Not known at this address
Discussion
A bit of a difficult one here. I get mail for my sister, who used to live here, for a few weeks, when she had issues with housing a few years ago.
She was living with me due to being evicted from her housing association flat. I don't know the full story, but I made an offer to settle all outstanding debts prior to her eviction, and pay 6 months rent in advance to keep her in the flat. The housing association turned this down.
Now 4 years later they have sent me letters, that look a lot like they are chasing the outstanding debt. I have not opened any so do not know for sure.
the way the HA handled the issue was appalling, and frankly I feel they turned a reasonable offer down, so i am less than inclined to be helpful.
Can I just respond with "No longer at This Address" or am i obliged to tell them her new address?
She was living with me due to being evicted from her housing association flat. I don't know the full story, but I made an offer to settle all outstanding debts prior to her eviction, and pay 6 months rent in advance to keep her in the flat. The housing association turned this down.
Now 4 years later they have sent me letters, that look a lot like they are chasing the outstanding debt. I have not opened any so do not know for sure.
the way the HA handled the issue was appalling, and frankly I feel they turned a reasonable offer down, so i am less than inclined to be helpful.
Can I just respond with "No longer at This Address" or am i obliged to tell them her new address?
If it was a stranger I'd tell you to bin them or to call them and ask them to "Kindly f
k off".
However it's your sister.
She appears to owe them money, you appear to care about her.
If she doesn't sort out her debts then they will be sold to debt collection agencies - she may end up owing more money. It may get very difficult for her. (I assume it is already difficult for her to some degree.)
The fact the HA were unhelpful doesn't mean she doesn't still owe them money.
If it was me, I'd send them onto my Sister and let her deal with them; or not.
k off".However it's your sister.
She appears to owe them money, you appear to care about her.
If she doesn't sort out her debts then they will be sold to debt collection agencies - she may end up owing more money. It may get very difficult for her. (I assume it is already difficult for her to some degree.)
The fact the HA were unhelpful doesn't mean she doesn't still owe them money.
If it was me, I'd send them onto my Sister and let her deal with them; or not.
Edited by Snowboy on Monday 24th March 14:41
Nickyboy said:
I do this with unsolicited mail from the likes of Capital One etc, it works. After doing it to a few they stopped.
If it's addressed to me I normally bundle all up quite thick and stuff it back in the prepaid return envelope. If I get several at the same time I sometimes get confused and send the wrong stuff back to the wrong people
BB
Snowboy said:
If it was me, I'd send them onto my Sister and let her deal with them; or not.
This.They will catch up with her sooner or later. The longer it takes, and the more work it takes, the bigger the bill will be.
If/when a court states that she owes the money, then your/her feelings about the rights and wrongs of it become irrelevant.
If the debt hasn't gone to court yet, then she needs to be talking to the HA to stop it doing so (and the bill escalating massively).
If it's about to go to court, then she needs to get her case together to persuade the court.
If it's been to court, then she's had her chance.
nikaiyo2 said:
She was living with me due to being evicted from her housing association flat. I don't know the full story, but I made an offer to settle all outstanding debts prior to her eviction, and pay 6 months rent in advance to keep her in the flat. The housing association turned this down.
This suggests that the eviction was not only financial.nikaiyo2 said:
No they are not asking
The letters are addressed to her, at my address.
I just don't want to drop myself in the brown stuff, as I do know a forwarding address.
If you know where she lives I'd send them on to her for the reasons already mentioned (minimising accrued debt), and she can decide what to do accordingly. Legally you can't open them as they're not addressed to you anyway so the contents won't be intended or applicable to you.The letters are addressed to her, at my address.
I just don't want to drop myself in the brown stuff, as I do know a forwarding address.
Rubin215 said:
The letters are not for you, they are for someone who once lived at your address.
What is inside them is none of your business, so either redirect them to your sister or return them to the sender.
^^^^^What is inside them is none of your business, so either redirect them to your sister or return them to the sender.
This. I think there is some legal issue with throwing mail away so don't do that. As Rubin said return it or forward it. Your call.
Definitely return to sender for two reasons.
1) Your sister has proven unable/unwilling to deal with the issue, if you forward the letters this will not change.
2) Unanswered the creditor will likely register the bad debt at your address with your surname (assuming your sister shares this) and screw your credit rating.
Returning the letters should disconnect the bad credit from your address in the credit reports.
Get a credit report for your address from experian/equifax and make sure it is absolutely correct. The only debts at should use your address should be any credit agreements she made while living at your address. Make sure your sister is not resisted at you address for council tax or electoral role.
Given she was evicted from social housing, I assume she has no assets of value? If so she could file for personal bankruptcy and using a credit card to pay fee. If she has assets then she should go the IVA route.
https://www.gov.uk/options-for-paying-off-your-deb...
Just remember many debt collection agencies are quite often lying crooks. So be cautions with unexpected phone calls and visitors. They may call you repeated at home, at work and try to cajole and scare you in to paying extortionate charges. They will claim to be bailiffs try to con entry and threaten to seize goods unless you pay something there and then. Never pay a credit collection agency.
If you want to attempt a pay off again, go directly to the creditor. The Housing Association and ask what they would accept in "full and final settlement" Use those exact words.
