Post from previous occupant. Bills/fines etc

AlexMac

Agree all the above; not your problem.

And as regards the advice from

pinkshoes wrote: »

I'd open them and phone whoever the sender is....

I did this when bills got beyond red and a letter came from a debt collector; who got really 4r5ey with me and claimed it was illegal to open others' mail.

So it'd be a few returns "not here" then the bin!

davidmcn

AlexMac wrote: »

a letter came from a debt collector; who got really 4r5ey with me and claimed it was illegal to open others' mail.

Which it isn't.

Honeylife

SG27 wrote: »

I've owned my house since September. We are constantly getting post for the previous owner and the two lodgers they had. I've been sending it all back marked addressee gone away/No longer at this address etc but now it seems some of the letters look like fines, payment reminders.

I'm worried they will send bailiffs round. Especially if its when my wife is home alone as she will panic. She suffers with anxiety so this is not good for her!

Is there anything else I can do other than just returning them unopened?

September since you occupied is still early days! If the Bailiff or even a Court Sheriff is not seeking you personally at that address simply show your ID tell them you are the Owner/new tenant and they tend to go away. Had to deal with all sorts of Baliffs for about two years for the previous owners/occupiers. Started seeing some of the same ones and we would laugh, because as soon as I opened the door they remembered we were the new occupants. Told them to check the land registry documents before they wasted their time knocking on my door again!

Send letters back if there is a return address, bin if not.

TBagpuss

I under stand why you are concerned, particualrly given your wife's anxiey, but the posts above are correct, there is nothing to be concerned about. You don't have any responsibility for the debts.

In your position I would open one or two of the letters nad phonthe sender, tell them that you bought the house last Sept. and give them the forwarding address you have for owner.

You may find that they continue to write (not least because 'he doesn't live here any more' is not an uncommon excuse by people who owe money, or their families) .

If bailiffs do show up, have a copy of your title documents (office copy entries) to hand and show the bailiff these, and perhaps your council tax bill.( which shows you are the occupants as well as the owners)

In my experience, most bailiffs are professional. I had them showing up for the people I bought my previous house from, and longer ago, we had them regularly show up looking for our landlord, when we were students. In neither case did I have a forwarding address for them, so just gave them the details of the estate agent and letting agent .

I still get occasional letters (mostly from financial institution) for the previous owners of my house. I either bin them or RTS depending on my mood (I moved in nearly 5 years ago)
The only time I called the sender was when I got car insurance documents through, as they were with the same insurer I had just taken out a policy with, and I didn't want any issues with them thinking I had been untruthful in telling them no other vehicles were kept at my address.

lisyloo

I opened some post for a previous tennant and emailed the companies to say she didn't live there anymore.
I was quite suprised they took my word for it as a lot of it looked like debt chasing, but they did.