On a scale of 1-10 how unreasonable AM I, opening someone else's post?

[SortYourOwnBloodyPost]

I really don't give a fuck about legalities at this point.

Its been 16 months since we bought this house.

At the beginning I kindly messaged the previous tenants about their fucking constant post.
They came to collect it many times.
8, id say. Therefore PLENTY of times to contact the companies.

I sent bloody loads of post "return to sender no longer at this address, but it kept coming

I got sick of it after a year, I messaged on here for advice, someone said that the company who kept sending was a debt collectors.
So I opened it and it was.
I contacted the previous people and asked for their address. I will contact the companies for them.

So I have. I've had to write to these companies because I don't have time to sit on hold with them
for effing ages.

One company I wrote to several times. But they ignore and now it's with the debt collectors.

Now here's my current beef.

I got another one form Scottish Power this morning. They owe money. Surprise!

I took a pic, sent it to her and said again that I've had enough of all these bloody debts.

She was effing and blinding at me, she's going to call the police, they have paid the debt (no you haven't) and it's an "ongoing dispute"

And ongoing dispute but they are keeping the fucking dispute as MY address?!

The audacity?!

So, scale of 1-10?

I say minus 23 at this point.

Oh and if I had just binned a court summons that the accused didn’t turn up for the next step would have been likely to have been the police turning up at my house with an arrest warrant for them. We also had sheriff officers (bailiffs) rocking up too.

@WanderingMilly

It is not against the law to open post coming to your address, only if you use the post for illegal purposes (ie. took someone else's bank card and used it as your own).

In your circumstances it's perfectly OK, and you could prove you have made every effort to inform the companies involved and to send on to the right person etc.

If debt collectors visit you need to show them proof you are not the debtor, that you moved there at such-and-such a date, any other proof that you are paying your own bills with your own companies etc. They will believe you with proof. You need to be writing to all these companies and telling them, over and over again, that the debtor does not live there, give them the debtor's new address (or e-mail or any contact details you have) every single time you get a communication. Eventually they will track the real person down and sort it out.

We didn’t have to show them anything when they came to ours. They accepted what we said and went on their way. I offered to show them my driving licence as ID but they said no.

Bin it. Mine stopped coming only when I started binning everything no matter how important it looked. I guess missed fines or something finally makes people change their fucking address!
If they didn't care, why should I🤷🏻

We had bailiffs appear for a previous resident debt, they accepted straight away it wasn’t us, very straightforward, didn’t have to show them anything or argue with them.

Bailiffs, or legit ones anyway usually have a court order when they come knocking at your door to remove goods to the value of the debt. Once you show them that you are not the person they are looking for, they should go back to the court and it's logged that the debtor is not at that address, so any further requests to the court for that person and address are rejected.

Of course they don't always follow the procedure so that debt could be sold to another company who, in turn send their bailiffs round.

Also no matter how many times you call these places, or send stuff back "not at this address" they will eventually send letters to "the occupier" in plain envelopes so you open it.
It's probably quicker to let them come round and have your documents to hand to show them.

Bitter experience makes me rather the expert. Once a decent debt collection company got hold of the debt registered at my house (by a stranger who'd randomly used my address) it was quickly sorted and we never heard from them, or anyone else again.

We have had this issue twice. The first time we didn't have a forwarding address, bailiffs would turn up we provide proof we weren't the debtor they would leave satisfied. 2 months later it would be passed on to a different bailiff they turned up we provide proof again, this happened twice more. We found that they were chasing a council tax debt so I pointed the bailiffs back to the council to show that we took over the council tax on x date and have been paying it.

The next time we moved we had it again this time with parking fines. We did have a forwarding address this time, bailiffs came 3 or 4 times and each time we gave them the forwarding address. The last time they came when we weren't home so they left a letter to say they had been to visit and to get in touch. I posted this letter back to the debt recovery agency with a note giving the new address of the debtor and the date that we bought the house. They wrote back to me and asked me to provide a bill as proof of the change in occupancy and that was the end of the matter. The previous owner really didn't like paying for parking in the first year of us living there I think we had 6 parking ticket notifications!

When you buy a new house and get mail for former owners,take it or redirect it to their solicitors. In most cases,having their solicitor haranguing them will get a redirection put in place. If you still get debtor court letters for former occupants ,don't ignore them,contact the sender. If you send them a copy of the Council Tax bill in your name,details of your purchase,details of the solicitors involved and a copy of any solicitor's letter you have confirming the change of ownership,that should put a stop to further correspondence. Keep a copy and ideally send by Signed For Delivery. If this does not put a stop to letters or other contact, make a formal complaint to the sender and to its regulatory body.It's infuriating that you have to do this. I think it should be part of the conveyancing process that your solicitor is shown proof of Royal Mail redirection.

ItsDinah,

It’s a lot of hassle not to mention expense (signed for delivery!) and time to do that and I don’t want to send info with all my details, as I don’t want to risk identity theft!

We had this when we bought our house. After the first year I just binned anything for anyone else - it gets so annoying. I once literally called into a local solicitor and asked to be taken off their mailing list as the people they were trying to reach no longer lived there - blank stares and I STILL get mail from them!

