Bought house but previous occupants still using address

Squid101

Question for experts. What are our rights?

We bought our house Jan 2015. The house was empty for poss 12 months before we moved in.

About 9 months after moving in new mail started turning up for all of the previous owners even though they had split and all gone their own ways. Two mature adults with very grown up kids.

Mail that arrived included mobile account statements. Post from DVLA. Post from parking fine debt collectors. Post from credit providers. Al recognisable from return address. All mail returned to sender.

So I belive that the family have been using my address to open accounts. I believe that they have not changed address on driving licences.

I belive this is wrong. Poss illegal as for DVLA I know you have to change your address ASAP.

I did call a number of companies but they said just return mail.

Can I do anything. Poss legal action?

kinger101

Legal action for what? If there is any fraud going on, it's a matter for the owner of the debt to resolve.

Do voting slips turn up for them? If not, they're not on the electoral roll so would unlikely be setting up new credit.

Thrugelmir

Continue to return the mail. Not known at this address.

[Deleted User]

They probably had a redirection service set up for their post but never bothered to update their details with the banks, DVLA, etc, within that time.

Now the redirection has expired and you are now receiving their post.

anselld

Squid101 wrote: »

Question for experts. What are our rights?

I did call a number of companies but they said just return mail.

Can I do anything. Poss legal action?

You have been advised correctly already. Your "rights" are to return the mail to sender. The senders will flag "gone away" reports against those accounts and take any necessary action.

Squid101

Yeah I see what you mean. For what? The answer to that would be "the bloody nerve of it"!! That wouldn't work would it ��

There was voting slips in the beginning but not anymore. At the time I called the registry and they said they couldn't remove them but the individual had to change their address. I wouldn't be able to say if they are still on it at this address atm. Is it worth finding out?

I think I should just keep sending it back. It's just a tad annoying really. I just worry that someone might turn up at our door looking for their money.

Squid101

I just looked up name on 192 and they are all reported to be on the electoral roll at my address to 2016. So even though I am not getting their voting cards they still look like they are on electoral roll

Alter_ego

Have you got a shredder?

Halle71

This is still happening to us after moving in August 2014.
The old owners owe a lot of people money and are still having a lot of mail about traffic offences etc coming got to our house. We had a couple of bailiffs letters that were not in envelopes so I called them and they told me that attempts for credit at our address were made as recentlly as October 2014. This isn't laziness, it's fraud. They also told me that they take 'return to sender' with a pinch of salt because this is what the individuals I debt do anyway. They told me to write to the DVLA and tell them that the only car registered at this address is ours.

DKLS

The idiots who owned my house have done similar, I have had degree certificates, credit cards DVLA/HMRC information and a NIP for doing 46mph in a 40 area, for the first year I used to write Return to sender on and post back, now they go in the chimnea with the rest of the junk mail.

stator

Do you have their new address? Is it in the paperwork from your solicitor?
If so write to all the people who send mail for them giving the new address.