Enforcing CCJs in the Enfield area

[Matt63]

Hello, I have a number of properties rented out, and over the years I've got 3 CCJs against 3 unconnected former tenants in the Enfield area for unpaid rent. The 3 CCJs total about 8k. Times are tough right now and i would like to receive some of what I am owed as I am convinced these are cases of "can pay, won't pay".

My solicitors said they can't do anything as I do not have current addresses for the debtors. I therefore tried to resolve the matter directly by phoning them on their mobiles but in general terms I was met with taunts and abuse and no payments have been made for over a year.

Now their phones seem to have been disconnected, but as their families live locally I am sure they are still nearby.

Anyone know of a good debt collector in the Enfield area who doesn't mind a bit of detective work?

 

[PI Guy]

you need a good people tracer and separately a debt collector

 

[Matt63]

Thanks for that but that would mean that I would have to pay out more money to the people tracer, and I'm not really in a position to do that right now.

Ideally I am looking for someone who would perform both functions and work for commission on what money is recovered from the debtors. Does anyone offer this service in the Enfield area?

 

[mcgovern]

try sherforce high court enforcement they can transfer the ccjs to high court and then enforce the judgements, small fee involved fot transfering to high court

 

[yorkshirejames]

Have you tried the obvious things like electoral role (not the edited register, the full version in books that Enfield library have).

Plenty of debt collectors/tracing agents have contacts within phone companies who can supply customer addresses etc.

 

[evo1200]

You can get tracing companies who charge as little as £25-£30 and no charge if they dont find them.

 

[Matt63]

Thanks for all the advice. Part of the problem is that I live many miles away from Enfield. Anyone have any recommendations of someone good based in the Enfield area?

 

In my experience you are wanting the impossible, don't want to sound negative :redface: but can't stand these companies that deliver false promises and don't deliver the "goods".

If you are not willing to pay any money for a professional search then you will have to do some detective work yourself. I presume if they were tenants then you will have known where they worked at that time? Why not try ringing there? See if they still work there. An option then could be an Attachment of Earnings? Cost you around £100 but they may be embarrassed at the thought of their employer being notified they cough up |).

The liklihood of them paying you the amount in full is highly unlikely - you may get an offer of payment if you are lucky of £xx per week.

Another thing for you to consider is if they have ignored the official court documents then do you not think they will ignore the debt collectors letter? If they are players of the system they will know exactly what you can and what you can't do and what bailiffs can and can't do.

Sorry to be so negative

 

[Matt63]

Sorry forgot to mention that I had tried tracing them at their work addresses only to find they no longer worked there, and they have moved from the addresses they gave to the court.

Also, it is not that I am not willing to pay for a professional search, but I genuinely can't afford to pay for a professional search right now!

 

Sorry forgot to mention that I had tried tracing them at their work addresses only to find they no longer worked there, and they have moved from the addresses they gave to the court.

Also, it is not that I am not willing to pay for a professional search, but I genuinely can't afford to pay for a professional search right now!

No i understand, please don't think my last post was being sarcastic

How about searching on the internet.......social networking sites such as facebook etc, they may even be on their employers website? Or how about contacting family members, obviously you cannot disclose the reason why you want to get hold of them but be inventive!

Finding their whereabouts is the easy part tbh, you then need to get them to pay up and like i said before if they are players they will know the system inside out and without throwing good money after bad it will be difficult.

 

[PI Guy]

Plenty of debt collectors/tracing agents have contacts within phone companies who can supply customer addresses etc.

that is illegal.

 

[yorkshirejames]

that is illegal.

You don't say!!! All I'm saying is that if I was owed money by someone and I knew they had an O2/T-Mobile/etc phone, that I know there are people around who can get the required information. Whether they do this through a commercial arrangement with the phone company in line with DPA98 or by £20 notes outside their call centre, I do not know or care.

Obviously not your company....

 

You don't say!!! All I'm saying is that if I was owed money by someone and I knew they had an O2/T-Mobile/etc phone, that I know there are people around who can get the required information. Whether they do this through a commercial arrangement with the phone company in line with DPA98 or by £20 notes outside their call centre, I do not know or care.

Obviously not your company....

Oooooooh you gangster you , think the OP thinks if he finds them all his problems are solved. That is the "easy" part - they obviously have no assets and enforcing a debt without money is hard - they have ignored the legal court documents so sky blue, yellow and green letters from a debt collection agency will get filed in the B.I.N.

Sad but true

 

[evo1200]

You must have a certain amount of info on them if they were tenants. If you went thro a agent they would have had a application form and if any good the tenants should have listed:
1 DOB
2 NI number
3 Car details
4 Next of kin
5 Work details
6 Previous Landlord details
7 Guarantor details & address

They also should have got proof of id such as copies of passport, driving licence, utility bills etc.
A agent should pass this over if requested because they have obtained it on your instruction as the client.

Even if you didnt use a agent you must have got some of this info which you could do a awful amount of digging yourself with a phone and pc.

 

[Matt63]

Frustratingly my tenancy application form at the time did not include the NI number or next of kin details. It does now! With two of the debtors I had details of their parents, and indeed got the CCJs at their parents address.

I have also tried Facebook, Google etc.

I take Lucy's point about them putting letters in the bin. That's why I wanted someone local to actually go round and knock on their door!

Has anyone else tried Sherforce?

 

[evo1200]

Well if you have the parents details be a bit sly and contact them pretending to be a old friend of the tenant. I'm sure if you put a bit of thought to what you ask and how they will give a bit of info out. Thats what i would do.

 

[yorkshirejames]

Turn up at the parents house in an official looking uniform, with a box wrapped in packaging that you say contains a new mobile phone, and I'm sure you'll be told exactly where to go.

As Lucy has said though, the chance of you actually being able to recover anything is slim. If you google something like "bailiffs coming how to keep them out" you'll see all sorts of tricks that people on the namby pamby debt advice forums get given.

Imagine what they might have posted on consumer action group. Something like "our evil ex landlord is trying to sue us for money. The house was unfit to bring up my seven children all aged under two and five dogs, the heating didn't work, and he said verbally we didn't have to pay. We offered the judge at court one pound per month, and this was accepted, but hes sending nasty men round to try and get more. I don't want to loose my plasma TV or my vauxhall nova with spoiler."

 

Frustratingly my tenancy application form at the time did not include the NI number or next of kin details. It does now! With two of the debtors I had details of their parents, and indeed got the CCJs at their parents address.

I have also tried Facebook, Google etc.

I take Lucy's point about them putting letters in the bin. That's why I wanted someone local to actually go round and knock on their door!

Has anyone else tried Sherforce?

If thats what you wanted then why didn't you get a Warrant of Execution at the time? The official court bailiff would have then attended the parents premises.

You are going to have to be a really imaginative now in how you track them down but as i have said on a few occassions now.....finding them will be the easy part.

 

We offered the judge at court one pound per month, and this was accepted, but hes sending nasty men round to try and get more. I don't want to loose my plasma TV or my vauxhall nova with spoiler."

Good point....how was it left with the court? Did they respond? Did they make an offer of payment etc?