Bailiffs: C/D?

Well, if it comes to that (which I doubt), warrants have names on them and if the names aren't yours and you have the ID/tenancy contract to prove it then there's not a lot they can do.

Really and truly, though, you need to discuss this with your landlord.

Give the letters to your letting agency/landlord.

Yeah, I doubt it will come to anything, I wouldn't be worried except the door was smashed in before we moved in, there were bolts at the top and bottom of the door but the door was hit with enough force to just tear through the wall where the bolts go in, so now there are big grooves in the wall rendering the bolts useless. The landlord doesn't know what happened to the door but it could be that they had bailiffs round before? Just idle paranoia on a Friday afternoon really.

Imagine being a bailiff, how would you sleep at night?

Behind a 3-inch thick steel front door, with a Rottweiler at the end of the bed.

on top of a gigantic pile of repossessed electronic equipment, with many beautiful ladies

Don't even mean the guys who go round and smash peoples' doors down etc, what about the people that work in their offices too?

THEY ARE JUST FOLLOWING ORDERS

Yes, it's hard not to draw that comparison

Many years ago I worked in collections for the Inland Revenue, so part of my job entailed referring people to the bailiffs. Fortunately I was deeply unhappy at having to do this, tossed it off for 6 months and got fired.

I've been in exactly the same situation as Colonel Poo for about 3 years now, the former tenant is STILL racking up loans and fines against our address. We've had the address struck off a few lists now (congestion charge, TfL etc) and demands keep coming. No one has any idea where he is now.

Generally speaking, if a bailiff turns up they can't actually smash your door down but they can force entry if you open the door. On every occasion one has turned up I've shown them a gas bill and said "he's not here, he hasn't been for three years" and they go "alright then" and go away.

Generally speaking, if a bailiff turns up they can't actually smash your door down but they can force entry if you open the door.

And they can climb in your window, if you leave it open. Honestly.

I am happy to report that no-one came and kicked our door in.

We still got the occasional call/letter for several months but seems to have stopped now.

Getting loads and loads of texts and calls and eventually a letter to call a debt collection agency and quote a reference number. I'm certain I don't owe anybody any money. Do I ring these nits or not bother and keep ignoring them? It's starting to get on my wick but I also don't want to confirm my existence to them in case they start trying to weedle money out of me that I do not owe.

Anyone got experience in dealing with this?

HAve a feeling it might be a utility company who forgot to cancel an account or something, but I'm certain we switched everything at the time and paid everything off.

answer it and find out, best to get it sorted rather than dread your phone going all day long.
sure you could clear it up in ten minutes and be done with it.

Sort it out. At the very least get your name off their lists if they've made a mistake, else you'll have difficulty getting loans/overdrafts/mortgage etc.

Do a credit check on yourself first, just so you have more information on your side. My wife got called/junk-mailed by a company that claimed she owed them. She eventually just gave in and paid it over the phone.

First outcome: the next week her identity was stolen someone was ringing up $1,000 charges from Paris on her checking account. Second outcome: she is now part of a class-action lawsuit to try and recoup the money she paid because the company was not collecting on an actual debt in the first place.

In short, there are scammers out there dog, so arm yourself to the teeth.

People get over-charged all the time, and bills DO get lost in the mail. I just tell them if they can't send an official itemized statement with the actual dates and charges they are unprofessional and don't deserve my money. Some of them are nasty, they will send you straight to collections.

Talked to my Dad about it. He reckons there's a template online for a "prove-it" letter asking for pretty much what you said u s steel.

can't pay, we'll take it away!

exclamation mark is insult to injury

anyways, bailiffs

had the fear re them at what is kinda the family home (my brother and his kid there now) for most of 2012 but things appear to be on an even keel again since. but idk would I have held it against the lugs sent round or the bank or w/e. seems handy just to transfer the responsibility to whoever's sent round.

xp might be the first step towards the innocent smoothies-ization of bailiffing.

these guys seem like idk decent guys, but then its their programme.

maybe the innocent smoothie question is then rather the point.

I suppose bailiffs are not so very bad, if they stick to their own bailiwick.