Help! Someone using my address for vehicle ownership?

[Trackman]

This is has been going on for while.
Sequence of events as I can remember, could have been more letters:

1. Received two letters from the DVLA about change of ownership of car(s), I've only just found about this today, someone opened in error thinking is was junk and was binned.
2. One letter to someone I've never heard of from an unknown address on the back (PO box) - I wrote 'Not known at this address' and popped it in the letterbox.
3. Three letters on the same day from the same PO box address - But I opened one my mistake; It's parking fine from a council. I seal this up along with the others and pop them into letter box as 'Not known at this address'.
4: Today: received another from the same PO Box and obviously the same name.

I would say the last letters I sent back was about two months ago.

I've kept hold of the current one (unopened).

Any ideas on what I should do? I don't want bailiffs or whoever at the door.

 

[Gloster]

As I have been getting letters from HMRC to an unknown person at my old house, which I still own, I started a thread ‘ Someone unknown using my address ‘ recently (Sorry, I can’t do a link). There are a few comments about DVLA letters on it. The only thing I can suggest, based on what HMRC told me, is write ‘Not known at this address. Return to sender.’ and put it back in the post unopened. You can keep a note of what details that you can get without opening the letters, but it probably won’t be of much use.

Frankly, nobody seems interested. I read recently (possibly on this forum) that around 10% of the vehicles on the road have false or invalid addresses, or cloned plates. Just concentrate on covering your back.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

@Trackman. Hopefully, this will help...

Driving fines and letters when you do not own the vehicle

Find out what to do if you receive a fine or letter about a car or other vehicle you do not own

www.gov.uk

Extract...

Driving fines and letters when you do not own the vehicle​

Return the fine letter to the organisation that sent it to you and tell them you do not own the vehicle. Keep a copy of anything you send.

Probably a scam, but could of course be a genuine error.

 

[Gloster]

Which all involves a lot of work for someone who has done nothing wrong. Will they do anything about this: possibly they will put it on some watch list, which will probably have no effect. It is a bit like the TV licencing people, who expect you to spend your time and money telling an organisation that you have no contract with that you have no contract with it, but they still threaten to check.

 

[SargeNpton]

I was in the same situation two years ago.

Write to the DVLA to say that the vehicle in question has been incorrectly registered at your address and that the owner of the vehicle does not , and has never, lived there. Ask for a letter of confirmation that the DVLA records have been updated to reflect this status (as the letter I have for the car in question is 60 miles away at the moment I can't remember exactly what it is called).

When you get that letter take photo-copies of it. Every time a parking fine letter arrives send it back, accompanied by one of those photo-copies. The authority/company who has issued the fine should then accept that DVLA letter and stop sending any further correspondence to your address.

 

[Trackman]

Update:
I now have a form TE3 from the court.
Luckily there's a number on it if you wish to discuss the matter, I've give them a bell tomorrow.

 

[Trackman]

Another update:
Three more court orders today.
Court have been in contact with me, told me to contact the council and don't worry as it's not in my name.
Spoke to the council, basically need to write a letter with a tenancy agreement.. well hang on I own this house. .. and so on.
Not doing that.
I'll go with the DVLA/ court advice and just send the letters back, but I will open every one of them and scan them.
If the bailiffs or whoever come knocking at the door, I'll tell them to buzz off.

 

[jmh59]

Watch out for bailiffs though. When we rented a house our then tenant started to receive letters addressed to the previous tenant. I told them to just put them in the post 'not known' etc. I took advice which was to tell my tenant to keep a copy of the tenancy agreement in case bailiffs came - which they eventually did. They called me for confirmation etc. and by then I had the address of the previous tenant and told them. They still called again!

Trouble is it is up to you to prove you are right, not for them to prove they are wrong... and doing this with them sat on your sofa must be a real worry.

Note it is (or was anyway, may be out of date) illegal to open letters not addressed to you without a reasonable excuse. If this is indeed still the case you may need to prove that it is reasonable for you to open the letter rather than just put it back in the post.

BTW how do you prove you own your house? I had to do so in order to make a complaint about a company registered to our address which was nothing to do with us. I have the deeds here but apparently that is not sufficient proof! Companies House rejected a scan of the Land Registry part of the deeds and told me I would need to buy (!) a certified copy from the Land Registry. Stuff that.

 

[yorksrob]

Wouldn't proof of ownership suffice ?