1) Your sister has proven unable/unwilling to deal with the issue, if you forward the letters this will not change.
2) Unanswered the creditor will likely register the bad debt at your address with your surname (assuming your sister shares this) and screw your credit rating.
Returning the letters should disconnect the bad credit from your address in the credit reports.
Get a credit report for your address from experian/equifax and make sure it is absolutely correct. The only debts at should use your address should be any credit agreements she made while living at your address. Make sure your sister is not resisted at you address for council tax or electoral role.
Given she was evicted from social housing, I assume she has no assets of value? If so she could file for personal bankruptcy and using a credit card to pay fee. If she has assets then she should go the IVA route.
https://www.gov.uk/options-for-paying-off-your-deb...
Just remember many debt collection agencies are quite often lying crooks. So be cautions with unexpected phone calls and visitors. They may call you repeated at home, at work and try to cajole and scare you in to paying extortionate charges. They will claim to be bailiffs try to con entry and threaten to seize goods unless you pay something there and then. Never pay a credit collection agency.
If you want to attempt a pay off again, go directly to the creditor. The Housing Association and ask what they would accept in "full and final settlement" Use those exact words.
Edited by Martin4x4 on Monday 24th March 16:57
She has no other credit arrangements etc registered here, she was literally here for 2 or 3 weeks ish. The story is that her HB status changed when she became a student. Then they claim to have communicated, but I know one communication to be fabricated... But that is in the past.
The thing is this was all about 4 years ago so my feeling is that they are trying to get money before the whole 6 year thing. They obviously don't have her curent address/ contact details.
I am fairly switched on re balifs/ debt collectors rights powers, tbh that does not worry me at all. I just do not want to not give info that I have an obligation to. I think I will ring the HA and inform them in writing that she is not connected to this address in any way etc.
She has no assets really, so even if they track her down it won't affect her at all.
The thing is this was all about 4 years ago so my feeling is that they are trying to get money before the whole 6 year thing. They obviously don't have her curent address/ contact details.
I am fairly switched on re balifs/ debt collectors rights powers, tbh that does not worry me at all. I just do not want to not give info that I have an obligation to. I think I will ring the HA and inform them in writing that she is not connected to this address in any way etc.
She has no assets really, so even if they track her down it won't affect her at all.
Martin4x4 said:
Definitely return to sender for two reasons.
1) Your sister has proven unable/unwilling to deal with the issue, if you forward the letters this will not change.
2) Unanswered the creditor will likely register the bad debt at your address with your surname (assuming your sister shares this) and screw your credit rating.
Returning the letters should disconnect the bad credit from your address in the credit reports.
Get a credit report for your address from experian/equifax and make sure it is absolutely correct. The only debts at should use your address should be any credit agreements she made while living at your address. Make sure your sister is not resisted at you address for council tax or electoral role.
Given she was evicted from social housing, I assume she has no assets of value? If so she could file for personal bankruptcy and using a credit card to pay fee. If she has assets then she should go the IVA route.
https://www.gov.uk/options-for-paying-off-your-deb...
Just remember many debt collection agencies are quite often lying crooks. So be cautions with unexpected phone calls and visitors. They may call you repeated at home, at work and try to cajole and scare you in to paying extortionate charges. They will claim to be bailiffs try to con entry and threaten to seize goods unless you pay something there and then. Never pay a credit collection agency.
If you want to attempt a pay off again, go directly to the creditor. The Housing Association and ask what they would accept in "full and final settlement" Use those exact words.
Credit scores don't factor in addresses anymore, at least not from the point of view of inheriting someone else's poor credit history. 1) Your sister has proven unable/unwilling to deal with the issue, if you forward the letters this will not change.
2) Unanswered the creditor will likely register the bad debt at your address with your surname (assuming your sister shares this) and screw your credit rating.
Returning the letters should disconnect the bad credit from your address in the credit reports.
Get a credit report for your address from experian/equifax and make sure it is absolutely correct. The only debts at should use your address should be any credit agreements she made while living at your address. Make sure your sister is not resisted at you address for council tax or electoral role.
Given she was evicted from social housing, I assume she has no assets of value? If so she could file for personal bankruptcy and using a credit card to pay fee. If she has assets then she should go the IVA route.
https://www.gov.uk/options-for-paying-off-your-deb...
Just remember many debt collection agencies are quite often lying crooks. So be cautions with unexpected phone calls and visitors. They may call you repeated at home, at work and try to cajole and scare you in to paying extortionate charges. They will claim to be bailiffs try to con entry and threaten to seize goods unless you pay something there and then. Never pay a credit collection agency.
If you want to attempt a pay off again, go directly to the creditor. The Housing Association and ask what they would accept in "full and final settlement" Use those exact words.
Edited by Martin4x4 on Monday 24th March 16:57
Nickyboy said:
I do this with unsolicited mail from the likes of Capital One etc, it works. After doing it to a few they stopped.
Bit more effective is to open this sort, put it all back in the enclosed envelope ( there always is in case you want a credit card ) along with a note telling them that all junk mail is returned. As it's addressed to them, they pay the postage and the wages of the person opening this junk return . Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff