Bailiff demand for previous tenants

needhouseadvice

So, I bought a flat not long ago. Have been posting all the previous tenants letters (it was a buy to let) as return to sender but noticed one had no return address and was marked urgent. It was a bailiff demand for unpaid bills of £6k!! Phoned the number and they told me I need to email them to confirm that I live there now and a phone call wasn't enough.

Is this correct? Would rather not give my full name out to bailiffs if I can help it...

Guest101

Nope, don't need to do anything at all.


And it's probably a debt collector, not a bailiff


Keep a copy of your id handy by the door in case they turn up, but other than that you don't need to oblige them

G_M

Up to you.

If you do as they ask they are more likely to give up at your addres.

If you don't you are more likely to get more letters or a knock on the door.

However you are under no obligation to do anything.

Might be worth keeping a photocopy of your ID (eg passport?) and tenancy agreement near the front door. Then if a bailiff visits, you can easily prove it's not your debt and he'll go away.

Mossfarr

I was in the same situation with the house i purchased with my daughter (a repo). I wouldn't give my details to them either - you are not under any obligation to do so. I just used to keep proof of name and ownership details to hand in case anyone ever called - but they never did.
If they do not provide a return address they are possibly dodgy anyway - not exactly good business practice is it?
After a while you just learn to ignore the demand letters as they don't stop coming - we still receive them after eight years!

needhouseadvice

Guest101 wrote: »

Nope, don't need to do anything at all.


And it's probably a debt collector, not a bailiff


Keep a copy of your id handy by the door in case they turn up, but other than that you don't need to oblige them

OK that's good to know. They said they needed written proof as I could be anyone on the phone but then the same stands for replying by email surely? It's a block of flats accessible by a main door so unlikely they'll get as close as my front door.

agrinnall

G_M wrote: »

Might be worth keeping a photocopy of your ID (eg passport?) and tenancy agreement near the front door.

The OP has bought the flat so it would have to be something that proves ownership, LR confirmation would probably do the trick.

AdrianC

"Hello, Mr Debt Collector? I'm not Mr X. No, I won't tell you who I am or provide you with any ID - and, yes, I do expect you to take me at face value..."

Yeh, that should work just fine... Can't see any problem in that, can you?

csgohan4

needhouseadvice wrote: »

OK that's good to know. They said they needed written proof as I could be anyone on the phone but then the same stands for replying by email surely? It's a block of flats accessible by a main door so unlikely they'll get as close as my front door.

I got this too, I told them to check the Land registry records that the house was recently bought by me and they insisted I give them proof. Just ignored them, wasting my time.

AdrianC

csgohan4 wrote: »

I got this too, I told them to check the Land registry records that the house was recently bought by me and they insisted I give them proof. Just ignored them, wasting my time.

Because, of course, the house could not possibly have been bought by a different landlord with the tenant staying the same. Oh, no. Never happens.

GingerBob_3

Standard procedure when dealing with scum; tell them you're not the person they're looking for and you don't know where he is - and that's it. Don't engage in any further conversation. If they come onto your property, order them off. If they won't go, call the police.


Do not, under any circumstances show them any documents or let them in the house, or give them any information whatsoever. You do not have to prove who you are.

m0bov

They can do back ground checks and they should know who is living there. More likely its just a legal firm trying to frighten someone into coughing up. Just bin it.