Wrong address - council PCNs

slurmsmckenzie

Hi there, I hope it is okay to start a new thread, I have checked the Newbie post but couldn't find anything specific to my query - apologies if I've missed anything.

We have a neighbour over the road (who we don't know) who appears to have registered at least two cars to our address by mistake. Don't know whether it was a mistake on their part or by the DVLA, but we got some DVLA letters addressed to them but sent to our house with our house number on them (the numbers do look similar).

My other half took the letters over and pointed out the mistake, which was acknowledged and (as far as we were concerned) there was an agreement to correct it - this was months ago. We don't know whether this has been done or not, but we've now seen two letters from the local council arrive for them - with their name and our house number. We suspect they are PCNs, would make sense.

My other half says we should return to sender as we can't rely upon the neighbour to sort things out. However I am slightly nervous that doing so could lead to an unpaid fine being logged against our address somehow, or something similar (not to mention what it might do to neighbourly relations as it would be clear what we did). I've tried to look stuff up but it isn't all that clear to me what happens when it is a completely incorrect address - not an old address but one where the registered keeper does not live and never has lived.

Would appreciate any advice about what best to do, many thanks!

Woodstok2000

Take the letters over to them and explicitly ask if they have updated details with the DVLA. If they haven't, ask them to do it asap.

You can also contact the DVLA and ask them to update the records to remove those cars from your address.

Any future letters return to sender advising that the person doesn't live there.

TadleyBaggie

Debts are not logged against addresses, they are registered against individuals.

slurmsmckenzie

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82144827#Comment_82144827

Thank you for the advice, that makes sense - unfortunately the owner of the cars is seldom there (works away) and it is unlikely anyone else there would know (or do) anything about the situation. But I do think it is better to pass the letters on this one last time, thank you.

Re: contacting the DVLA, hmmm…. I seem to recall this is very painful and I've never known it to bear any success! Thing is, what will they do? They only have their (incorrect) address, so how will they contact them?

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82144866#Comment_82144866

Thanks for this, I had in my head something from years back when my parents had complained at an indirect family member living with us that his unpaid loan debts could "black-mark our address" - but good to know that this isn't the case!

Woodstok2000

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82145073#Comment_82145073

From the gov.uk page there is guidance about what to do with an incorrect registration. It usually applies when the letter is in your name, but not reason not to follow the same process here. You may want to include additional information in the letter, such as the name of the registered keeper and their actual address.

e.g. I am X, I live at ADDRESS, I do not own and have never owned VEHICLE. VEHICLE is owned by Y, living at ADDRESS. Please update your records and provide proof that I am not the registered keeper.

You’ve never owned the vehicle

If you’ve never been the registered keeper, write to DVLA to ask for proof that you’re not the registered keeper. Give them as much information about the vehicle as possible.

DVLA will update their records and send a letter of confirmation to you within 4 weeks.

DVLA
Swansea
SA99 1ZZ

slurmsmckenzie

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82145094#Comment_82145094

Thank you - I guess the problem here is that we haven't opened the letters (as they aren't addressed to us) so don't know which vehicles they apply to. The person has at least four cars that we're aware of any possibly more.

Woodstok2000

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82145114#Comment_82145114

Three options I can think of:

1) Open the letters, get the vehicle reg details, then take the letters to your neighbour and apologise for opening them. Say you just opened a pile of mail and didn't check the recipients first.

2) Write to the DVLA without specifying the vehicle reg, advising them that the neighbour doesn't live with you and asking them to remove all vehicles registered under his name from your address.

3) Just start sending all the letters back to sender now.

slurmsmckenzie

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82145121#Comment_82145121

That is great and much appreciated, thanks again!