Threatening letters to previous owner

hogweed

Not sure if I'm on the right forum here, but...

I moved back from England to N Ireland to retire on 31/8/17, and bought a house here, from a family I’ll refer to as “F”. I have no mortgage.

Since then, I have received an endless stream of letters from an outfit in Chester called The Mortgage Business (TMB), addressed to the previous occupants, advising that (currently) £297,488 is owed, and asking for payment.

I understand that Mrs F was in financial difficulties, and may be keen to cover her tracks – I have no forwarding address or anything. Even the estate agent I bought through has gone, so can’t even ask them. I have also been told by my neighbours that Mr F, to whom the letters are addressed, has been dead something like 15 years.

I have spoken and written to TMB several times – they keep telling me they’ll sort it out, but do nothing.

As of this month, I have been communicating with them for 8 years, to no avail. I used to write “Not at this address” on the envelopes, and stick them in the post – but this achieved nothing, so for some time now I’ve been chucking them in the bin unopened.

However, occasionally I open letters without looking, and today found one addressed to Mr F requiring full payment in 7 days, or they’d take legal action to repossess the property.

I should note that that the property referred to is not this one, thank God, but one in a different town which Mrs F presumably owns.

I spoke to TMB again today, but they said this is the registered address of the deceased, and so there was nothing they could do. I told them they could check the electoral register, or anything else they saw fit, but (a) the situation is apparently “complicated”, and (b) as I'm not Mr F, they can’t discuss it with me.

I am feeling quite threatened by all this, which has absolutely nothing to do with me. Should I be worried? I’m assuming it can’t affect this property – if TMB or somebody had any kind of hold on it, presumably my solicitor would have discovered that when I bought it?

Is there any way I can get them to check their facts, and leave me alone?

Thanks 

DE_612183

you can check land registry

la531983

Why on earth the worry? They cant repossess a property you own, if anyone calls to the address simply show them a council tax bill showing you are the current resident.

ian1246

Put an alert on your property on the land registry, just incase they try to list a charge or anything silly like that.

pinkshoes

Firstly, check that you are legally the registered owner of the address. Just in case... (land registry or whatever the NI equivalent is).

Secondly, put the letters in the bin. They are not for you, they do not concern you. If they want to take a deceased person's estate to court to clear a debt then as this person does not own the house any more, then it would be a waste of money and time for them and they will be laughed out of court for not having done their homework.

If for some reason the house was not transferred over to you correctly and is still in the name of the previous owner who is in debt, then that's for your solicitor who you used to make the purchase to sort out.

Chief_of_Staffy

Save the letters. Document any calls. Take the information to a solicitor and instruct them to take action and get them stopped.

Do not under any circumstances interact with any of the goons who may arrive at your door. Sharing your data with random people will never benefit you in the long run. Leave it to your solicitor.

mlz1413

I had the same for previous tenants of the house i bought. 
I wrote RTS for about a year,  then open and contacted to say they have moved.  But found the debt being sold on to different companies,  each eager to get money. But they never actually visit,  so you just get the relentless post.

I bundled the letters for a month and opened one from the biggest pile, rang and asked to speak to a manager.  I advised that the previous owners had not lived there for x years please note the account. This took a good hour of insisting there must be away to update the records.
But once done it is against the regulations  they abide by to sell the debt on.  So if you get more post you can contact any company and advise they are breaking FCA rules.
Also the debt collectors letters should have the FCA membership number,  so you can lodge an official report if they continue contact

WIAWSNB

Do you have a record of your comms to them? 
Do you have Legal Protection included in your house insurance? If so, call them up and explain.
Finally, don't worry.

silvercar

You need to persuade one of these debt companies that the person has moved on and get them to update the GAIN (Gone Away Information Network) once that is done the letters should stop.

hogweed

Thanks for all the reassuring replies 

m0bov

Could tell them you consider it harressment. They can stop the letters, they've not done due diligence. Speak to you legal protection or speak to your local plod.