How do I contact debt collectors?

[speedplay]

When I bought this house back in 2003, I knew the owners were having financial problems and it was a case of sell the house before they lost it anyway.

Since 2003 I have had bailifs and debt collection agencies trying to calling and writing here to contact them.

The list of outstanding money was almost laughable :-

NTL was about 1500
BT (2 lines) 900 a piece
Electric 450
Gas 400
Water 500
Council Tax 570
Gym membership 740
Kays catalogue 1500
Freemans catalogue 1900
Random car finance company 7000

Plus mobile bills and all sorts of other things.


Now the solicitor who handled the purchase, wrote me a letter to pass on to bailifs etc stating that I had no prior contact with the previous owners and had moved into my house on 23rd december 2003 and that they had not left me a forwarding address.
I had to use this letter to get luxuries like a telephone connected....:rolleyes:
2 months after I had moved in, I found out that they had taken out a 20k loan secured on my property.
Dont ask me how but I guess they still had bills and id stating this address.
I passed this onto Northants police who delt with it in their usual manner..
Sweet FA.


The debt collectors I have contacted in the past obviously bought the debt and when they cannot collect, simply sell the debt on to another collector who sends me a letter etc etc.

It got almost routine calling the collectors and explaining but this week I've done a bit of digging and have found all their details, both his and hers and also one of the daughters who they started to use for the gas as they had been cut off.

Oh and all this was on Facebook, plain to see for anyone who went mooching hard enough.


So now that I have this info, how do I get it to the people who want to chase them for money?

Is there a central agency for these sort of things?
I obviously know about experian etc but dont think that they would need the details as I'm sure they just store the credit history.

Anyone have a clue?

[wyrdness]

Why not just wait until you're next contacted by a debt collection agency and then pass the information on to them?

[-Ralph-]

Not aware of anything, think you'll just have to provide it individually to each creditor.

[speedplay]

Why not just wait until you're next contacted by a debt collection agency and then pass the information on to them?


The debts are all split up between different collectors.
I want to make sure that everyone gets the details.

[Speaky69]

Phone book?

[speedplay]

Phone book?

For contacting potentially thousands of different comapnies?!

[Bibio]

you could always try experian and equifax see if they can help or try getting in touch with one of the debt help lines see what they have to say about it.

[fizzwheel]

No idea, but being your situation would right royally **** me off.

Have you been to Citizens Advice and asked them, see if they can point you in the right direction ?

[Speaky69]

I jest! :p

im not aware of any central agency like thing but most agencies do share information between themselves, so if you set the ball rolling with the ones who are actively chasing, the word should spread through the various companies!

[speedplay]

you could always try experian and equifax see if they can help or try getting in touch with one of the debt help lines see what they have to say about it.


Fair point, I'll give it a go in the morning.

No idea, but being your situation would right royally **** me off.

Have you been to Citizens Advice and asked them, see if they can point you in the right direction ?


It did bug me slightly...

I spoke to the CA about it and they "advised" that I should think about reading any mail that may fall open in my hands and making calls.
It did stop the bailifs coming round but they still call the neighbours to see if the ****'s are still living at number **.

Its one of the reasons I'm happy to do the digging and pass on the info.

I was worried that the bailifs would gain an order to enetr.

Nightmare senario then though.


I jest! :p

im not aware of any central agency like thing but most agencies do share information between themselves, so if you set the ball rolling with the ones who are actively chasing, the word should spread through the various companies!

Again, fair point.

[punyXpress]

Set up a company & charge, say, £200 for each reply - also get yourself an 0845 number.
Best of luck ;)

[fastdruid]

I don't know the deal now but a long long while ago I did credit checks for a large mortgage provider and had access to credit files, within the infomation there were 'other addresses' which listed both previous and new addresses.

Of course even if you were to get them updated it doesn't mean that anyone would bother to look but there is a good chance that they should at least be prevented from getting credit in the future[1].

Druid

[1] If you can avoid giving a previous address for three years then you get off scot free and can leave your debts behind.

[gruntygiggles]

I would pass the new contact details onto Experian, Equifax and call credit...the three UK authorised credit reference agencies. They can put the new address details on the file and this is useful because each time a bailiff is told someone has moved, they then routinely check the credit files to find the new address.

