How to tell bailiffs the man you are looking for has moved
Discussion
Morning All,
One of my colleagues at work has owned her apartment for just over 6 years (resident and never let out) and has had several issues with bailiffs/debt collectors chasing the previous owner for unpaid debts. This has now started up again with a new set of bailiffs/debt collectors looking to gain access to her apartment to seize goods. Fortunately the apartment is in a gated environment and the gate house do not allow anyone into the premises without the express written permission of the resident in question so there is a level of protection in place. However, on Friday it appears that attempts to gain access went up a notch with someone arriving at the gate house who tried to lie their way in and were told to go away in no uncertain terms. Their registration plate was noted and their face photographed by the security cameras and will be communicated to the Police if necessary should they return again.
What I would like to know is if there is a central database that my friend can contact where she can provide proof of ownership of the apartment for 6 years or more so that bailiffs/debt collectors leave her in peace and look at alternative avenues to find the previous owner. She has contacted companies still sending letters to the previous owner at her address but this does not appear to be working.
Many thanks in advance for any help and guidance you can provide.
One of my colleagues at work has owned her apartment for just over 6 years (resident and never let out) and has had several issues with bailiffs/debt collectors chasing the previous owner for unpaid debts. This has now started up again with a new set of bailiffs/debt collectors looking to gain access to her apartment to seize goods. Fortunately the apartment is in a gated environment and the gate house do not allow anyone into the premises without the express written permission of the resident in question so there is a level of protection in place. However, on Friday it appears that attempts to gain access went up a notch with someone arriving at the gate house who tried to lie their way in and were told to go away in no uncertain terms. Their registration plate was noted and their face photographed by the security cameras and will be communicated to the Police if necessary should they return again.
What I would like to know is if there is a central database that my friend can contact where she can provide proof of ownership of the apartment for 6 years or more so that bailiffs/debt collectors leave her in peace and look at alternative avenues to find the previous owner. She has contacted companies still sending letters to the previous owner at her address but this does not appear to be working.
Many thanks in advance for any help and guidance you can provide.
Yex 450 said:
Morning All,
One of my colleagues at work has owned her apartment for just over 6 years (resident and never let out) and has had several issues with bailiffs/debt collectors chasing the previous owner for unpaid debts. This has now started up again with a new set of bailiffs/debt collectors looking to gain access to her apartment to seize goods. Fortunately the apartment is in a gated environment and the gate house do not allow anyone into the premises without the express written permission of the resident in question so there is a level of protection in place. However, on Friday it appears that attempts to gain access went up a notch with someone arriving at the gate house who tried to lie their way in and were told to go away in no uncertain terms. Their registration plate was noted and their face photographed by the security cameras and will be communicated to the Police if necessary should they return again.
What I would like to know is if there is a central database that my friend can contact where she can provide proof of ownership of the apartment for 6 years or more so that bailiffs/debt collectors leave her in peace and look at alternative avenues to find the previous owner. She has contacted companies still sending letters to the previous owner at her address but this does not appear to be working.
Many thanks in advance for any help and guidance you can provide.
Can't your 'friend' make her own enquiry? Why are you doing this? You don't have any first hand evidence, everything you have said is hearsay.One of my colleagues at work has owned her apartment for just over 6 years (resident and never let out) and has had several issues with bailiffs/debt collectors chasing the previous owner for unpaid debts. This has now started up again with a new set of bailiffs/debt collectors looking to gain access to her apartment to seize goods. Fortunately the apartment is in a gated environment and the gate house do not allow anyone into the premises without the express written permission of the resident in question so there is a level of protection in place. However, on Friday it appears that attempts to gain access went up a notch with someone arriving at the gate house who tried to lie their way in and were told to go away in no uncertain terms. Their registration plate was noted and their face photographed by the security cameras and will be communicated to the Police if necessary should they return again.
What I would like to know is if there is a central database that my friend can contact where she can provide proof of ownership of the apartment for 6 years or more so that bailiffs/debt collectors leave her in peace and look at alternative avenues to find the previous owner. She has contacted companies still sending letters to the previous owner at her address but this does not appear to be working.
