Just seen a CCJ on my credit report - advice

Jamiesmum

Whilst checking my emails this morning I came across an email sent today from Experian who I subscribe too saying there is an update, so I logged in too check and found this -

Your Experian Credit Score has decreased by 114 due to:
1 changes on your Experian Credit Report
You have a new CCJ, Bankruptcy or IVA record on your Experian Credit Report. This has had a negative effect on your Experian Credit Score.

Further down it says I've 1 record of a CCJ for £710 registered to my old address? How can it be I've been taken to court with no idea and no warning and not once was it flagged up I don't live there anymore?

Further down the report under Additional factors it states ..

You have 0 records of unpaid debt at previous addresses

I'm pretty annoyed and have no idea how I go about this now, who do I ring? I don't even know what the debt is for, £710 is alot of money and I can't think where that has come from at all. How am I even expected to pay this, will this come directly from my next wage? In full?

It says information source - Registry Trust Ltd.

Any advice towards sorting this would be great I've been working on my credit score for over a year with plans on getting a mortgage and this could ruin my chances completely. :mad:

antrobus

Jamiesmum wrote: »

....It says information source - Registry Trust Ltd....

Registry Trust simply maintain the CCJ database. Every CCJ comes from that source.

You need to find out who it is that believes you owe them this £710.

But it's not going to come out of your next wage. This alleged debtor will have to take some specific enforcement action to get the money out of you.

Jamiesmum

And how do I find out? If I rang the court could they help? What is the enforcement you speak of, baliffs? What will happen when I update my address do I have any chance of having this removed from my file?

Sorry for all the questions, I'm so confused and annoyed.

DCFC79

Your score isn't important, lenders don't see it, your history is what they see. Just pay thingslip on time, don't miss a credit card payment.

jadex

Jamiesmum wrote: »

And how do I find out? If I rang the court could they help? What is the enforcement you speak of, baliffs? What will happen when I update my address do I have any chance of having this removed from my file?

Sorry for all the questions, I'm so confused and annoyed.

So you have NOT updated your address to the new one? Registering on Electors Register would suffice - however it is always a good idea to give your new address to your providers.
Otherwise, you are listed as living at your old address and how on Earth were they supposed to know you have moved?
They sent you a letter before action (presumably), no response, they sent you a court summon, no response, they got a hearing, you didn't show up, they won by default then. Then you have had a few weeks to settle payment and as you did not then CCJ was issued.

Now you have to call the court and find out who is after you (you should have ref number of CCJ). And now you will have to pay a fee to have your case put aside. But if you have no defense you won't win - debt would have to be Statute Barred for instance to have a valid defense. If the debt is legit, not unenforceable, not SB then your chances are slim to have CCJ overturned (pretty much zero, to be honest).

Phone the court first and find out who is behind CCJ.

Jamiesmum

Of course I updated my address, changed my name on the electoral role. I had a long list of everything and spent the day changing it all. From utilities to kids stuff to car insurance/tax, phone bills, doctors all of it.

For some time after maybe a month or so, I was given any post that had gone back there, mainly junk until it stopped coming.

I have lived here almost a year now and have been on the electoral role since I moved in.

£710 is not a huge amount of money but it's a lot when you don't know where it's come from. Never had credit to that amount or anything.

I will be ringing the court to see if they can help.

jadex

So then you HAVE a case.
That's good for you as obviously the company who caused the damage acted wrongly by (purposely?) sending correspondence to your old address.

Just a thought: could it be a council tax? Someone moved in and kept your name on it? Councils often take a shortcuts - 3 months not paid, one letter, and then court summon. Plenty of stories of councils being heavy handed.

Good Luck

antrobus

Jamiesmum wrote: »

And how do I find out? If I rang the court could they help? What is the enforcement you speak of, baliffs? What will happen when I update my address do I have any chance of having this removed from my file?

Sorry for all the questions, I'm so confused and annoyed.

Check your credit report.

http://www.experian.co.uk/consumer/questions/askjames315.html

You can apply to have the CCJ set aside.

CIS

jadex wrote: »

So then you HAVE a case.
That's good for you as obviously the company who caused the damage acted wrongly by (purposely?) sending correspondence to your old address.

Just a thought: could it be a council tax? Someone moved in and kept your name on it? Councils often take a shortcuts - 3 months not paid, one letter, and then court summon. Plenty of stories of councils being heavy handed.

Good Luck

It won't be as CCJ for council tax - council tax uses a liability order from the magistrates court.

You can miss one month's payment and end up with a court summons (after a reminder notice) - the council follow the recovery process set out in legislation.

jadex

CIS wrote: »

It won't be as CCJ for council tax - council tax uses a liability order from the magistrates court.

You can miss one month's payment and end up with a court summons (after a reminder notice) - the council follow the recovery process set out in legislation.

you are absolutely right - councils do not use County Courts (my bad...)

National_Debtline

Hi

The first step is finding out who made the claim against you as the others have said. There should be a reference number for the CCJ on your credit report which the court can use to give you details. You could alternatively check www.trustonline.org.uk for a £4 fee.

The claimant needs to send the claim form to the last known address, which is why people sometimes end up with CCJs without realising. If it's from one of the organisations you contacted to give them your new address the correct court process has not been followed.

James
@natdebtline