question about debt

[TFU] Thegoon84

[TFU] Thegoon84

[TFU] Thegoon84

Soldato
Joined
17 Jun 2009
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Location
Swansea
Just a quick one, my wife and I bought our house around 5 years ago.

Long story short we keep having letters address to the previous owners of the hosue saying they owe a large amount of money. We've sent the letters back saying not at this address and even opened the letters as of late and phoned the numbers.

Anyway i've recieved a new letter this morning from Central Debt Recovery Unit saying and i Quote:

We have recieved a notification from your address which states " gone away". We understand that you are still at this address and we feel that this may be a deliberate attempt by you to avoid this debt. This debt will not go away and any default will remain registered with a credit reference agency until its paid in full.
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Its seems this is a 3rd party debt collecting agency working for HSBC. Their debt is £3,672.69.

Anyway i'm just after a bit of advice, i'm once again going to call the number provided on the letter but in all honestly i've had enough.... i'm constantly getting letters saying they owe money for this this and that.... i mean 5 years i'd have thought any debt agencies would have figured that out... my only other concern is they are still using our address!!!

Could debt collectors turn up at our door and start taking things?
 
I doubt they could just turn up and take things, as it isn't your debt, and none of the property in your house belongs to who owns the debt.

Keep sending the letters back, saying they don't live there, or ignore.
 
Either ignore or phone them and explain the situation and ask for an inspector to come and verify what you are saying and then alter their records.

If this doesnt sort it then inform them you will report them to the relevant governing body for harrasment. That sometimes gets results.

No body can turn up and take things without a court order, and that will be in the name of the person they are after, not you.
 
they cant and wont just turn up and start taking things as this cant happen with consumer debt only things like council tax and fines, and only then with a court order, just keep returning to sender and ignoring them, I find phoning them up and going wholesale abusive works if they dont listen the first time!
 
I would just ignore them to be honest. They have no legal powers, so why waste your time and money over something that isn't your problem.
 
A solicitors letter might carry some weight in getting the letters stopped.

You aren't responsible for anyone else's debt and thay have no legal powers to take items so don't worry about that.
 
Write them a letter proving your identity and residence at the address, and telling them to never write to or call you again, or you'll "do something really really serious" etc.

Just give them what they need to move on while simultaneously telling them to politely **** off, and they probably will.
 
Von Smallhausen said:
A solicitors letter might carry some weight in getting the letters stopped.

You aren't responsible for anyone else's debt and thay have no legal powers to take items so don't worry about that.
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Would the police be able to do anything on grounds of harassment?

Regular letters/threatening letter for 5 years surely must count as harassment?
 
I have this with my other house, tenants run up debt then leave, the first one I tried as you say contacting the debt recory people but in the end you aren't the debter so they don't believe you.

Now I just bin the letters and occasionaly a balif turns up, the new tenant shows them some ID and they leave, end of story
 
Tefal said:
Would the police be able to do anything on grounds of harassment?

Regular letters/threatening letter for 5 years surely must count as harassment?
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I would doubt the CPS running with that one Tefal. It is effectively a civil debt albeit not a one of the OP and would fall more into the civil law side.

A chat with a solicitor and a letter sent to them is usually enough to get the letters stopped.

I had a similar thing when i bought my first gaff a few years back and letters from a previous occupant kept coming. I sent a letter to the collection agency stating I wasn't Mr X, could easily prove I wasn't Mr X and wasn't responsible for Mr X's debt as could the agency if they cared to do a little research and that if I received another letter from them then my next reply would be via a solicitor.

It worked.
 
one trick is to send them a letter back stating that any further correspondence you are required to make comes with a fee of £15 each time (not an unreasonable amount). this is how the majority of debt collection agencies make a profit, charging for little 'extras'.

i knew of a case where a chap received constant similar letters and responded to each one and warned of a charge for the letter each time, think he wrote about 40-50 letters in total.

anyway he had enough and took them to a small claims court. he had to pay the fee for the claim which was about £35 but was awarded over 600quid by the court as the company had failed to act on the information or take note of his original warning that any following letters received would be responded to and would incur a charge.

usually a good idea to send them a letter along those lines and always send it recorded delivery, keep the ticket as well as a copy. then if anything happens you're covered.

maybe also send them a photocopy of the front page of your property deeds too?

hope this helps.
 
Phone up, inform them and get them to verify. The previous owners' bad credit could be linked to your home address which could potentially negatively affect your credit rating as they still seem to be registered to your address.
 
We had this a few years back I just sent a letter back stating my case and provided evidence etc and stated their repeated correspondence was in my eyes harassment. I stated I was almost having to go to my GP as it is stressing me out and that I would lose income if I had time off work. They got the message where it was going to take it them ... They are in the business of making money not losing it after all. If you demand a written apology for your inconvenience also it helps - makes you look like you are on the warpath. And I did get a written letter of apology from the debt company and the local council for their error. My personal view is that the lower downs can't not provide that so it has to go up the chain to someone with the power to stop the whole procedure etc and they do so for a bit of peace and quiet themselves.
 
That's not uncommon to get these kind of letters for previous owners/tennets but bear in mind it's illegal to open other peoples mail. Just write on the envelope "Not known @ this address".
 
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