They did change their address after I sent a letter back to DVLA Not Known as they tried to SORN their car here. At an address not their own. That doesn’t have off street parking

The most difficult time though that nearly gave me a breakdown was when we moved into a rental flat - the previous tenant had died leaving a substantial debt on the top up gas meter (remember those? Had to buy tokens to feed in) - I ended up having to pay off his debt before we could get any heat as it was February and then spend hours and ££ on an 0845 number to get it refunded. I was a broke final year student, I’ll never forgive British Gas for treating me so badly. There was other shit as well but I’m not getting into it - 16 years later and it still upsets me.

@SortYourOwnBloodyPost
Have you checked the electoral register?
When I added our names to our new address all the previous multiple occupiers were on the register with us.
Debt agencies often start with the electoral register to trace debtors. I had their names removed from being associated with our address.

remember those? Had to buy tokens to feed in
Now it's a key. I have it😂 I am having bit of an argument about smart meters so stuck with top ups🤦
And yeah. Debt on meter is shit! Had it in previous flat (first time I encountered top up meter). I did though flipped on everyone from leccy company to estate agent because it was taking 50 a week so it was taken off very quickly. Even got a code to get extra credit😱

@TheDailyCarbunkle

It is against the law.

What you should do is just bin the letters and get on with you life, rather than getting involved in the affairs of people who clearly aren't very sensible or nice.

Don't open any more letters or send anymore messages. This isn't your problem.

Yes this

@Cuddling57

I think the law on this should allow for who owns the property at the address it's being sent to! Perfectly reasonable to open letters addressed to your own house! I'd even be tempted to pretend I was the person and ring the company to give the new address! What a cheek they are letting you get the bailiff letters! Although I guess these companies record there phone calls so I'd probably get into more trouble

That makes no sense, upon OP calling and pretending she is the actual person the mail is for, they could ask more questions, how will OP answer them?!

@iklboo

Scottish Power are a shower of shite so I'm not surprised they've not updated their records. Maybe swing GDPR at them and the debt collectors for failure to keep correct records?

Ooh lol tell me more, I had a call from them yesterday asking for my mother but on my mobile phone, mumbled something about on the records, then swiftly asked who I'm with etc and even called back later on as I couldn't stay on the phone, went through gas etc usage and what 'fantastic' deal he could give me there and then. I said I will think about it, he said well I just need 5 minutes to set up the direct debit, I said I just told you, I want time to think, he then said that's fine I'll get all details sent over to you and then you'll receive confirmation of the direct debit blah de blah, I said no I am not setting that up now lol. He said he will call back on Friday 🙄 guess who might be too busy to pick up 🤣🤣

@Vixyboo

I have just left Scottish Power. The only reason I didn't tear my hair out is cos it has taken a bloody long time to grow it after loads of bloody chemo. I totally get you dont want debt collectors at your door. Can you ask CAB for advice?

Hi, just replied to another poster above you who has said the same, eek worried now and glad lol that I didn't agree to sign up yesterday!

@Motnight

I think that you are becoming too involved. Let the debt collectors turn up, show them your ID.

Yes, you are ending up doing their job for them!

We had exactly the same when we moved in- debt collector letters, business debts, personal debts you name it.

We played by the rules for the first year and passed letters to the estate agent who knew the ex owners lived. After about a year DH got fed up and started opening every single letter. He was so furious he would spend his whole lunch hour at work making calls to the various agencies and passing on their new address (we'd got it out of the estate agent by then).

After a month or so it all tailed off and haven't heard anything for years now.

No, but they can knock on the door and ask for the people they are looking for.

The easiest way to ensure they don’t return is to show ID.

There’s no need to make opening the door, showing ID and sending them on their way into a mega drama.

This bit wasn't being queried, it was the utter nonsense of 'show them you're paying your own bills' that was. Of course you wouldn't bloody show them you're paying your bills, not least because that's not what they're there for and don't give a flying fuck whether you are or aren't, unless and until they're instructed to deal.

I don’t know why you are letting it get to you so much. Perhaps it wouldn’t if you stop chasing around after the tenants or contacting the companies. I have been getting some post for somebody that used to rent our house when we were overseas, it is weird because we have been back five years but have only been getting the list for about a year. We write not at this address, pop in post and don’t give it another thought.

And all the people saying ignore them, it's not your business, are dreadfully naive. Of course it's your business when bailiffs turn up at your door, maybe on numerous occasions.

If the debt is not in your name it’s not your issue

As a pp said you would be better off if the bailiffs do turn up all they can do is chase the person, address is irrelevant, the bailiffs will probably want to ID all the over 18 in the house, if you have a forwarding address give them that
Bailiffs can only legally remove goods from the person who’s debt the name is in, they cannot demand payment from you, no matter what they say, and they cannot remove your possessions, and they cannot enter your house uninvited, make sure your doors are locked
But they can call between 6am and 9pm, but do not let them in.
Speaking through a door or over a phone

@NoWordForFluffy

And all the people saying ignore them, it's not your business, are dreadfully naive. Of course it's your business when bailiffs turn up at your door, maybe on numerous occasions.

Exactly, probably while I'm at Tesco and my 10 year old answers the door.

We've had a nightmare with mill collections, they're vile.
Send you house purchase evidence to all the companies sending collection letters and tell them if you get contacted again then you'll be complaining to the omudsman.
Keep the evidence of your house purchase to hand aswell in case someone does turn up at the house. Stop contacting the previous owner, you're just involving yourself in their madness.

Just bin them, I wouldn't be opening them and contacting suppliers.