Consequences of actions

[Daisho]

I would appreciate your views on this, please bear with me.

My wife's mother has been receiving letters at her address from various companies debt collection teams (eg. Scottish Power, T-Mobile) all demanding outstanding bills for hundreds of pounds to be settled. These have nothing to do with her.

The letters are in the name of my wife's ex husband (Divorced six years ago) but with her mothers address on them. Clearly her ex has been running up debts with companies and claiming my mother in-laws address as where he lives.

He has never lived at this address.

I have phoned the companies in question and explained to them the facts and they have promised not to send out any more letters, they also asked if I knew him and where he was living now (Which I don't, and if I did I would make damn sure they knew where he was as he's obviously looking to cause trouble in his own cowardly way).

my mother in-law is bed ridden and recently widowed and doesn't need this sort of hassle.

My question is, is it worth informing the police about his actions?, do you think they would do anything about it?, after all is he not participating in some kind of fraud?

[mrs_overall]

It must be awful for your poor mother in law.

I would draft a standard letter stating the facts and post it recorded delivery to all the companies involved.

The fraud that has been committed is against the companies and it is up to them to make a complaint to the police.

If the letters continue after you have notified the relevant companies, then this could be construed as harrassment.

Good luck.

[Rosetta]

Although it is the companies responsibility to recover the debt I would be inclined to inform the Police as well, retaining any documentary evidence of this. If there are any further problems you have documents to back you up.

Whether the Police will log it is another matter,

Its a belt and braces approach.

If you do get any more letters, try and create a paper trail to cover yourself

Does all this sound paranoid lol ?

[sandmaster]

The other answers are right. When writing to the companies though, quote the names of all the companies involved. They are more likely to take action if it can be seen that it is a serial offence.

[kira000]

I think it would also be highly advisable for your mother-in-law to contact the 2 main credit referencing companies: experian and equifax, asking for a statement to be put on her file, give the facts, Her ex's full name, date of birth etc, that your mother-in law and her ex split up on X date, have been divorced for x years and he has not been living at your mother in laws address since X date. Also that their financial affairs are completely separate and that no credit should be given to said ex in a joint name, or with your mother in laws address.

It may mean that if your mother-in-law applies for any type of credit, approval may tale longer as the note will trigger a manual review, but will mean any of his applications should get through if they implicate her or her address.

Worth doing as peace of mind.

[DaisyMae]

Kira, I think it is the ex husband of Daisho wife, not of his mother-in-law. But all that you have said is good advice, either his wife, if his ma-in-law is too ill, or he should get the credit reference situation sorted asap.

[Daisho]

Thank you all for your answers.
Much appreciated.