Sounds like the old owner is just like the old owner of the last house we lived in. She moved out and never did anything in her name again so that they had no way of chasing her...but it also left our address as her last known address, so for 2 years, we had the exact same as you've had and yes...it is a right royal PITA! When Dan and I found out the new address of the woman that caused us all the problems, it ended up with the police and they dealt with it but only because the bailiff decided that after two years of regularly seeing our tenancy agreement and getting conformation from the agents, that we must have been linked. I found him one morning attaching a tow to my car. I called the police who luckily (rural area, not much going on) came very quickly. So quickly in fact that they came around the corner as the bailiff was driving off, so I pointed, they put the blues on and he got done for a few things, including the theft of my v5. When I'd shown it to him to show it was not in "her" name, he snatched it from me...which is when I called the police.

That's when some neighbours did some digging for us, I passed the details on to the police and I think she ended up in the clink!

Good luck with it Rob as there is no central agency. Unless of course you go to the governing body for bailiffs...the authority that certifies them...they may be able to help you.

[-Ralph-]

I would pass the new contact details onto Experian, Equifax and call credit...the three UK authorised credit reference agencies.

Alternatively the organisation that holds the judgements, courts orders, etc for the credit records on behalf of these guys, is called The Registry Trust. See www.trustonline.org.uk Don't know if having the information updated by them would mean the credit reference agencies would get it though, unless they did a new search.

[gruntygiggles]

Alternatively the organisation that holds the credit records on behalf of these guys, is called The Registry Trust. See www.trustonline.org.uk (http://www.trustonline.org.uk) Don't know if having the information updated by them would mean the credit reference agencies would get it though, unless they did a new search.

They couldn't do anything with it when I tried. Might have changed now, but it was only a year ago! I had to send all three the details in writing, also dissasociating myself and Dan from her.

[Fizzy Fish]

Having also taken over a property in the past from this type of serial defaulter, and repeatedly had baliffs round when myself/flatmates were at work trying to take stuff (despite having been told they no longer live there), I say take whatever time is necessary to dob 'em in and hope they get proper screwed!

[454697819]

if ever balifs turned up at my house they have two choices.. **** off or have their legs broken.. simples.. :-)

[robh539]

If you pass it on to just one company, very quickly they all the other company will cotton on.

Once one has established contact with them at they new address there screwed due one of the many credit file company's holding the data for all to search. there also so not on the electrol roll or paying council tax (i suspect) as that would show them up too.

[dizzyblonde]

I hate people who do this. Its why I ended up buying my house ten years ago.
I rented a cottage through an agency, and in good faith once a month would take any mail for the owner to the agency office.

One day I got two identical letters, one to the occupier, one to owners name. I opened the occupiers letter, to find that the bailliffs were being sent to recover the 'non payments' of mortgage. I was mortified, as I'd payed my rent without fail!
I then opened the other, and it was the same. Had I not, I wouldn't have known how much debt was on the house, which was a very considerable lump. It could have been me thrown out on the street and all MY belongings taken as payment!!!!!
I went to court over it, to buy myself some time, and bought this house in the meantime.

[gruntygiggles]

If you pass it on to just one company, very quickly they all the other company will cotton on.

Once one has established contact with them at they new address there screwed due one of the many credit file company's holding the data for all to search. there also so not on the electrol roll or paying council tax (i suspect) as that would show them up too.

That's the main thing that got the police interested with the woman that used to live in our old house. She had not declared herself on the electoral roll in three years at her other address which is fraudulent.

[Dicky Ticker]

Would it be worthwhile putting a notice on your door for the post office and any party concerned that Mr&Mrs XXXXXXXXX or any family member no longer resides at this address and the present occupants have no connection with them.

[gruntygiggles]

Would it be worthwhile putting a notice on your door for the post office and any party concerned that Mr&Mrs XXXXXXXXX or any family member no longer resides at this address and the present occupants have no connection with them.


Actually yes....or taped to the inside of a window so that it can't be removed "conveniently" by unscrupulous bailiffs!

[davepreston]

That's the main thing that got the police interested with the woman that used to live in our old house. She had not declared herself on the electoral roll in three years at her other address which is fraudulent.
do you have to put yourself on the electoral roll, i havent in 12 years, just cos i cant be arsed

[gruntygiggles]

do you have to put yourself on the electoral roll, i havent in 12 years, just cos i cant be arsed

You don't have to go and do it, but when you get the form through the post from your local council, you have to fill it in with the names of all people residing at that address, to falsify information or withold it is against the law.

If they never ask though, you're not doing anything wrong I suppose.

[maviczap]

Rob
Maybe another avenue is to speak to the companies who are owed money, fraud department, certainly the one regarding the 20k loan. Most of the big companies will have one and are run by ex coppers.

