Debt collectors' mails invading my mailbox. What should I do?

Published on March 29, 2014 By kwm1800 In Life, the Universe and Everything

So, I recently moved to another house like 9 months ago.

Well, this house was actually home-office for some high-tech company. Thing is, the company is most likely went bankrupt (quick google search showed that some foreign corporation bought this company's asset, and the date is coincident with the date I moved to the house).

Weird thing is that they did use the change-of-address service from USPS, except they wrote the new address as same as the old address. So I am still receiving the letters with yellow paper with address, same as the one already in the letters.

Now, of course, when the company bankrupt and obviously they did not pay what they should. So right now I am getting the letters from all sorts of collect agencies.

So, what should I do? I called this company to come my house and collect the letters, but NOBODY answers to phone, email, etc. I did find where they did go, but I don't think that's most likely fake or abandoned.

Should I just wait for collecting agencies to eventually find out what happened to that company? Or should I call them and tell them stop sending letters? What's the best way to solve this problem?

Comments

DaveRI

on Mar 29, 2014

Ask the post office how they would like you to handle it. In the past when I've received mail intended for a previous resident I've simply written "no longer at this address" and left the mail unopened in the mailbox - the carrier would then take it back the next day.

Again though, I suggest you ask the post office, things change. They may even have a more effective way to handle it now. I'd suggest you do not call the senders. The previous resident's issues are not your problem and frankly none of your business.

Cykur

on Mar 29, 2014

Get a stamp that says "no longer at this address - return to sender" and put them back in the mail. Don't expend any energy trying to solve other people's problems beyond that or you will go crazy.

kwm1800

on Mar 29, 2014

I see. Moving on seems indeed best answer.

Jafo

on Mar 29, 2014

"Not known at this address." is the 'correct' phrase. Put them unopened into whatever post box you use to send letters.

Eventually you'll have the fun of a bailiff serving notices on your address [as last-known location/residence] which is part of the legal process. [they are required to serve it/them....and all you need to do is throw it/them in your bin]...

Alstein

on Mar 30, 2014

Call them, tell them this is not your debt, maybe give them the address of where they went, and tell them under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, they are not to contact you again.

If they do, it's grounds for a lawsuit, and a pretty big one.

clarkhoward.com should have some advice on how to go about this.

WOM

on Mar 30, 2014

Just draw a horizontal line through the address, right moved and put them back into the mail box. The mailman will take care of the rest. When a sub is on, you might still get them but just do the same thing and your regular mailman will take care of them when he returns. That's if he's worth a damn. That's what I did.

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