Land registry certificate could help.

 

[jmh59]

Wouldn't proof of ownership suffice ?

Land registry certificate could help.

Yes but it costs money for the official copy and Companies House want one up to date so no good buying one and putting it away for later - why should I pay my money for one quasi-governmental department to tell another quasi-government department to get lost? Anyway that issue is no more as we sold the house.

 

[yorksrob]

Yes but it costs money for the official copy and Companies House want one up to date so no good buying one and putting it away for later - why should I pay my money for one quasi-governmental department to tell another quasi-government department to get lost? Anyway that issue is no more as we sold the house.

I suppose it's a value judgement on the cost of the certificate for getting things resolved

 

[Gloster]

I suppose it's a value judgement on the cost of the certificate for getting things resolved

But it is you having to spend your money due to something nothing to do with you that official bodies can’t be a***d to sort out between them.

 

[yorksrob]

But it is you having to spend your money due to something nothing to do with you that official bodies can’t be a***d to sort out between them.

I can see the annoyance. Really the authorities should be checking the land registry in such circumstances.

 

[Trackman]

Thanks for the replies.
My name is on the land registry for the address.
I spent another hour today trying to sort it out....
I'm just going to open every letter and scan it (and not send it back - see original post) and wait for a knock at the door, I am not wasting time on the matter anymore.

I can see the annoyance. Really the authorities should be checking the land registry in such circumstances.

The council seemed not to be bothered or like fobbing me off.. The court were more helpful, but directed me back to the council.

But it is you having to spend your money due to something nothing to do with you that official bodies can’t be a***d to sort out between them.

Indeed - I'm through with the whole matter.

 

[Trackman]

Update:
Well, the council letters have stopped after speaking to the court.
However, I received a letter from the DVLA, but this one had his business name on it (car salvage business). Out of curiosity I googled the business, the swine lives about 5 mins walk away from me!
Well, if I can find him, I sure the authorities will catch up with him.

 

[DelayRepay]

Update:
Well, the council letters have stopped after speaking to the court.
However, I received a letter from the DVLA, but this one had his business name on it (car salvage business). Out of curiosity I googled the business, the swine lives about 5 mins walk away from me!
Well, if I can find him, I sure the authorities will catch up with him.

Does he live on the same street, or a similar named street?

I once thought someone was using my address for fraud. When I tracked them down (out of curiosity more than anything else), it turned out they lived at the same house number on a road with a similar name (I was RailForums Court, he was RailForums Crescent, with one letter different in our post codes). So more likely to be a mistake than deliberate.

 

[Trackman]

Does he live on the same street, or a similar named street?

I once thought someone was using my address for fraud. When I tracked them down (out of curiosity more than anything else), it turned out they lived at the same house number on a road with a similar name (I was RailForums Court, he was RailForums Crescent, with one letter different in our post codes). So more likely to be a mistake than deliberate.

Completely different, post code not even similar.

 

[DelayRepay]

Completely different, post code not even similar.

In that case you have my sympathy. My sister had a problem with someone else's debt being linked to her address a few years ago. It took a lot of effort to convince the collection agencies that it was nothing to do with her. Then about three months later the debt would be passed to a different company and it would all start again. She had no idea who the person was, neither did her landlord or her neighbours. Mostly it was just letters but she occasionally had someone knocking at the door. It was quite scary for her as they tended to turn up when her partner was at work and she was home with their young children.

 

[Trackman]

In that case you have my sympathy. My sister had a problem with someone else's debt being linked to her address a few years ago. It took a lot of effort to convince the collection agencies that it was nothing to do with her. Then about three months later the debt would be passed to a different company and it would all start again. She had no idea who the person was, neither did her landlord or her neighbours. Mostly it was just letters but she occasionally had someone knocking at the door. It was quite scary for her as they tended to turn up when her partner was at work and she was home with their young children.

That's what I am worried about - people turning up and banging on the door and ending up in an argument. Again, that's what I asked the court about, they said don't worry about it. I assume now the message has gone through that they don't live here. (touch wood!)

