I have had this happen to me two or three times when I moved house, and so it is necessary to put the clock back to zero each time you move.
That is you write to everyone - a sort of standard letter will do, saying that you are new and you have no relation to the old tenants.
And get the meters read - I even photograph them - and write saying you are new, read the meters and you have no intention of paying someone else bill.
Bailiffs, I have had a knock at the door and they said, John Smith and I said 'No.'
- actually I hesitated and said - say again.
and they said John Smith?
and i said Definitely not.
and closed the door.
In terms of coming back to an empty house (are in Scotland the law is different) someone has to let them in. Your children/partner arent that gormless are they ?
IN terms of civil warrants for arrest and so on, the bailiffs have to have the warrant on hand [because it can always be discharged by paying up.] and so basically it should not be a real problem if they have a warrant (or debt thingey) for Way-Leen Sprot and you can show you are Leticia (call-me=-lovely) Lovelace.
Twice I have written to the Gtr Manchester Police and said politely - please be advised that I peter pedant am now the occupant of 1 Paradise View, and have no relation to my predecessors whom I understand were convicted of serious drugs offences and are now in Strangeways.
oh, the second time it was firearms.
Employ a lwayer to do this - yeah you can at �200/hr but there is nothing you can't do yourself is there ?