Incorrect CCJ on my credit file!

Zoom7000

I applied for the new Capital One 4% Cashback Card the other day and today got a letter telling me I've been unsuccessful. I’ve been living at my new place for 3 months and in that time have had numerous letter from bailiffs and debt collectors for possible previous tenants. (See here)

Anyway, I thought maybe this has had a bearing on my credit rating, so I popped over to Quidco and did an Experien Credit Check on my name. It turns out there is a blemish on my credit file. A CCJ issued by my local county court on 7/12/2006. Assuming for this purpose my name is Mr. Z. Zoom, the name of the CCJ was for Mr. Z. Zoom for £942 on my current address that I have only been living at for only the last 3 months!

As far as I am aware, I have never had a CCJ or any other debt ever! I wouldn’t certainly forget £942 worth of it! Infact, in Dec 2006 I was still living with parents and hadn’t ever had any previous address before that for 15 years!

So, the only thing I can assume is there was someone with the same initial and surname living at my current address in 2006 who had a CCJ and it has somehow been placed on to my credit file. What surprises me is that since moving into this address in Feb 2008, I have signed up for a BT Phone line, Virgin Phone and TV, Be Broadband etc. And never had any problems.

I’m gonna call the local county court tomorrow to try and sort it out, but what I want to know is where do I stand trying to clear this CCJ from my name if they turn around and say no it is yours! I know I need to think of legal advice at this stage, but how much will it cost me? Can I claim this cost back incurred to clear my credit file?

poorandindenial

Hi Zoom

The companies that run the credit reference files have a duty to ensure the info is correct. You can raise a dispute with them and they will do a load of the leg work for you going back to the organisations that have given them the incorrect info. It won't cost you anything as this seems to be just an admin error and you shouldn't need to go through the court or get a solicitor. It might also be worth a letter to the organisation named as the other party on the ccj record to chase them to correct it from their end too.

Zoom7000

Problem is, Experien don't provide any details of who the other party are. Hopefully I can get ths information out of the Court tomorrow as I have the case number on my credit file.

How can I raise a dispute with them? This is what is says on Experien's website:

If you believe an English or Welsh County Court Judgment has been recorded incorrectly you should contact the county court quoting the case number included on your report. If the judgment was recorded incorrectly the county court will alter their records and notify us and other credit reference agencies within four weeks.

poorandindenial

Oh, in that case try that first, when I got my credit reference files sent through they said to contact their help centres I think (or some of them did but it looks to be different for CCJs). The county court should sort it out, there is a website where you can search for CCJs against you - give me a sec and I'll post a link

poorandindenial

Look at post 3 of this thread:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=5318&highlight=search+ccjs+registry

Zoom7000

Thanks for that! I'll try the court tomorrow though before I shell out £8 (It's gone up since 2004!)

poorandindenial

£8 - bloody hell!!!! (edit: I didn't check that part first)

Zoom7000

Yeah, takes the mick! They get my details wrong, and I may have to pay to get it fixed! Grrr! (Not that I intend too!)

penguin83

If you have the case number the court will be able to tell you all the info you need to know. Have you by any chance had a car accident or similar however minor? We have a lot that people never know about judgments until situations like this where the insurance companies havent paid up in time and the judgment ends up against them.

x x

Zoom7000

penguin83 wrote: »

If you have the case number the court will be able to tell you all the info you need to know. Have you by any chance had a car accident or similar however minor? We have a lot that people never know about judgments until situations like this where the insurance companies havent paid up in time and the judgment ends up against them.

x x

Never... or at least not that I know of!

Zoom7000

Right, so I called the court today who referred me to the solicitors who passed the judgement. The judgement was passed for buildings charges from the local council. The problem is, they don't have a first name on the judgement, just the initial. After a long conversation with the solicitor, he told me he would go back to their client (The Council) and try to find out what the guys first name was. I tried to tell him regardless that I wasn't a resident at this property at the time and that CCJ shouldn't apply to me. He understood where I was coming from and said obviously there are 2 innocent parties involved here with you being a 3rd party victim caught up in the mess and the real defendant having done a runner.

I called the land registry and they told me the owners of the property going back to 2002. Firstly was my landlord since late last year and then some other guy from 2002 - 2007 however, he doesn't share my surname but has the same initial.

If the solicitor can't get the full name details, I need to seek legal advice... I'm hoping he can get the information I need to hear!