Many thanks in advance for any help and guidance you can provide.
Yex 450 said:
What I would like to know is if there is a central database that my friend can contact where she can provide proof of ownership of the apartment for 6 years or more so that bailiffs/debt collectors leave her in peace and look at alternative avenues to find the previous owner.
Land Registry, Electoral Roll, Council Tax...The Mad Monk said:
Can't your 'friend' make her own enquiry? Why are you doing this? You don't have any first hand evidence, everything you have said is hearsay.
I dunno, let's think. Possibly OP's friend has knickers, of which the OP is on the outside. Possibly the OP equates "outside" with "wrong side" and is working to remedy this injustice by the age old romantic gesture of de-bailiff bothering her life. And who could blame him? So much cheaper than flowers.Possibly he just wants to help.
If it weren't utterly ironic, I'd ask: "What can you possibly add to this thread or gain personally by questioning the OP's motives?" and I'd use one of those roly eyed thingies. But it's too damn early for irony like that (well technically it 'ain't, but we've run out of office coffee so it feels too early) so I won't.
mikeveal said:
I dunno, let's think. Possibly OP's friend has knickers, of which the OP is on the outside. Possibly the OP equates "outside" with "wrong side" and is working to remedy this injustice by the age old romantic gesture of de-bailiff bothering her life. And who could blame him? So much cheaper than flowers.
Possibly he just wants to help.
If it weren't utterly ironic, I'd ask: "What can you possibly add to this thread or gain personally by questioning the OP's motives?" and I'd use one of those roly eyed thingies. But it's too damn early for irony like that (well technically it 'ain't, but we've run out of office coffee so it feels too early) so I won't.
<applause>Possibly he just wants to help.
If it weren't utterly ironic, I'd ask: "What can you possibly add to this thread or gain personally by questioning the OP's motives?" and I'd use one of those roly eyed thingies. But it's too damn early for irony like that (well technically it 'ain't, but we've run out of office coffee so it feels too early) so I won't.
blueg33 said:
The Mad Monk said:
Can't your 'friend' make her own enquiry? Why are you doing this? You don't have any first hand evidence, everything you have said is hearsay.
Pointless post. Another PH Pratt emerges Er, maybe I was trying to help?!
Yex 450 said:
Many thanks in advance for any help and guidance you can provide.
I am in exactly the same position, again luckily behind a gate and a door that requires a key or permission but they still try. We get all the letters for him, it's as though he just didn't update anything when he left. Honestly, he gets more post than we do. I once opened one of the letters and phoned the company and asked them to stop sending mail but quite correctly they said, 'How do we know you're not X asking for us to stop sending mail. You need to prove you are not him and then we will stop.' I didn't send anything because I didn't want them to know who I was.
We send the letters back with not know at this address - RTS. When they come round in person (we had one on Friday afternoon) we tell them he isn't here and he hasn't been here since last year. Although the guy on Friday was a little more aggressive than the rest I held back from going out to him in person and telling him to do one.
The biggest fear is them calling when my wife is alone (she's a little bit dumb about these things) and them barging in and grabbing my work gear. Apart from that it's easy just to make a habit of returning the letters and ignoring the bell.
Not very helpful but it's never easy and I'm pretty sure there's nothing that can be done about it...
mikeveal said:
I dunno, let's think. Possibly OP's friend has knickers, of which the OP is on the outside. Possibly the OP equates "outside" with "wrong side" and is working to remedy this injustice by the age old romantic gesture of de-bailiff bothering her life. And who could blame him? So much cheaper than flowers.
.
LOL that comment just made my Monday morning considerably brighter!.
Just bought a house with my missus and we have a similar problem (and also in the last rented house I moved into 9 odd years ago).
I find that a simple phone call to the debt company/bailiffs/whatever seems to suffice (maybe I've been lucky!).
