Debt collectors trying to collect debt that isn't mine.

CIS

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

Surely the Council (as the body who collects Council Tax) must know who the current CT payer is, at that address. :doh:

They will do - but it doesn't stop someone else having given that address to someone as a contact address.

Craig

PasturesNew

Poor_Single_lady wrote: »

Very tempted to open one although i know this is totally illegal.

It is not illegal to open the letters. Any illegal bit comes from what your intentions are and what you do next.

If it's just to see ... then no harm done. Not illegal.

If you open one, hoping there's a credit card inside, or an opportunity to attempt to get something for nothing, or commit a fraud, that's illegal.

Anybody can "open a letter in error" that's not for them. I live alone, I never read envelopes before I open them. I usually just dip down to the mat, grab it and start opening it while walking into the kitchen to put the kettle on, or the living room ... first I might know about the contents is once I've pulled it out and my brain registers "it's open now, look/see what it is"

gpgirl

Hi, just to clarify, you say it's a court judgement, do you mean a ccj letter, or are you talking Council Tax Liability Order? You mention Sheriffs. We need to clarify whether you are talking about court fines ( for which the collectors are called Sheriffs) or a Liability Order which will be collected be Enforcement Agents ( aka bailiffs).
As it's council tax it's probably going to be a Liability Order. It could well be that on credit checks the person who iwes the money is showing up at your address still. Or it might be your address was the last address they gave. As someone else said, ring the council and tell them this. Also if the enforcement agent shows up just show them some ID . They can't take anything or force their way in if you are not the debtor. It happens all the time where they go to someone's old address and us easily solved by showing ID and maybe a tenancy agreement. If it's court fines, you would have to ring whichever body in your area is administering court fines.

sourcrates

OP is in Scotland hence sheriffs !!!

National_Debtline

Hi Bailey

I think the best advice is to inform the council of what is happening and ask them to update their records. I think it’s worth putting this in writing to them. The sheriff officers will just be carrying out the instructions from the council.

Just to answer your initial question, sheriff officers can only force entry for council tax if the sheriff grants an ‘exceptional attachment order’. These are extremely unusual and not something to you should lose any sleep over.

James
@natdebtline

[Deleted User]

National_Debtline wrote: »

The sheriff officers will just be carrying out the instructions from the council.

Won't they actually be carrying out the instructions of the court?