Previous occupier serious debt

[PookieDo]

I moved into a HA home 6 months ago. I was told by a nosy neighbour on day 1 that the previous tenants were evicted for rent arrears and were unpleasant neighbours to live near but as this is nothing to do with me I have just carried on my normal life, put myself on the electoral roll, pay council tax etc.

A LOT of post has always come for these neighbours and I have marked it return to sender no longer at this address and put it into a post box. I had pre payment meters when I moved in for gas and electric both owing thousands on them this took a while to sort out as I am a new tenant.

I work full time but my 15/16 yo teenage girls are home during the day during the holidays and have told me that there have recently been knocks at the door when I am not home which they don’t answer and don’t recognise who is knocking. No one has knocked in the evening, my window cleaner always leaves a card, and if it’s just sales people they don’t leave any cards either. If neighbours they would just come back when they know I am home! My housing officer would ring me first. If parcels my DC are expecting them they will answer iyswim.

Today a letter came and it was very soggy as raining heavily and it was wet and half open. It is a solicitors letter with a court order for nearly £500 dated in March. It says high court of justice - business and property courts. It says that the defendants will be served but doesn’t say anything about bayliffs.

To get to the point what do I do now? Do I have to do anything? I am concerned debt collectors or bayliffs are coming during the day. I am not on the open register for electoral roll but I made sure I filled out the card to remove them from this address.

I did not intentionally open their post and I don’t really want to be involved, but I feel I need to ensure that this doesn’t impact me or my DC. I have access to a free credit wise credit report and my address doesn’t seem to have any links to it to them

I have been in this exact position, sending letters back with no longer at this address tend not to work in general, particularly with debt collection agencies, i guess they think anyone could write that on the envelope

As a result I've had a few bailiffs call round, but it was sorted no problem when i showed them my id and a copy of the tenancy agreement to prove i lived there and not the person they were after

Thanks! I think as it is from the high court it is why I am wondering if I should contact the solicitors and tell them or the court or just wait and see if enforcement officers turn up

I’d do 3 things:

1. Write to the solicitors - say you accidentally opened the post, and are writing to inform them that X no longer lives there and you have no forwarding details. You could enclose a copy of your ID and tenancy agreement to prove it to them.

1. Laminate a letter and attach it to your front door saying to whom it may concern, X no longer lives here, the new occupiers have no connection with X and have no forwarding details.

1. Give your teenagers a briefing - if they accidentally open the door to anybody who turns out to be a bailiff, they should say that they are children, that they have no authority to let anybody into the house or to remove anything, and that as stated on the laminated letter you are new tenants and nothing to do with X.

It may take a while for all the debt agencies to accept that X is gone, try to be calm, factual and Don’t stress.

Thanks!
Yes they won’t open the door if they don’t know who it is, I don’t know if it is debt collectors or chancers seeing if anyone is home either. I suspect this court order is one of many. When I moved in British Gas told me they were chasing them for £6,000 😳

I will contact the solicitors and let them know. I have no idea where they are but a lot of stuff also turns up for their children which also makes me think they haven’t declared to many people where they are and are therefore harder for anyone to find!

This happened to me. I still get letters 16 years later.

My solicitor advised me to write to each company recorded delivery and tell them that the person has moved and to check the electoral role.

Former High Court Enforcement Agent here.

The High Court Enforcement agents will come out to your address even if you contact them and explain you are a new tenant.
If you call their office they may ask you you send a copy of your new tenancy agreement to prove you are a new tenant and not the debtor but in my experience they often send an agent regardless.

You should have no bother at all if you show your ID and tenancy agreement to any debt collectors, bailiffs and High Court Agents. They will log it and return it back to the claimant to trace a new address they can chase.

If your daughters do not answer the door don't worry. They should make at least one 'out of hours' visit (either early morning between 6-8am or 6-9pm) to try to contact someone at that address. Your daughters are not obliged to answer. :)

One more piece of advice. They have no power to enter your home so don't allow them in if you do answer the door. They are accustomed to dealing with matters on the doorstep.
Most are very pleasant and will be no bother but a very rare few try to push their luck and put pressure on you to provide forwarding addresses or payment. It's very naughty and thankfully rare but is not unheard of so no letting them in means they can't put that pressure on you.

Sorry for your situation. Whoever the former tenants were sound like they've left a bit of a mess behind but it will ease off as creditors trace them to new addresses.