Ex-directory phone number

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My house was repossessed over 12 years ago. I have been living abroad and quite honestly forgot about it. I have recently returned to England and am renting a property. About 3 weeks ago my sister received a phone call from someone stating that they were an old friend of mine and had heard that I had returned to this country. She was a bit wary, but gave them my phone no (not my address). The phone number is ex-directory but low and behold I have now received a letter from a firm of solicitors enclosing a questionnaire re outgoing etc.

How exactly did they get my address from an ex-directory number. I was led to believe only the police could do this. Can anyone give me information and also is it illegal for them to have obtained this?

Thanks in advance

-- lynsey ellis (lynsey@centralpets.com), June 23, 2003

Answers

Well, you have three options:

1. Ignore the letter, the debt is probably time barred anyway !

2. Write back with a SARN, you find out what they are in the Do's & Don't section, and again dont worry, the debt is probably time barred.

3. Write/Speak to the police and make an official complaint !

Are you sure that you havent given out your address to anybody else, signed on, got a council tax bill or anything like that ?, thats wheere they could have picked up your name/address from.

-- John (sharky_john@hotmail.com), June 23, 2003.


Lynsey,

If you do contact them make sure you don't acknowledge the debt otherwise the 12 year limitation period will restart. Always state in any correspondence that you deny liability and dispute the debt and that you do not acknowledge it. It's advisable to write "Without prejudice" on letters too. It may be that the alleged shortfall is statute barred but that very much depends on what contact you had with them before, and whether this was a joint mortgage. Furthermore, if an MJO was issued they can (in theory) pursue you forever, although I've never heard of that actually happening as yet. I would read previous postings as much as possible and as John says look at the Do's and Dont's section. Good Luck.

Mark.

-- M Amos (idgroms@hotmail.com), June 24, 2003.


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