Saves having to ring different bailiff companies.

Just a thought

[Kalessin]

Maybe another avenue is to speak to the companies who are owed money

Once the debt has been bought by a debt collection agency, the original company has little or no control over it.

In my experience, debt collection agencies are lazy chancers anyway.

I recently got a letter out of the blue, demanding payment of a debt I settled seven years ago. The original company had been bought and sold several times since then making it very difficult to track down any official records and I couldn't help but think, "I bet that's what they're counting on." Thanks to Mrs Kalessin's meticulous record-keeping, I was able to produce proof that the debt had been discharged.

A colleague at work moved into a new rented property and within a couple of months received a letter to "the occupier", demanding money for unpaid utility bills. He wanted to help, but his English isn't perfect, so he took the letter to the landlord and together they phoned the debt collection agency and explained that the debt had been incurred by the previous tenants.

However, during the conversation my colleague made the mistake of telling the debt collection agency his name. This resulted in more threatening letters, addressed to him personally. Each time he tried to contact them, they failed to remove his name from their system and instead sent him some more letters.

The way to beat these lazy feckers is to play them at their own game. I drafted a letter for him to send, full of legal threats like:

Your continued harassment of me is in breach of Section 40 of the Administration of Justice Act 1970, which makes it a criminal offence for a creditor's agent such as yourselves to make demands which are aimed at causing "alarm, distress or humiliation because of their frequency or publicity or manner".and

If I have not heard from you by [two weeks' time], I will refer this case to the Office of Fair Trading with a request that your consumer credit license be revoked. I will also contact [the original creditor], pointing out that their reputation in an extremely competitive market could be adversely affected by association with your actions.

He didn't get a reply, but I telephoned them on his behalf and they confirmed they would no longer pursue him.

We also had some mail -- which looked as though it might be demands for money -- addressed to the previous occupants of our house. We bought some self-adhesive labels and printed "Not known at this address. Return to sender" on them. Then we stuck one over the address panel of each letter and popped them back in the post box. They soon dried up.

[andrewsmith]

Rob
Maybe another avenue is to speak to the companies who are owed money, fraud department, certainly the one regarding the 20k loan. Most of the big companies will have one and are run by ex coppers.

Saves having to ring different bailiff companies.

Just a thought

As Mavi
My mate is a landlord and someone racked up debts and didn't pay the rent. Got them evicted and got a letter demand unpaid council tax, spoke to the council and the bailiffs, told them what town she was in.

I think they caught her for a few things in the end.

If you've got a current address for ***** family pass it on

[speedplay]

Right,

Update time.

I have spoken to a collection agency this morning, passed on the home and work address of the previous owners (thankyou FB).

I had a long chat with one of the managers at the collection agency rather than one of the monkey on the call centre who are only interested in taking payments.

I have also called experian and eqifax and corrected their files for them and updated the addresses they need.

Seems that things may be moving in the right direction for me and now, the wrong direction for the ******'s.

Thanks for the pointers guys.


As always, the .Org has been a great help.





Rob

[G]

Do all these companies really just allow some random to ring up with an address off facebook and then change the address on their records on that persons word?

I can't see it myself, it could be any old person ringing up with any old address.

It could be a fake or old address on their facebook account and now some other poor bugger will get letters too.

[speedplay]

Do all these companies really just allow some random to ring up with an address off facebook and then change the address on their records on that persons word?

I can't see it myself, it could be any old person ringing up with any old address.

It could be a fake or old address on their facebook account and now some other poor bugger will get letters too.


They do if you fax them a letter from your solicitor backing up when and who you bought the house from.

Obviously they dont take it as a given but they will use it as another lead to follow up.

Oh, and I also rang the employer asking to speak to them "just one moment, I'll put you through"....;)

[G]

Oh, and I also rang the employer asking to speak to them "just one moment, I'll put you through"....;)


Ahahaha classic

[speedplay]

Ahahaha classic


Simple enough really, doesnt take CID material to think of it:rolleyes:

[robh539]

Obviously they dont take it as a given but they will use it as another lead to follow up.


correct, once a positive ID as been made there screwed. Until then they will try get a reaction from you at the possible address. normally via letters, that will make you phone them to get the conformation. Tho if a large amount it owed expect a knock on the door to get the ID conformation.

you maybe surprised how many company's collect and share data.

