It's not my debt

[Bisanzio]

Hello, and thanks in advance for every help.
Last year I and my partner moved in a flat, registered for Council Tax and fixed everything we needed. Since the first weeks we received parking fines from many bouroughs, bailif letters and even a letter from the Hertfordshire Court addressed to previous tenants, some of who were used to live in the flat more than one year ago. I dealt with the bailif agencies sending them an email saying the persons they are looking for don't live here anymore, with attached photos of my Council Tax Bill to prove my identity. The same I did with the Court. The Court didn't answer yet, while a couple of agencies updated their databases, thanked me and apologized for any stress given to me. Differently has happened today with Marston, that after have thanked said they are about to send an Enforcement Agent to verify the information provided. My questions:
1)Shall I let the Agent in my home to check it or shall I deal with them in a different way?
2)What can I do with the big pile of parking tickets I received? Shall I notice to somebody, maybe the Police, that the owner of the car didn't updated (purposely) his address?
3)Shall I get in touch again with the Hertfordshire Court?

The previous tenants who fled without paying are many. Can I do anything else that just deal case by case?

[seduraed]

Re: It's not my debt

Do not let the enforcement agent into your home under any circumstances! Photocopy your tenancy agreement and let him have a copy of that . Do not give them original documents . The debt etc belong to the previous tenants do not believe any lies you may be told that you are liable for these debts

[bizzybob]

Re: It's not my debt

You must not let a bailiff in for the previous occupants debt, bailiffs lie, andf he will try to convince you you have inherited the debt as indicated by seduraed. Thed bailiff doesn't care who pays just as long as someone does. Any levy he claims on a car parked outside, either yours or random will be void anyway. If he persists call the police and tell the officer that the debt is for the previous tenant. If the copper makes you let the bailiff in, he may well end up at the Jobcentre looking for work.

[bluebottle]

Re: It's not my debt

Hello, and thanks in advance for every help.
Last year I and my partner moved in a flat, registered for Council Tax and fixed everything we needed. Since the first weeks we received parking fines from many bouroughs, bailif letters and even a letter from the Hertfordshire Court addressed to previous tenants, some of who were used to live in the flat more than one year ago. I dealt with the bailif agencies sending them an email saying the persons they are looking for don't live here anymore, with attached photos of my Council Tax Bill to prove my identity. The same I did with the Court. The Court didn't answer yet, while a couple of agencies updated their databases, thanked me and apologized for any stress given to me. Differently has happened today with Marston, that after have thanked said they are about to send an Enforcement Agent to verify the information provided. My questions:
1)Shall I let the Agent in my home to check it or shall I deal with them in a different way?
2)What can I do with the big pile of parking tickets I received? Shall I notice to somebody, maybe the Police, that the owner of the car didn't updated (purposely) his address?
3)Shall I get in touch again with the Hertfordshire Court?

The previous tenants who fled without paying are many. Can I do anything else that just deal case by case?

Speak to the Court Manager asap and check to see if the Distress Warrant has been recalled. If it has been recalled, Marston Group is acting without lawful authority. They have form for doing this. If the Distress Warrant has not been recalled, despite the court having been told of the defendant having moved address, and the Court Manager is unwilling to recall the warrant, you will need to escalate the matter to to the HMCTS Area Enforcement Team for the Hertfordshire area. They are based at Bicester, in Oxfordshire. Their telephone number is 0845 3004239. Their email address is ebc@hmcts.gsi.gov.uk. On the whole, HMCTS Area Enforcement Teams are very helpful.

Hopefully, you will not need to escalate this matter any further than the Court Manager. Please come back onto the thread and advise what the Court Manager has said after speaking to them.

As regards the parking tickets, contact the issuing authorities asap and advise them as to what has happened. Do the same with any letters from debt collection agencies.

[Sir Vere Brayne d'Emmidge]

Re: It's not my debt

Hello, and thanks in advance for every help.
Last year I and my partner moved in a flat, registered for Council Tax and fixed everything we needed. Since the first weeks we received parking fines from many bouroughs, bailif letters and even a letter from the Hertfordshire Court addressed to previous tenants, some of who were used to live in the flat more than one year ago. I dealt with the bailif agencies sending them an email saying the persons they are looking for don't live here anymore, with attached photos of my Council Tax Bill to prove my identity. The same I did with the Court. The Court didn't answer yet, while a couple of agencies updated their databases, thanked me and apologized for any stress given to me. Differently has happened today with Marston, that after have thanked said they are about to send an Enforcement Agent to verify the information provided. My questions:
1)Shall I let the Agent in my home to check it or shall I deal with them in a different way?
2)What can I do with the big pile of parking tickets I received? Shall I notice to somebody, maybe the Police, that the owner of the car didn't updated (purposely) his address?
3)Shall I get in touch again with the Hertfordshire Court?

The previous tenants who fled without paying are many. Can I do anything else that just deal case by case?

Hello Bisanzio .... (love the handle) .... The reason that Marston sends out an agent is because (from personal experience) a fairly large number of "genuine" criminals will get mothers/daughters/partners to lie for them, saying that they do not reside, in the hope that the big bad bailiff is going to come round and cart everybody out with shackles around their neck and leg irons and ship them to Tasmania or a as nice place as.

The fact that a defendant, in this case the previous occupier (who sounds like a bit of a scoundrel if I may say so) is not on your Council Tax Ransom Demand ... sorry I meant bill .... could also be that because of the natural shyness that a large number of law breakers suffer, by doing everything possible not to be pinned down. As far as I know it is not an offence not to be registered with a Council unless they live on premises where the Council Tax payer claims single occupancy, bu even then, one more broken law among many is no big deal.

All you need to do, when the nice person from Marston turns up is to give him/her a copy of your rental agreement and a copy of the Council Tax bill, bid him/her good day and close the door.

If they persist call 101 and explain the situation, they might decide to send round a pair of garcons dans le blue to remove them swiftly and perhaps to give them a free ride in a Police car to the nearest nick.

[Bisanzio]

Re: It's not my debt

Thanks to all for your answers. I didn't get some "quotes" but the meaning was clear. I assume the bailif has no right at all to get in my house.
I'll get in touch with the Court Manager ASAP. And something I didn't get till you made me notice... the Hertforshire Court letter and Marston letter are linked: confused by the huge number of letter addressed mostly at the previous tenants I assumed the Court's was as well addressed to them. Instead is for somebody who was used to live here even before! I can't blaime if they want to check the house, but I'm not available to pay for someone else. Even if a journey to Tasmania doesn't sound so dire:tinysmile_twink_t2:.
I'll get back to thread as soon I'll have response from any authority.
Thanks to all again.