Should I call Ruthbridge?

[chippie295]

Hi

I received a letter today addressed to the occupier from Ruthbridge asking to be called immediately, I went strainght online and found out these are a debt collection agency.

I live in rented accomodation with a friend and we have been inundated with debt collectors/bailiffs etc. from the previous tenenats so it could well be to do with them. However, I too had debt from a Barclays and a LLoyds credit card when I was at university which I never paid for approximately £5k in total so I don't know if this is referring to me or to the previous tenants.

I understand that after 6 years my debt is statute barred as it was unsecured but I don't know for sure when I last made payments, my best guess would be that it was over 51/2 years ago but maybe not quite 6. I have not communicated with my creditors or made payments in this time.

I do not know if any CCJ have been issued and am too petrified to get a credit check done in case it flags me up.

So, my dilemma is should I call Ruthbridge and tackle this or should I just ignore the letter? all help gratefully recieved, I have been sick twice this morning with stress and have nobody to talk to about this.

Thanks

(By the way can bailiffs take my housemates possessions, I really don't want to get her involved with this)

[cerberusalert]

I received a letter today addressed to the occupier from Ruthbridge asking to be called immediately,

Ignore it, if they want you they should address mail to you by name, they're fishing.

I understand that after 6 years my debt is statute barred as it was unsecured but I don't know for sure when I last made payments, my best guess would be that it was over 51/2 years ago but maybe not quite 6. I have not communicated with my creditors or made payments in this time.

If it does relate to this debt by the time you have sent the numerous letters demanding proof of the debt etc., the statute barred status will more than likely have kicked in anyway.

I do not know if any CCJ have been issued and am too petrified to get a credit check done in case it flags me up.

You can check for yourself online for £8 CCJs, court orders & fines - Search yourself and others - Trust Online and DCAs will not know about you doing so.

(By the way can bailiffs take my housemates possessions, I really don't want to get her involved with this)

Certainly not, nether can they take yours without a court order & to do that there would have needed to have been a court order which you have failed to pay & if there was a court order you can easily get it set aside anyway.

[chippie295]

Ok thanks, I feel a bit better already just having shared it with someone. I feel so stupid about all of this and wish I could turn back time (how many people on here say that I wonder!).

[babybear39]

Adressing to 'the occupier' is against OFT guidlines and should be reported to TS and the OFT! Definately seems to be phishing excercise

[NailPost]

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!

 

Do not call Ruthbridge or any other debt collector - EVER. That's what they want you to do but you will be subjected to abuse and aggressive tactics to pay money for a debt you may not owe, are probably being overcharged for and or which they are likely not to have the proper documents. In addition you will never have a record of what was said and agreed.

 

If you get any more letters addressed to the previous tenant put them in a large envelope, possibly accompanied by some other promotional material, and pop into into the post without a stamp. The debt collectors will soon get the message that sending letters to your address will lead to excssive postage charges at their end.

[chippie295]

Ok thanks, I won't call them. I guess I will just have to get on with it and ride it out - I have been reading on here and there is loads of help and advice so I will be strong and just tackle it if and when the need arises. It wouldn't be so bad if I lived alone but as I have a house mate I need to tell her about not calling them too which means admitting about my debt and I am so ashamed.

[cerberusalert]

I have a house mate I need to tell her about not calling them too which means admitting about my debt and I am so ashamed.

Being in debt is not shameful, although creditors would have us believe it is.

 

It's a rare person who doesn't have debts of some sort & circumstances can change dramatically overnight as this present recession has proven to a lot of people who never thought they would ever get into financial straits.

 

You'll probably find that your flatmate has problems of her own too, overdraft, credit card, student loan etc.

[ScabHunter]

If these cretins are addressing letters to 'The Occupier', they clearly don't have a lot of information on you, do they?

 

Definitely IGNORE anything which is not addressed to you personally. If anything comes addressed to the previous tenant, just write "not known at this address" on the envelope and put it back in the red box.

 

Ruthbish are right at the bottom of the DCA food chain. They get the rubbish the others won't touch. They are extremely aggressive and rude on the telephone, because they know that such bullying is the only way they can ever get money out of people. Do NOT engage them on the telephone. EVER.

 

Bailiffs would be able to take YOUR possessions if you were taken to court, lost your case, and then failed to maintain the payments ordered by the court. Even in that case, they would NOT be able to take anyone else's possessions.

 

Your reluctance to get a credit check shows that you have a good understanding of how the system operates. You are very wise to think like this.

 

The old skeletons are best left in the cupboard unless they decide to emerge by themselves.

 

Try not to be made sick by Ruthbish. There is not the slightest shred of evidence that they have any information on you which represents a danger.

