BexTait

Right, here goes:
Recently we have recieved letters addressed to previous tennants of the house we're in at the moment from the local council, one each for two different people. My house mates decided to open then (I said no, cos I know it's illegal if you don't have their permission, but they don't seem to listen to me). On reading then it appears that one of them had been summonsed to appear in cort over non payment of council tax, and balifs were coming round. The letter was dated mid december 2004, but the court date was in 2001 so it appears the council are catching up on debt owed to them.
Since no payment has been recieved, they are sending the baliffs round. Since this person obviously no longer lives here, can the baliffs still take our stuff to settle the debt?
The second letter was for another person from the council with the date for the court appearance, and an oportunity to pay up, so the baliffs may be called for that reason too. We don't really want our stuff taking as payment because obviously it's nothing to do with us!

Sorry if it's not too clear/full of typos.
Bex

GC8

http://www.debthelpuk.co.uk/law/bailiffs.htm

Simon

Brendan Hughes

Dunno, but I'd immediately send a Registered Post letter to that person in the council saying that person no longer lives there and there is no property of his to be seized.

You'll still get an argument when they turn up, but at least you won't come home one day to find your house empty. Hopefully.

sprinterjdk

No, they can't take your stuff because it's not your debt...

This used to happen all the time with one of the houses I lived in at Uni. A load of foreign students who had lived in the house the year before us had run up loads of debts then moved out. We used to mark the letters "Return to Sender, Not Known at Address" and stick them in the postbox. After a while the bailiffs would visit, but it was quite easy to explain that it was not our debt and they would leave us alone.

It can be a bit of a hassle, but I wouldn't worry too much about it

GC8

You can easily sort this out with the local authority; but in the mean time, dont invite a baliff into your house or allow them to see, and therefore take walking possession of, your goods.

Simon

BexTait

Thanks. We've kinda come to the conclusion that the whole return to sender idea doesn't really work. We were continually returning BT phone bills for the last tennant, but still they kept coming through. They've stopped now since we RTS the letter from BT's solicitor saying they intended to persue through court (came in a cheap, thin envelope with solicitors address on the outside, and you could see most of the content of the letter through it)!