Rob liking the phone call, nice touch :p

[Smudge]

It is the money lenders that are to blame really for not doing enough research into how they will get paid back.
As debt collection agencies buy debts for under 10% of the four corner sum.
But this is after all a legal matter not a lawful one.
Did anyone pay you to research the debters new details? I would have said I have the information if you would like to purchase it.
Other wise it just makes you look like a tell tail for the legal system when they can't be bothered.
I take it by your actions you feel the debters are to blame not the bankers.

[speedplay]

It is the money lenders that are to blame really for not doing enough research into how they will get paid back.
As debt collection agencies buy debts for under 10% of the four corner sum.
But this is after all a legal matter not a lawful one.
Did anyone pay you to research the debters new details? I would have said I have the information if you would like to purchase it.
Other wise it just makes you look like a tell tail for the legal system when they can't be bothered.
I take it by your actions you feel the debters are to blame not the bankers.

I agree with what you say and no I didnt ask for payment.

Trust me, its worth a couple of hours of my time after 7 years of letters and agro.

As for being a tell tail for the legal system, sorry but thats rubbish.
If you knew how many problems this has caused over the years and had the same trouble, your perspective would be different.

And yes I do feel the debters are to blame.

They lived beyond their means, and even when they sold the house for a nice 60k profit, did not pay off their debts.

How can the bankers be held responsable for people who change their name, open multiple accounts, agree credit and do a runner when they have cash to make payment.

Yes the banking system needs looking at but also, some people will always try and cheat the system and will try and steal money.

What the previous owners to this property have done is theft.
Pure and simple.

[WeegieBlue]

There is an obvious Date Protection issue here. If you continue to receive calls and letters regarding debts that are not your own, I would write to them with a final letter confirming that the person they are after no longer lives at that address. As Data Controllers, they are obliged under the Data Protection Act to only hold data that is "relevant" and "accurate". If they continue to contact you, you should write to the Information Commissioners office, copying in the company, and report them for sending information to a person who they have been told does not reside at that address. The Information Commissioner is then obliged to formally investigate and if they are found to be writing to you when they are aware that the person they are after does not live there, they will be forced to update their records.

I worked for the Information Commissioner's office for a while and this was part of my job. I had remit to fine companies up to £5k for persistent infringements and was more than happy to do so when the occasion arose!

[Smudge]

7 years wow, I understand how peed off you must be after that!!!

[speedplay]

7 years wow, I understand how peed off you must be after that!!!


Read the OP ;)

[yorkie_chris]

I take it by your actions you feel the debters are to blame not the bankers.

Too fooking right they are.

If you're enough of a shallow and retarded mong to see having a 50" plasma telly stood in your front room as being more important than the fact of having the means to pay for it, it is nobodies problem but their own.

A creditor being stupid enough to lend good money to the aforementioned mong is not a good thing for their shareholders, and as we've seen the mistakes in this system have caused it's collapse. However the facts of this matter are separate and in no way excuse anyone from the responsibility to look after their own money.

But that's completely different to speedplay's best mates here, as they're just out and out pikeys who need repeatedly kicking in the spleen.

[speedplay]

Too fooking right they are.

If you're enough of a shallow and retarded mong to see having a 50" plasma telly stood in your front room as being more important than the fact of having the means to pay for it, it is nobodies problem but their own.

A creditor being stupid enough to lend good money to the aforementioned mong is not a good thing for their shareholders, and as we've seen the mistakes in this system have caused it's collapse. However the facts of this matter are separate and in no way excuse anyone from the responsibility to look after their own money.

But that's completely different to speedplay's best mates here, as they're just out and out pikeys who need repeatedly kicking in the spleen.





YC for the next PM Job please :)

[gruntygiggles]

When all the talk was rife about ID cards, my thoughts were that the only way that they could be of use were as a tool to assist lenders in making decisions. A way of there being a simple

Incoming = £1200
Outgoing = £650

"Yes sir/madam... you have the sufficient disposable income after your outgoings to cover the £100 a month payment so subject to a satisfactory credit check, you qualify for this finance".

OR

Incoming = £800
Outgoing = £750

"No sir/madam, you do not have sufficient disposable income to cover the £100 a month payment, so your application is declined".

The kind of people that run up debts like that get away with it by simply lying. Too many companies allow this to happen because they save money by only doing basic checks and some don't do any checks at all. An ID card with chip and pin to allow for instant updating would stop these people being able to do it.

Problem is...would be too difficult to manage with the numpties that are in charge of the companies that give these services!