 

[Trackman]

Update:
Very loud banging at my door at 07:30 today, I was already up and dressed then the banging started again, I thought is something on fire or a gas leak? They didn’t even bother ringing my door bell!
Stuck my head out of the window …. It was the county court bailiffs, thought it was the police at first.
They said are you <whatever>? I said ‘No, but I know what you are here for, I’ll be with you in a minute.’
I invited them in and told them the story and actually gave very few personal details, also showed the pics on my phone of the letters. They were very happy and said I wont be bothered again.
Told them I’d spoken to the court but they said they have to come anyway to see if I knew who was etc..
Hopefully that’s the end of it now.

 

[E27007]

Update:
Very loud banging at my door at 07:30 today, I was already up and dressed then the banging started again, I thought is something on fire or a gas leak? They didn’t even bother ringing my door bell!
Stuck my head out of the window …. It was the county court bailiffs, thought it was the police at first.
They said are you <whatever>? I said ‘No, but I know what you are here for, I’ll be with you in a minute.’
I invited them in and told them the story and actually gave very few personal details, also showed the pics on my phone of the letters. They were very happy and said I wont be bothered again.
Told them I’d spoken to the court but they said they have to come anyway to see if I knew who was etc..
Hopefully that’s the end of it now.

Probably not a good idea to invite them into your home, once inside you will struggle to make them leave, once inside your home, they can commence with their rights to exercise duties, therefore lock all doors windows and meet them out in a public space.
Powers of Bailiffs are not as comprehensive as depicted in TV fictional dramas, a Bailiff can enter a home via an open window or a door , but the idea of them kicking down the door to gain entry is mainly TV fiction

 

[Tetchytyke]

Probably not a good idea to invite them into your home, once inside you will struggle to make them leave, once inside your home, they can commence with their rights to exercise duties, therefore lock all doors windows and meet them out in a public space.

If you are the debtor then that is absolutely the correct advice. Although it's fair to point out that County Court bailiffs are directly employed by the Court and are, by and large, reasonable and honest.

It's the private bailiffs, who enforce High Court debts and local authority debts (Council tax, parking fines, etc) who are less scrupulous, as they only get paid if they collect money. I see this relates to parking tickets.

As the OP isn't the debtor then the bailiffs shouldn't take anything. I'd agree that, generally, conversations should take place outside to prevent any "misunderstanding".

 

[Trackman]

Probably not a good idea to invite them into your home, once inside you will struggle to make them leave, once inside your home, they can commence with their rights to exercise duties, therefore lock all doors windows and meet them out in a public space.
Powers of Bailiffs are not as comprehensive as depicted in TV fictional dramas, a Bailiff can enter a home via an open window or a door , but the idea of them kicking down the door to gain entry is mainly TV fiction

I know, I've been told off by mates.
I've nothing to hide, but been told never to invite them in.
Anyway, I think that's the end of this now.

 

[ComUtoR]

a Bailiff can enter a home via an open window or a door

They cannot enter via a window.

 

[E27007]

They cannot enter via a window.

Correct, my error,
Gov website concerning powers of bailiffs:
Powers of Bailiffs

 

[ainsworth74]

Reopened for @Trackman to provide an update

 

[Trackman]

Update:
Thought is was all over, it ain't yet.
Now have received a letter from Marston recovery (my first one), threatening all sorts. The letter only mentions 1 offence from April 2022, but I know there are about 4 at least.
They mention in the letter they have already sent an 'enforcement agent' around so have charged £240, the only person who did come round was a county court bailiff or whatever and when I proved who I was they would let the court know and I wouldn't hear from them again (that was 7/10/2022).
So what's going on?
There's talk in the letter of Blacksmiths costs and sending people around.. I really don't need all this hassle.
I've got a number to call, I'm just wondering what steps to take before I call them because I know it's not going to be resolved by a phone call.

 

[Bantamzen]

Just do what you have been doing, with the obvious exception of not inviting any bailiffs in. Explain the situation again as calmly as you are able, maybe put it into writing too. Don't let on you know where they might be, just stick to the fact that this person is using a false address and that they have never lived there.

Unfortunately some of these companies scoop up all these unpaid debts and will try and retry to get their money back. I'm afraid you might have to stick to your guns, eventually they will write off those debts if they don't catch up with the guy.

 

[jfollows]

I would never telephone anyone to discuss, I would only communicate in writing. Telephone gives too many avenues for misinterpretation and lies.

 

[Parjon]

In writing. Be clear and reasonable. Including setting out your expectations that this must now stop. And set out the reasonable charges you will levy for time, post, phone calls and letters, and claiming for any other costs incurred, should you have to take further action due to their failure to update their records.