Help! The baillifs been round!

too_many_details · 5 October 2005 at 10:19AM

...and I don't have any debt!!!

I just bought a house a month ago. Turns out the bailiffs are after a previous occupant for non payment of traffic charges.

Spoke to the bailiff just now by phone but he says its down to me to prove who i am and so not the person he's looking for (which is weird becuase he's not looking for a person but a company).

He says he will come around at some point - he left a letter through the door today and my wife saw it and was really upset. I don't want him to come round - we arent even there much as we are living between two houses.

What can I do? Whay is the onus on me to sort it out? Can't the bailliff just ask for the electrol register or something and find out the property has changed hands?

Any help appreciated!

Thanks

Rakesh

mr218 · 5 October 2005 at 10:34AM

why are you worried if they come around. you dont have to let them in. they have no right to enter your house.

also, if you are not the person/company they are looking for ask them who is registered as the company owner/director etc.

and show them your passport to prove that you are not that person.

you are in the clear and have nothing to worr

JimArnold · 5 October 2005 at 10:38AM

The electoral register is unlikely to be up to date - but I certainly don't think the onus should be on you to prove you are not a company. Remember however that the bailiff has probably had every excuse under the sun used on him at some time in the past.

I assume that the letter gave the Bailiff's company address - I'd suggest a recorded delivery letter (it'll only cost 95p) firmly but politely stating that you moved in on whatever date and that you have no connection with the previous tenants.

http://www.insolvencyhelpline.co.uk/debt_basics/bailiff-guide.htm#bg3
has some useful info and addresses

lush_walrus · 5 October 2005 at 10:43AM

To be honest I think you should forget about who's onus is on what, you want to resolve the situation as quickly as possible and stop them coming back and back and back. So best way is to do as they ask and prove who you are, then it should be problem solved!

Quasar · 5 October 2005 at 11:31AM

You could ask the solicitors who represented you in the purchase of the house to write a letter to the bailiffs. I guarantee that will put paid to the whole business in no time. However the solicitor may charge a small fee for the letter.

eek · 5 October 2005 at 6:04PM

Quasar wrote:

You could ask the solicitors who represented you in the purchase of the house to write a letter to the bailiffs. I guarantee that will put paid to the whole business in no time. However the solicitor may charge a small fee for the letter.

Assuming that the solicitors bill runs something like conveyancing on purchase of xxx debt lane I would think that and the date on the bill would be enough.

Johnhowell · 5 October 2005 at 6:22PM

Rakesh,

I had this with a previous lodger. I found a note from the bailiff when I came home from work one day - I phoned the bailiff immediately. He said if I send a copy of utility bills with the address, my name and state no financial contact with the guy he was after, to the office address on the note.

I faxed the bills and never heard from them again - several years now.

Since then I have had two visits from the Police as he had driven away without paying for fuel some time ago. The police records still show him living here - even though it has been many years and I have not received any letter or documents for his car, so DVLA must be up to date for his car!

If they do come again they have to be polite, invite them in, offer a cup of tea and biscuits, and show them loads of paper work relating to you - your passport, deeds, solicitor letter on conveyancing, mortgages agreements, etc.

Let us know how it goes.

John

black-saturn · 5 October 2005 at 6:27PM

I had the same thing. Bailiffs came round because the man who lived here before me owed 18p (!!!!) on his gas bill. I informed them that he had moved and I didnt know where to and showed them a recent couple of bills to prove that I am living at this address. I havn't heard anything from them since.

funky-footprints · 5 October 2005 at 8:38PM

we had the same with my husband, his brother left the coutry with quite a few debts, but he forwarded his mail to our home, problem being my husband and his brother have the same initials, we then had his house mate bills forwarded to us too !! despite different names and dates of birth, it took quite a while to pursaude the nutters that they were 2 different people. in the meantime if effected our credit rating for quite a few years, and we lived credit card free for about 4 years, to ensure our file remained clean. getting a mortage on our first home was quite painful !!!

Thankfully 8 years on it is now resolved, and my brother in law is paying everything off, however my brother in laws name does appear on my credit record, and as my mum and I once shared the same initials and address it appears on hers too, that took quite a bit of sorting and removing!!!!!

bernardh_2 · 6 October 2005 at 5:25AM

We had this problem too when we moved into one flat.It seems the previous bloke was a builder who took deposits for work and never did it.Took ages before collectors/police stopped calling.
Later,I saw him and his family on Watchdog or similar moaning that his holiday in the canaries wasn`t good enough.

Xbigman · 6 October 2005 at 5:43PM

Johnhowell wrote:

Rakesh,

If they do come again they have to be polite, invite them in, offer a cup of tea and biscuits, and show them loads of paper work relating to you - your passport, deeds, solicitor letter on conveyancing, mortgages agreements, etc.

Let us know how it goes.

John

Never, ever invite them in. Shut the door and make them wait outside whilst you get any paperwork you need.

If you know a bailif might call then have your driving licence or utility bills handy to show them and it will be all over.
Regards

X

Help! The baillifs been round!

Comments

Categories

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free