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Original poster

Stopping excessive mail to someone who doesn’t live herr

99 replies

Rhinosaurus · 27/08/2019 21:27

Help - I feel as if I am being harassed. A legal firm acting for a parking company for disputed charges are sending between 2 to 5 letters a week to my son at my address. My son has not lived here for over a year and is travelling overseas and does not have a forwarding address. The constant letters are really causing me stress and upset now. I don’t open them, but I know where they are from due to the franking/return address:

So far I have returned to sender, I have written politely to them saying he no longer lives here, I have sent normal mail and also email, and recorded mail with return of the letters. I have completed a cease and desist letter earlier this month saying that he no longer lives here and letters are not reaching him, with a fee schedule if I have to spend time and money returning them stating that if they continue to send letters that constitutes agreement to the fees. Since then if anything letters have increased, I have sent four back today - one received daily since last Wednesday with an invoice for my fees.

Surely this constitutes some sort of harassment?
My son is not on the council tax or electoral roll here since he left the uk early last year.

Any ideas gratefully received, is there an omsbudsman I can complain to I? Or the law society as they call themselves a legal firm?

OP posts:
Original poster
Rhinosaurus · 27/08/2019 21:27

Whoops type in title - here, not Herr obvs Grin

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Namechangeforthiscancershit · 27/08/2019 21:29

Is he registered at the address as far as the DVLA goes though?

Original poster
Rhinosaurus · 27/08/2019 21:29

Forgot to mention - the reason I don’t ignore them is because I have heard that they will apply for a CCJ and get it by default if there is no response.

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Original poster
Rhinosaurus · 27/08/2019 21:31

He was at the time of the ticket which is from 2015, but he no longer has the car and is not registered as a vehicle owner in the uk since April 2018 when he sold it.

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Tashd · 27/08/2019 21:36

Did he pay for the ticket?

Original poster
Rhinosaurus · 27/08/2019 21:40

No because it was in dispute as it was a parking space allocated to us

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georgialondon · 27/08/2019 21:56

It sounds like he hasn't given DVLA a new address. So they will write to the address they have. What else would you expect them to do?

Original poster
Rhinosaurus · 27/08/2019 21:58

That’s up to them what they want to do - he doesn’t live here, and hasn’t done for over a year - they have been advised of this several times, so they shouldn’t be sending letters here virtually every day.

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Original poster
Rhinosaurus · 27/08/2019 21:59

And as he does not have a vehicle why would he give DVLA a new address? Parking companies don’t use licence info, they use car reg info. The car in question is now registered to another person.

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Toomanycats99 · 27/08/2019 22:03

But why would you not try and help resolve issue? All that's happening is that they are running up more costs. I get he doesn't live there but he is your son not a random person so they are probably proceeding on that basis.

He cannot expect the legal action to stop because he is abroad.

georgialondon · 27/08/2019 22:11

Yes but DVLA HAS to send to the registered address. So why complain

Original poster
Rhinosaurus · 27/08/2019 22:12

I agree they can pursue it all they like and spend as much as they like, but it’s not my problem. He is travelling, staying in hostels a week and moving on again, it cannot be forwarded, he has a brick mobile not a smartphone. It’s nothing to do with me, he is an adult - who doesn’t live here.

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slipperywhensparticus · 27/08/2019 22:13

Ring them

Original poster
Rhinosaurus · 27/08/2019 22:13

The info from DVLA was years ago - since then they know he doesn’t live here for the last year plus - if they are worried about saving costs then why keep paying to send letters which they know are only going to be sent back?

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Original poster
Rhinosaurus · 27/08/2019 22:14

I’ve tried ringing them, they won’t speak to me as I don’t have the ref number and i am not him.

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Helpfindme · 27/08/2019 22:16

Look into the three letter process, you can do this if the debt has been sold on.

Elieza · 27/08/2019 22:21

These companies try and piss families off so they finally snap and tell the loved one to get their finger out and deal with the issue. Or the family just pays it for them. That’s what their plan is. Either way they get paid.
You say he’s an adult but he’s actually behaving like a child, running away from his problems instead of taking care of them, and leaving you to clean up at his ass.
This problem won’t go away. It needs dealt with. Did he do anything to try and resolve the issues about whatever misunderstanding led to this? If he started investigating perhaps you could assist in his absence? The bill will just get bigger and bigger. Sorry you have to put up with the mail. I don’t know if there is anything you can do to stop it if you’ve already seen lawyers and that’s failed to stop the letters. I’d honestly say just pay it if it bothers you that much. God knows how much they charge per letter. And it’s all racking up for your son to come back to. Perhaps he won’t be able to get credit eventually either if he has any other debit or if this ones very big.

Biggie123 · 27/08/2019 22:23

PleAse can I PM you as I’m in a similar situation.

Original poster
Rhinosaurus · 27/08/2019 22:24

It’s not strictly a debt as it’s been under dispute that it is owed in the first place so I don’t think 3 letter will work, thanks anyway. I am not asking them to stop whatever process they want to do, I am just fed up with copious letters coming here and having to send them all back, up to 5 a week - even if he was here this should constitute harassment.

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Original poster
Rhinosaurus · 27/08/2019 22:27

@Elieza thanks for your response, I get what you are saying but he wasn’t running away from this - he had a trip planned for a couple years, he wasn’t going to worry about a parking ticket which should never have been issued in the first place. He was quite responsible and cleared all debts before he went, but wouldn’t pay this as he doesn’t see that he owes a company in Leeds £200 for parking in a allocated parking bay 200 miles away outside his home. I would not be considering paying it for these reasons.

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Original poster
Rhinosaurus · 27/08/2019 22:28

@Biggie123 yes no problem, although not sure I can help much.

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ChicCroissant · 27/08/2019 22:31

He'll owe a lot more with the letters though - surely it would be easier to sort it out? If you bill them for returning the mail to sender, what if they add it on to his costs?! Seems a rather ineffective method, the letters are not addressed to you so it's not harassment.

slipperywhensparticus · 27/08/2019 22:34

You will have to open a letter to get the reference number then tell them to piss off

Original poster
Rhinosaurus · 27/08/2019 22:35

They don’t charge per letter, they can only add a set amount on for their charges, the amount of letters they are sending is excessive. They can’t bill him for a Dispute between me and them - i have sent proof he is overseas (visa and plane ticket confirmation), I am the legal occupier here and have asked them to stop sending mail to somebody who doesn’t live here, and hasn’t done for some time, and they are wasting both mine and their time.

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Original poster
Rhinosaurus · 27/08/2019 22:35

@slipperywhensparticus that would be immensely satisfying however they would probably ramp it up to two letters a day in relatiation...!

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