Threatening letters arriving to my house. Please advise!

[Kat256M]

I received a couple letters last month or so in someone else's name which I didn't recognise. As far as I am aware he hasn't lived here at least 5/6 years(if ever!).

I ignored them but kept them just in case. Today another came in and it looked urgent. Decided to look inside. Apparently someone went in London and didn't pay the congestion charge. For some reason the penalty came to my address. It was never paid as of course he never actually received it. The final letter is threatening debt agencies etc. I don't want people showing up to my home and I am scared it is going to affect my credit score. What do I do??

I wouldnt worry too much about having opened the mail. It’s easy to do this accidentally. I’m the only person to have lived in my house since it was built so I’ve opened all mail sent here. I don’t even look at who it’s addressed to. It is technically a crime but who’s going to know if you don’t tell them. Do as others have said and stick it back in the post box with “return to sender - not known at his address’ on and do the same with any more you get. Sign up for one of the free credit check agencies to check there’s no mark on you file. Clear score is one and Martyn Lewis has another one

It's not a crime to open someone else's post in England (unsure about rest of UK) if you have a reasonable reason to do so. OP does.

It's only a crime if you do it to cause them 'detriment'. It's absolutely fine to open a letter, call the company, and say 'this person doesn't live here, I've never heard of them'.

Yes won't affect your credit (or absolutely certainly shouldn't) as even though the address is yours, you're in no way financially 'linked' with this person. So even if bailiffs do turn up just show them some ID or something and they'll go away. They're not going to come threatening you when you're a totally different person.

Came to say this. The previous (and previously previous) tenants of my current home were being chased as soon as I moved in. Posted a few letters back but bailiffs soon came. Lucky I wasn’t home, so rang the companies to ask them to back off. They wanted proof with a council tax bill (which they didn’t process correctly, had a very angry phonecall next time a bailiff tried). Since then, any letter to a previous tenant that still turns up, I googled the address on the back. If it’s a PO Box for a debt firm, I open it and sort it there and then. Debt companies are relentless, they don’t often stop at a ‘not at this address’ return.

This happened to me as well! It turned out that someone with the same surname as me racked up lots of debt with a bank and then ran away. The bank handed the case to a debt collection agency who searched all nearby buildings for names that might be the same person. It make zero sense but this is literally a method of finding debtors.

Don't worry about it as it won't affect your credit score or make you liable for anything. It's only the person addressed in the letter and the companies may have used his last known address, or he gave a fake one. It's not illegal to open other people's letters since that's the only way you can put an end to it. I opened one of the letters, called them up and explained everything which got it sorted.

Just want to say a big thank you for all the helpful responses. It was one of these times that I had no idea what I am supposed to do. I have been in England long enough that it doesn't happen often but I hate it when it does, makes me feel a bit lost. So many people reassuring me and pointing me to the right direction here. I can try to calm myself down and stop catastrophising now!

@Kat256M i had disconnection notices pending from gas and electric and even window cleaner telling me to stop hiding behind sofa when I first moved in

it’s a hassle you don’t need which is why having all the details you need ready to show anyone who turns up is important. None of the issues impacted my credit rating as other people have said it is linked to the address. Like you this is very important to me

make friends with your postie!

It really isn’t it’s only a crime if you have criminal intentions like defrauding someone

It's not. Stop it.

It can’t go on your credit file it’s not in your name

OP I have the same problem.
I have lived at my address for 6 years.
I tried sending them back with return to sender. But they kept on coming.
Eventually about years ago I opened one and then called them to explain that this person doesn't live here and please STOP.
They stopped for 2 years. Now it's started again!!
So back to return to sender!!
I feel your pain. I won't call them again

We had a letter threatening balliffs for a person not known at our address. We called the company to tell them there was nobody here with the name and then didn’t hear from them again or get any lasting problems from it.

If you do happen to have a forwarding address for the person then write "Not known at this address, try at (insert forwarding address)."

It is not a crime to open someone else's mail.

Only if you're doing it intentionally to cause issues. You can opt it so you can contact someone to tell them the letter hadn't been delivered!!!

Why would it affect your credit score? It’s not for you.

Regurn to sender. If they turn up tell them he doesn’t live there. You aren’t responsible for a stranger’s debt

It’s not

Why do people believe this? It's not a crime.