XH's family member seems to have used my address for something and there's a bailiff notice addressed to her

[greenleafy]

Got a letter in the post and was surprised to see it was for a family member of XH's. I opened it (a mistake in hindsight but seeing a known, much disliked name made me open it at once in surprise) to find it's a bailiff notice by a company representing someone she hasn't paid for services (some kind of a builder/tradesman). I don't know why the @£$%$£$& she's given my address. I don't know a forwarding address as it's been many years since the divorce or I would have returned it stating that. She has form for cheating people and I would have been very happy to point them in the right direction, but alas. Should I just bin it or return to sender saying unknown at this address?

I’d just bin it, as you’ve opened it.

If they send another, ‘not at this address’ and back in the post.

I had a similar situation (albeit not a relative) and eventually I got a handwritten note (ie they’d come to the house), who I rang and explained the situation - after which I never heard from them again.

People will often tell you that it is against the law to open mail not addressed you to you. It’s a common mistake. It is against the law to interfere with mail “in the course of its transmission”. Once it had been delivered to the address on the envelope, it is not a criminal offence to open it. It is a civil offence to “keep, hide, use or destroy the contents”.
You can return it to the sender. If you want, you dan enclose a note saying that they have never lived at your address and that you believe your address has been fraudulently used. You can also phone the company to tell them this if you prefer. You did nothing wrong in opening the letter.

You could email the company who sent it, say you opened the letter, tell them she does not live there and never has done - she is not on your tenancy / ownership and you have no contact with the individual.

That’s how we dealt with it when someone was using our address.

I'd personally track her down, contact the bailiffs and give them a forwarding address saying it's been used fraudulently. You can also report here.
I've had this happen personally and I did the whole return to sender thing for over 2 years. It's tedious and time-consuming. Point them in the right direction and move on would be my advice.

www.actionfraud.police.uk/reporting-fraud-and-cyber-crime

I would email the company and tell them exactly what you've said here. The person is a family member of your ex husband, this person has never lived at your address, and as you've been divorced from your ex husband X years, you have no idea where she lives. If you know a previous address you could say, 'this is the last address for X I have'. If you put the information into an email, it's in writing, it can't be disputed that you contacted them. A phone call can be ignored/denied. An email has a footprint, and you'll have a copy in your sent box. By all means say you believe this person has used your address fraudulently.

Thank you everyone. I will email them then.

same here. It wasn't bailiffs, it was a bank at the time when it was in the papers that a public figure had had her flat fraudulently sold by a tenant. We had been renting out our house while we were abroad so I opened the letter and phoned the bank. Bank were fine with it and took our adress off their records.

People will often tell you that it is against the law to open mail not addressed you to you.

This is a myth that no amount of truth can slay. Interestingly most often mouthed by people who generally have very little time for the law in their own lives .....

And maybe check your credit rating, just on the off chance she is using your address for other things. But even if she’s not, you don’t want anything on it if it goes to court - a ccj(?), or similar - as that will really affect your credit rating.