and from the Posting Franking Label it was from a debt collection agency.

After a debate between us (the Postman knows my family well and has been our Postman for 20 years) we decided he would put "Person Unknown - Return To Sender".

I am really annnoyed about this and worry that firstly if that family are using my home for cheaper car insurance or any financial credit it will affect my own credit rating and that of my own 2 children plus the fact that if these people aren't paying their debts I will have people coming and demanding my property in lieu of payment.

I live in the countryside, in a remote area and these people live in a city where I would imagine prices for car insurance are sky high.

Does anybody know of a central place in the UK where you can clearly state on record that nobody other than A, B and C people have permission to use my address so that financial institutions will see it and stop these people who don't have permission from using it.

I've spoken to my Council and the assistant in turn spoke to the Electoral Register people who said that only the people I had declared at the address were on the register.

I thought Financial Institutions checked the electoral register when someone asks for credit etc.

I am sorry to be a nuisance and take your time up but I am really scared, upset and frightened because my address is being used by people who have nothing at all to do with me.

Thank you

[Deleted User]

Try not to worry about it. It won't impact you or your credit file.

If you get any further letters, you may want to write back to tell them that the person doesn't live there. Alternatively, just ignore them.

societys_child

As above, and remember it is not against any laws to open the mail once it has been delivered to your address, even if it is addressed to someone else.

Crinklewood

Hi - ohhh thank you sooo much for taking the trouble to reply to me. I was really worrying about.
You have no idea how much better I feel thankyou again

roonaldo

societys_child wrote: »

As above, and remember it is not against any laws to open the mail once it has been delivered to your address, even if it is addressed to someone else.

Wrong. It's illegal!

Postal Services Act 2000

“A person commits an offence if intending to act to a person’s detriment and without reasonable excuse, he opens a postal packet which he knows or reasonably suspects has been incorrectly delivered to him.”

.

societys_child

roonaldo wrote: »

Wrong. It's illegal!

Postal Services Act 2000

“A person commits an offence if intending to act to a person’s detriment and without reasonable excuse, he opens a postal packet which he knows or reasonably suspects has been incorrectly delivered to him.”

.

NO, it's not illegal!!!
provided you don't intend to act to a persons detriment . . !!!!!! read the act you just quoted

Insider101

societys_child wrote: »

NO, it's not illegal!!!
provided you don't intend to act to a persons detriment . . !!!!!! read the act you just quoted

Personally speaking, I think suspecting someone was using your address fraudulently would qualify as reasonable excuse in any event. But like most things legal there are shades of grey...