Be polite and patient and explain that person X no longer lives at this address and that you have no connection to him or her. I also find that if you try to help the debt company representative out a bit, then they tend to take effective action on your behalf, rather than just fobbing you off.
For example, if you can't provide a new address for the debtor, give them the letting agents/estate agent's details (and if possible a specific person within the company to speak to) as they may well have details for the person be perused for the debt. As always in life, a calm and measured approach will get you better results than effing and blinding at someone who, to be fair, is just doing their job.
As the OPs friend has been in the place for 6 years and he states that it has never been let, it makes things a bit more tricky. OP: you mention that she has an apartment. Is there a service charge? Perhaps there might be a forwarding address or other details held by them? Has she approached her neighbours to see if they knew the person being chased, and do they have similar problem with unwanted letters and visits?
If this doesn't work, then try the electoral roll etc. (as others have said).
I find that a simple phone call to the debt company/bailiffs/whatever seems to suffice (maybe I've been lucky!).
Be polite and patient and explain that person X no longer lives at this address and that you have no connection to him or her. I also find that if you try to help the debt company representative out a bit, then they tend to take effective action on your behalf, rather than just fobbing you off.
For example, if you can't provide a new address for the debtor, give them the letting agents/estate agent's details (and if possible a specific person within the company to speak to) as they may well have details for the person be perused for the debt. As always in life, a calm and measured approach will get you better results than effing and blinding at someone who, to be fair, is just doing their job.
As the OPs friend has been in the place for 6 years and he states that it has never been let, it makes things a bit more tricky. OP: you mention that she has an apartment. Is there a service charge? Perhaps there might be a forwarding address or other details held by them? Has she approached her neighbours to see if they knew the person being chased, and do they have similar problem with unwanted letters and visits?
If this doesn't work, then try the electoral roll etc. (as others have said).
We had this.
Before we bought it, our house had been in the same family for 60 years or so.
After we moved in we started getting letters for an Asian gentleman (the previous owners had a very English name) and no amount of "Return to sender" seemed to help.
Then we started getting phone calls for a chap of the same name. Told them that no-one of that name had ever lived here and it went quiet. Some of the callers were quite rude too. Not sure how they got the phone number though.
The a new debt collector was appointed....
Etc.
Etc.
Etc.
Took some years before it stopped completely.
Before we bought it, our house had been in the same family for 60 years or so.
After we moved in we started getting letters for an Asian gentleman (the previous owners had a very English name) and no amount of "Return to sender" seemed to help.
Then we started getting phone calls for a chap of the same name. Told them that no-one of that name had ever lived here and it went quiet. Some of the callers were quite rude too. Not sure how they got the phone number though.
The a new debt collector was appointed....
Etc.
Etc.
Etc.
Took some years before it stopped completely.
Get the £2.50 statutory credit reports from Equifax, Experian and whatever the other one is. You may have to look a bit on their websites as they'll try to sell you a package which you don't need.
When you have the credit reports just go through and identify if there are any other people associated with your address. If there are then write to Equifax/Experian requesting that they remove these links from that address. They should send you confirmation that they have taken the requested action.
Speaking from experience you may need to repeat again at some point in the future.
ETA: This approach should save you having to go to separate registers such as the electoral roll etc.
When you have the credit reports just go through and identify if there are any other people associated with your address. If there are then write to Equifax/Experian requesting that they remove these links from that address. They should send you confirmation that they have taken the requested action.
Speaking from experience you may need to repeat again at some point in the future.
ETA: This approach should save you having to go to separate registers such as the electoral roll etc.
OP, you send them an 'harrasment' letter.
Have a look over here:
http://forums.all-about-debt.co.uk/#
Have a look over here:
http://forums.all-about-debt.co.uk/#
Edited by Boosted LS1 on Monday 25th April 11:20
I had similar for a couple years after moving into my house. I spoke with the baliffs and told them I now owned the house and had no idea who the previous tennant was. Showed my driving licence to prove who I was (my suggestion not their request) and that was it.
