How do I contact debt collectors?

[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.

Originally Posted by gruntygiggles

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]

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

Alternatively the organisation that holds 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.

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.

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!

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

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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.