previous house owner

sanova76

Hi,

Need some advise please.

We bought our house 8 years ago. But up to date, the previous owner is still using our address. We've been receiving letters from various debt collector companies. Some debt collector come to our house and ask for this person.

I've returned the letters, phoned them, told people that this person doesn't live here anymore but it still coming.

I'm really stress about this and worry it may affect our credit rating. This person's name is not on the electoral form but it doesn't make me feel better. What can I do to stop this person using our address? Surely when he apply for something he needs proof of address?

Thanks in advance.

Su

Candyapple

Credit is based on a person, not a house.

Nothing you can do except put the letters in the bin, or write 'Not known at this address' and return them in the post.

zaax

You should open mail not addressed to you apart from breaking the law it upsets you, so pop it back in the post box (unopened) with gone away written on it

Nasqueron

zaax wrote: »

You should open mail not addressed to you apart from breaking the law it upsets you, so pop it back in the post box (unopened) with gone away written on it

This myth about opening mail being against the law is repeated over and over but it's not correct.

The law is the Postal Services Act 2000.

It is only an offence if you open someone else’s mail ‘without reasonable excuse’ or if you ‘intend to act to another’s detriment'.

Reasonable excuse would be to find a number or address to return post if there is no "if undelivered" address. Opening say a credit card letter intending to use their details is a crime, finding an address to return it is not.

pathtofreedom

If you're getting junk mail you can try signing up here http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/mpsr/ otherwise keep posting it return to sender, just leave it by the door and take it with you when you go shopping to pop in the post. The people writing will soon realise they are no longer there and the mail will start to stop.

Hazzinho

Just keep returning to sender, doesn't impact you at all.

Nasqueron

sanova76 wrote: »

Hi,

Need some advise please.

We bought our house 8 years ago. But up to date, the previous owner is still using our address. We've been receiving letters from various debt collector companies. Some debt collector come to our house and ask for this person.

I've returned the letters, phoned them, told people that this person doesn't live here anymore but it still coming.

I'm really stress about this and worry it may affect our credit rating. This person's name is not on the electoral form but it doesn't make me feel better. What can I do to stop this person using our address? Surely when he apply for something he needs proof of address?

Thanks in advance.

Su

It's more likely the person has moved and not registered on the electoral roll to escape the debt though 8 years on it's about time they did as the debts will be statute barred anyway - they're not using your address as such, just not updating the list. All you can do is return the mail marked as "does not live here" - if you don't have a forwarding address for them there is nothing else you can do.

Credit records are you as a person only (except with joint accounts) - nothing to do with your house.

We had something like that at university, previous student had run up an expensive mobile bill and left, we eventually got the mail sorted and rang up one of the debt companies and told them the student had left and to contact the university as they might have a forwarding address for the person, seemed to stop the letters.

happy_bunny_2

Return the letters to sender with not known at this address written on it.

I think they have to pay for this. Worked for me.

If anyone comes round again, write a formal complaint to his company stating they don't live there and unless they leave you alone you will be reporting them to the FCA and escalating your complaint to the FOS.

Eventually, they will stick a gone away flag in his credit file entry. Yours is safe, as not done on address.

xbethanyx

I had this too and after months of sending the letters back with "does not live here" on it, someone came to the door. I told them the situation and as I did not have a forwarding address, I gave the name of the solicitor we bought from (the person who they were chasing's solicitor) and I never heard from a debt company again. Maybe worth a try? I suppose maybe debt companies think some people could pretend they don't live there and send the letters back just to avoid paying?