Car has been registered to our address

[GrainyPhotos]

A few weeks ago we got a document through the door from the dvla. It was a v5 logbook for a car that we don't own with the name of someone we've never heard of.
Dh wrote to the dvla stating that it wasn't our car etc. we've heard nothing back from them and since then we've had several letters through with fines for not paying the clean air zone payments, speeding fines and parking fines in Birmingham.
Our postie is great, spotted them and has now put a block on these letters so we won't be getting anymore. Dh also contacted the police about the speeding fine and for the first half dozen letters he emailed the relevant people to explain that our address had been used falsely.
Is there anything else we should be doing? He's kept the email chains etc but because the dvla haven't got back in touch he's worried that we need to do more.

I think you need to drill down a bit deeper here and do a check on your credit history to make sure no-one has taken out loans etc in your name/against your address. Check all the credit agencies, not just the one.

Not sure I'd want a block on any of the letters coming thru to you as you don't know what other potential stuff is going on here - OR you won't be able to challenge each and every letter, which although is tedious, is incredibly important I feel.

Identity theft is a total pita to set straight.

Maybe contact Action Fraud for advice? www.actionfraud.police.uk/

Thanks, I'll get him to have a look. We've just assumed he's just using our address. The name on the letters isn't ours, not sure if it's actually his name either.

Ring up the DVLA. It's good that you've got a paper trail but I think you need to actually speak to someone about this so you know for a fact they've received the information.

Thanks, I'll have a look at that link.

Yeah I think that's going to be his next job on Monday morning. So frustrating.

This is from the gov.uk website might help a bit @GrainyPhotos

https://www.gov.uk/driving-fines-letters-you-dont-own-the-vehicle

That's great, thank you. I don't think the four weeks is up yet from Dh contacting them. I'll double check when I get home and see if it's within that time frame.

You will both need to check your credit files.

It could be as innocent as a single postcode error and the purchaser not reading the paperwork the dealer gave them/private sale and had no paperwork. Dvla should be able to investigate.

I agree with not blocking the letters. You need to appeal them and provide copies of the correspondence to DVLA etc. You could end up with CCJs associated with your address as the parking companies are very litigious and it's far better to deal with them earlier rather than later.

I don't think so just based on the volume of fines this guy has run up!

why are you opening them? Wouldn't it be better to send them all back " not known at this address return to sender"

I understand the curiosity but its not got your name on it just bat it back and let the relevant people deal.with it

Definitely open the letters if your identity / credit file is at risk.

We had a similar issue once and we were told that the "not opening letters" thing is a myth.

Keep a close eye on your social media too. Make sure everything is private. Including your photos. What a worry!

Re-reading my reply. I meant provide the issuers of the fines with copies of your letters to the DVLA. Send them anything you can to show them that you and your address has nothing to do with these fines, they won't go away unless you do.

I had a similar experience and received a parking fine for a car that I did not or never owned. In addition, the parking fine occurred in a part of the country miles away from where I lived and somewhere I had never been to.

Initially, I rang up the company that sent the fine. Their response was that the DVLA had given them the information about me being the owner. So I contacted the DVLA to report this and dispute their claim.

They did get back to me, although I can't remember what their response was, however, it did get sorted and I never received any further demands for payment.

I had a different albeit similar scenario. The ex owner of our house never changed his registration details for car (and his business but that's another mater) . 6 years after buying house off him we were getting bailiff demands for unpaid parking and speeding fines.

Long story short, keep at the DVLA. We eventually got a letter confirming that this was not our vehicle and should not be registered to our house. We also contacted the bailiffs to prove we weren't 'Mr T. Wat' so they took our address off our system

Who knows what happened and whether they found him...

However I suspect as others have had similar experiences this kind of thing is common enough that the DVLA should be alert to it. Sensible idea about checking credit cards etc - Experian normally do a 30 days free trial (as do the others but I can't remember their names)

Finally. One last idea. Is your address one that is replicated in other parts of the country? It's possible that the owner GENUINELY has made an error when giving their address / or it's been sent to the wrong place.

Also check Companies House for your address. I know there was a spate of dodgy companies using random people's addresses to set up.

Ooh, maddening behaviour.

What have you found when you’ve googled the name on the penalty notices and Birmingham? And what about when you put car registration into MOT search etc? (I have no tips, just a nosy wannabe detective)

Reseal envelopes and return the correspondence marked "not known at this address". It is important that the various parties know their mail isn't getting to the person in question.

Keep a close eye on your credit file.

Report it to the police, I believe they can make a note to pull the car over if it pings on their in car ANPR.

I went through similar years ago and ended up being summonsed to court for unpaid fines on a car I didn't own. Eventually the police impounded the car and scrapped it which stopped it all.