 

There is no need to reveal to your housemate that there may have been alleged debts in your past. As the letters are addressed to "The Occupier", they could easily be intended for the previous tenants.

 

SH

[chippie295]

Thanks everyone for your help and advice - I hardly slept at all last night but feel better now reading your advice and replies. I have just spent an hour reading through other people's dealings with Ruthbridge and can see that they really are bully boys and I am more than smart enough to deal with them if it is me they are after.

I was wondering though if my debt isn't statute barred do they have to accept a repayment plan? I wouldn't be able to settle straight away but if I need to pay monthly I would do, perhaps it would be best to just wait and see if it ever got to court - my credit rating is knackered anyway and it wouldn't affect my job.

[postggj]

the last thing you should be doing is offering a payment plan

it acknowleges the debt

 

demand a statement to see when the last payment was made if they say its not statute barred

[chippie295]

Ok thanks, I guess it's just a waiting game. I just made a donation to CAG as the advice and support I have been given in the last 24 hours has been fantastic.

[cerberusalert]

I was wondering though if my debt isn't statute barred do they have to accept a repayment plan?

This is all hypothetical at the moment, you don't even know whether you are the person they are looking for. Besides, even if you were it is so close to being Statute Barred by the time you and they have gone through the formalities of exchanging letters and them providing proof of an enforceable debt, the Statute Barred status will have kicked in anyway.

[wendella]

Don't forget that the letter was sent to the Occupier, it's only because you have debt in the past that you are taking the worry on board. Your housemate may well have been lying awake all night thinking it was hers too.

 

Do nothing at this point, ignore it. They haven't written to you, they've written to your address.

[chippie295]

OK thanks - Normally I am such a level headed person but this has got me in a right two and eight.

[RW Fugitive]

OK thanks - Normally I am such a level headed person but this has got me in a right two and eight.

 

 

Don't worry... just remember... NEVER speak to DCA's! and acknowedge NOTHING to them... most letters are Phishing letters to get a responce. If they write to YOU, then post up here and other experienced Caggers can give advice!

 

Stop worrying! I know it's hard not to, but if I worried about all mine, then I'd be dead with stress!

Edited November 8, 2009 by RW Fugitive
spelling

[chippie295]

Thanks RW Fugitive - I will try not to worry. I just found an old statement showing I made a payment in Feb 2004 so it won't be statute barred yet - I don't know if I made any payments after that but I know I definately didn't make any post August 2004... how long can i eek the communication out for do you think if it is me they are after? I also remember i didn't pay a phone bill back in 2004 so it could be that too, I really don't know what on earth was going on with me then. Also I was wondering what will happen if I keep just ignoring the 'to the occupier' letters? Thanks all.

[cerberusalert]

Also I was wondering what will happen if I keep just ignoring the 'to the occupier' letters? Thanks all.

Nothing until something is actually addressed to someone who lives at the address & the longer that goes on the better.

[The GodMother]

you know u could always waste there time.

 

Ring them up from a pay phone and give them loads of abuse down the phone. Not only will it waste there time but it will make you feel better.

[babybear39]

I'm sure we can keep them running in circles until it's SBd

[chippie295]

Just had another 'to the occupier letter' - I wondered if anyone had any experience on what they tend to do after I don't reply to their letters. Should I be expecting an 'express delivery' package? I am so stressed about this but reassured by all the help that is available on here.

[babybear39]

Just return the letter 'not known at this address' as your name cleary isn't 'The occupier' is it

[ScabHunter]

Do not be stressed by letters which only serve to illustrate how useless Ruthbish are and how little information they have. It is their money they are wasting by sending these phishing expeditions and not yours.

 

Eventually you will be able to forward these to the OFT, whose guidance states -

 

2.8

Examples of unfair practices are as follows:

 

a.

sending demands for payment to an individual when it is uncertain that

they are the debtor in question, for example, threatening debt recovery

action to 'the occupier' or sending a payment demand to all people sharing the same name/date of birth as a debtor in the hope that contact with the correct debtor will be made.

 

You could complain now, but I wouldn't. As you say there is a possibility that you have an alleged debt somewhere which is approaching statute barred status, I would do as little as possible for now. There will be a more propitious time in the future to turn the tables on Ruthbish.

 

SH

[chippie295]

Thanks Scabhunter - I will listen to your advise carefully. I am reading a lot on what to do if and when this progresses and am sure with all the great help on here I can handle this. I wouldn't be so stressed about it all if it was with a more reputable company, but these do not sound like the sort of people I want to deal with!

[ScabHunter]

these do not sound like the sort of people I want to deal with!

 

You are better off dealing with this sort of "people" than competent ones.

 

SH

[chippie295]

That's a fair point! You made me smile - This is a fantastic website and people like you who help people in a mess like me are even more fantastic. Enough happiness... back to the stressing!