Debt Letters

baby231

Hi,
I need advice on the following situation:

I have been in my current flat for almost two years, since I have been here I have been recieving letters for the previous occupier, at first I sent them back to the sender stating that the person no longer lived here, then one day I had baliffs at my door asking for this person, I told them the situation, told them who I was but they did not believe me, I had to show proof of id before they would listen.
Then one day my neighbour said that baliffs were at my door again for the last occupier, she explained to them that she no longer lived here and they went away.
I started getting annoyed by this so when the next letter for her arrived I opened it to find that she is due a company a substantial amount of money.
I contacted the place to let them know that the person they were looking for did not live here and they just said thank you and that was it.
I then kept on recieving letters and sending them back, but I noticed that there is 3 different companies looking for her to pay back what she owes.
The other month there I was sitting having my tea when the door went, I answered it to find two police men standing there, asking if I was this person as the person had a warrent out for an arrest, I explained that i didnt know her nor her whereabouts and they left.
I have called numerous companies to tell them that the person they are looking for isnt here, some companies have been asking me her whereabouts etc but when I explain I dont know her they dont listen.
Anyway just the other day I recieved another letter for her and it states that they are going to prepare for the issue of a claim against her in her local court, also stating what will happen once it has been granted, eg seize your assets etc.
I know I should not be opening other peoples mail, but I am sick and tired of having people at my door as it is embarrassing for me.
The companies will not listen to me although I have called them too many times to explain I dont know her and she no longer stays here.
What can I do to stop this? Can they blacklist my house? and is this classed as harrasment?
Please help!!!

Robyn

Sorry if this is in the wrong section wasnt sure where to put it.

ifonlyitwaseasier

keep a copy of your tenancy agreement with you and your ID and at that i'm stumped, maybe contact the letting agent and ask them if they have a forwarding address for all the post and then pass it on to the next person who shows up

bathgatebuyer

Also, is your name on the Electoral Register? My neighbours have been having a similar problem with debt collectors constantly looking for the druggies that lived in their before them. They have a copy of the page of the Electoral Register that they're in and regularly have to bandy that in front of debt collectors.

It does help that they know where the wasters were moved on to as they can point them in that direction.

headoutthesand

Hey baby231

I'm really sorry to hear what you are going through - I have experienced the exact same thing with the only difference being that I know where the other people live.

I would echo what ifonlyitwaseasier said and keep your tenancy agreement and ID to hand. Not a copy - the originals incase they say they need to check it out.

For me it was more stressful trying to deal with the previous owners debts rather than my own.

I hate them so much for the stress they put me through.

For info - CAB didn't help me at all, Police are only interested if they use someones ID - not their address. Apparently it's not a crime to use someone elses address for credit only their name. The only option left for me was to threaten civil action.

It is not illegal for you to open mail which has your full postal address on it regardless of the addressee, but it is illegal if it has came through your door by mistake i.e. the postie put it through your door rather then your neighbours.

HTH

sillyvixen

dont worry about opening mail for this lowlife!! i have been doing it for over a year .. and contacting a number of different debt collection agencies for a Mr P who used to live here - i used to send them back not known at this address but it did not stop the baliffs turning up ( nice sunny day all my nieghbours doing their frount gardens V. EMBARRISING).
this runnind coward is now threatining your homelife and possetions dont worry about opening his/her mail!! Mr P is at least 30 grand in debt by my reconing the house had changed ownership twice since he rented it!!

Mrs_A_4

I have the same problem with a previous tenant. Now I open anything addressed to her and phone the number, giving my landlord's details for them to follow up. This woman appears to have just walked out on a shedload of debt - quite tempting actually...

thinkginge

i had an experience of this alsoand i did what you have done, but also i went to the police with all the letters. they took a statement and even though they said they couldn't do anything, they said that as long as it wasn't identity theft etc, the debt wasn't mine and i wasn't liable for anything.

it made me feel a whole lot better though and gave me some feedback to tell the credit people etc

fatbelly

I was searching around for info re a balanced response (i.e. it's technically illegal to open mail not addressed to you, probably nothing will happen in practice, may not be the wisest course of action, shouldn't affect your credit rating, etc) and came across this thread on moneysupermarket.com, which seems to cover the angles!

http://www.moneysupermarket.com/community/forums/t/can-bad-debt-linked-to-your-address-be-a-problem-17648.aspx

daisykinn1

Mrs_A wrote: »

I have the same problem with a previous tenant. Now I open anything addressed to her and phone the number, giving my landlord's details for them to follow up. This woman appears to have just walked out on a shedload of debt - quite tempting actually...

I did the same and it worked.