Surely your mate can contact them and provide the relevant proof of who she is and the debtor is nothing to do with her?
Surely your mate can contact them and provide the relevant proof of who she is and the debtor is nothing to do with her?
Yex 450 said:
What I would like to know is if there is a central database that my friend can contact where she can provide proof of ownership of the apartment for 6 years or more so that bailiffs/debt collectors leave her in peace and look at alternative avenues to find the previous owner.
TooMany2cvs said:
Land Registry, Electoral Roll, Council Tax...
+1 
The previous owner of My house left no forwarding address and left behind unpaid business and personal debts with several different companies. Most accepted My telling them that he'd moved and no longer lived at the address, and didn't bother Me any more.
One of them though, persisted in constantly sending letters (which I didn't open as they were not addressed to Me), and they had no return address on them so I just threw them away.
Eventually one came addressed to the occupier rather than the previous owner so I opened it to find out it was a debt collecting firm threatening to send bailiffs round to seize goods to cover an owing debt by the previous owner.
I called them to explain that the guy they were looking for had sold the house years ago, and that I was now the owner of the property and nothing to do with the previous owner, only to be accused of lying, and being the previous owner pretending to be someone else!
I demanded to talk to the top person at their company and was put through to the guy who owned it. I told him who I was, when I'd bought the house and told him to get his facts right before accusing Me of lying, telling him to check with the land registry and whoever else necessary, to confirm that the house had been sold, and told him that he was one of five companies that I was aware of who were chasing the previous owner for money owed!
An hour later he phoned Me back to say he'd had it confirmed that I was nothing to do with the previous owner and apologised for the accusation made about lying. He said that quite often people do try that sort of trick but it was not the case this time, and promised I would receive no more letters - Which did stop.
So as mentioned, tell them to check the Land Registry, Electoral Roll, Council Tax... (which they should do anyway if they ran their companies properly!)
Like others i have had this as well.
Banks and lenders - nice note back explaining that their letter was opened in error, noted and he's not here, copy of LR title showing property in my name. most get the message first time, some take a second letter with a copy of the first and a note saying that further correspondence on this issue will be deemed as acceptance that i will be charging for any future time spent assisting them at my firms hourly rate of £220 + vat per hour.
Debt collection letters - same as above.
Bailiffs turning up at the door - only happened once. Passed copy of title to property (funnily enough after the first couple of 'your personal loan is 3 years in arrears' type letters were received I made sure one was within arms reach of the door) and also showed them my Driving Licence. Parted on polite terms and never heard from again.
To this day (nearly 8 years on) sill get the odd letter, RTS.
It's a minor ball ache but that is it.
If i were getting regular visits from bailiffs I would be taking a very hard-line approach with them. Any attempt by them to lie or make false statements would be dealt with legally. Once corrected with evidence of title and ID they would also be informed after the second visit that any further contact will be deemed to be harassment and reported as such to the appropriate authorities. Never had to get that far though myself.
Banks and lenders - nice note back explaining that their letter was opened in error, noted and he's not here, copy of LR title showing property in my name. most get the message first time, some take a second letter with a copy of the first and a note saying that further correspondence on this issue will be deemed as acceptance that i will be charging for any future time spent assisting them at my firms hourly rate of £220 + vat per hour.
Debt collection letters - same as above.
Bailiffs turning up at the door - only happened once. Passed copy of title to property (funnily enough after the first couple of 'your personal loan is 3 years in arrears' type letters were received I made sure one was within arms reach of the door) and also showed them my Driving Licence. Parted on polite terms and never heard from again.
To this day (nearly 8 years on) sill get the odd letter, RTS.
It's a minor ball ache but that is it.
If i were getting regular visits from bailiffs I would be taking a very hard-line approach with them. Any attempt by them to lie or make false statements would be dealt with legally. Once corrected with evidence of title and ID they would also be informed after the second visit that any further contact will be deemed to be harassment and reported as such to the appropriate authorities. Never had to get that far though myself.
Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff