Getting debt collection notices to our house - not us!

[RainyDay2014]

In the last month we have had two notices about unpaid payments, neither of them for us. We may have had more but I have started opening post that looks official now that we have been here for two years as the house was repossessed three years ago (one owner between that and us) and I was worried about debt collection notices.

Letter #1: for the last owners, less than £1000 (can't remember without looking) owed to the local NHS Trust for a benefit in kind (car).

Letter #2: for someone I haven't heard of, £170 'final reminder before court action' for a parking fine about 30 miles away. It's been issued by 'Debt Enforcement & Action Limited' and they say they will lodge a claim at Northampton Country Court (we live in the NE... not sure why they are lodging it so far south?) on 24th September.

Is it worth contacting either of these companies to explain it's not us? We own the house outright and I'm worried about any negative credit on the house affecting us as all our paperwork is registered to this address.

Just had a look and #2 is for a parking fine in November 2007... Can I just ignore that one?

We're in the same situation. Been here four years. Various debt collection things from start from unpaid parking fine, unpaid ground rent on her other property (mortgage statements still come here) and a credit card. Spent a year returning to sender. Called a couple of them to met with very sceptical stance that I wasn't the person I was saying I am. Have had bailiffs watching our house I think (2 men in a van at regular time for a week or so.) They're still chasing these debts so just shows how much you could get away if you were in that situation! Not my problem.

I'm happy to ignore them as long as it won't have negative implications on us - e.g. a bailiff taking something from our garden or a negative credit score attached to our house.

We've had this too. Been here 5 years. Even had a County Court warrant Sheriff knocking on my door,you would think a simple check on the land registry would be done before it even got to court,but no,seems you have to tell them that previous owner is long gone. The debt has nothing to do with you or your house so I wouldn't' t worry.

We bought our house 7 years ago and I still get this.

The couple we bought it from were in debt up to their eyes, which was why they were selling...they'd lived here about 3 years. When they'd bought it, they'd bought it as a repo, so the person before them was in a lot of debt as well.

I spent about 2 years just marking 'return to sender - not known at this address'. Then I started opening them and calling the company to tell them every time.

The worst I spoke to was one debt collection company chasing £15k. When I said 'Mrs X moved from here 3 years ago, we're the new owners' he said 'Oh really? So you're not Mrs X? Are we supposed to believe that?'...and then launched into a speech about how I either pay or i'd have bailiffs on my door and my house repossessed.

debts are associated with people, not addresses.

return the post marked 'moved away (date)' and don't worry.

Safest = Open suspicious post - take copies - re seal, mark as "not known at this address" and return
ALSO
contact the companies and threaten to report them under data protection for using an out of date address

should do the trick

IF bailiffs come to the house, do not let them in
IF "hard men" come to the house five mike tyson lookalikes in my own case let them in to look at each room to see that their target has departed and then politely invite them not to return

I have the same trouble,I moved here june last year but then tenant before me went to prison so she couldn't tell people she wasn't living here.

It took ages for British Gas to sort everything out,i showed ID to 2 people then then asked for over £300 i had lived there less than 1 month.
The landlord had to phone in the end.

I have had debt collectors phone and turn up,I'm now getting letters from her solicitor,Legal Aid,the prison and the probation service as she hasn't told them she has moved!!

Credit is against a person and not an address. Your address will not be affected by any of this.

Northampton is the "online" / postal court service, if you are lodging a case but are not appearing it is done at Northampton. If you want to appear it is done at your or their local court.

We get these a lot, I ring up the agency and they always take it off the register. never affected my credit score.