Credit score ruined due to deceased fathers debt, please help!

ed445

Hi, 
So I am 27, and I only just decided to try and start taking control of my finances (better late than never ). I decided to apply for a credit card.. and about 3 failed applications later I finally checked my credit score and to my astonishment I found myself to have a extremely poor score of around 550. I found that I had a CCJ against me from 5 years ago, active and for just under £11k. Obviously I was horrified, but then eventually with my Mother we figured out it was a debt my Father owed to the solicitors for their divorce. Now its all very complicated but the main points are:
1. Myself and my father had the same intials, and I think this may be why the debt went to my name?
2. I was at university when the letter came home, and my mother and older brother were moving out of the house we were living in that the post was addressed to. When the letter was redirected to the new home, my brother did pay the debt in full from my fathers assets but it was over a month past the CCJ
3. The CCJ is still active on my credit score. if it was deactivated would this help me??
4. To further complicate things, the solicitors has either closed down or changed names which further confuses things.

My question is how can I try and fix this, I was resigning to let it sit on my report, but I've landed a job in a different city and need to rent in September, and I'm worried that I will struggle to find somewhere decent to live if my credit score is crap! 
I have called the relevant court and they were not very helpful. I am really confused whether that debt should be in my name as he was my father, or if it can be removed- or is it just too late to remove now? 
Any advice would be appreciated, its a weird situation!!!
Thankyou!

[Deleted User]

Raise a dispute with each of the three CRAs where it appears.

sourcrates

Hi,

Its not a bomb, it cannot be de-activated, but it can be set aside.

Your father did not recieve the court papers unfortunatly as he was decesed, and the defense would be its not your debt.

Add to the mix its been reported on the wrong credit file (which is a seperate issue you need to complain to the CRA`s about, and escalate to the ICO if applicable).

However, a set aside application cost £255.00, there is remision available on the fee if on a low income.

Details can be found here -

https://www.gov.uk/county-court-judgments-ccj-for-debt/if-you-dont-owe-the-money

But, if its been 5 years already, they it may be a waste of your time and money, as a set aside should be applied for promptly, and the whole thing will be gone next year anyway,

ed445

Hi, thanks, thats what I am thinking that it may not be worth fighting to remove it completely given it will come off October next year. I have had a closer look at my credit reports, and the experian one says that we were financially associated, which is not true. Is it worth me adding a comment to say it was my deceased fathers debt who was not financially associated with me? I have contacted all three CRAs this morning about the situation, so I guess I'll just have to wait to hear from them now. I'm mostly worried about renting and how this will affect my ability to secure a property, I am moving very far away from home.

maxximus75

I wouldn't bother with adding a comment to your file but to actually get it corrected by the CRA. 

Once it's shown that the debt is not yours and on the incorrect file due to a mix with names etc,  your file will be corrected.

Also check the other CRA's in case they are mixed up too?  If so, you will have to contact each of them to resolve.

MinuteNoodles

ed445 said:

the experian one says that we were financially associated, which is not true. Is it worth me adding a comment to say it was my deceased fathers debt who was not financially associated with me?

File a notice of disassociation with Experian.