Question about tracing debtors.

[Balor]

What is the legality of a solicitor / DC obtaining personal information about a childs emergancy contacts?

 

The reason I ask is, (dons tin hat) I'm almost certain that a DC has tracked my partner by information they have obtained through details stored either at our child's school, within the local authority or through the DCSF.

 

I may be way off the mark, however what makes me certain is that the address the school have is spelt incorrectly and two words have been merged in one big word. (i.e Higher Meadow Lane, reads Highermedow Lane) which in iteself is not enough for mail to be mis-delivered.

 

The exact same address is used on correspondance from a particular DC / Soliciter, is it a pure coincindence? It's worth bearing in mind that my partner has no other mail delivered at my addresss as everything was in my name only, and those adresses are spelt correctly.

[rameses_qc]

Well, as you know, this method of obtaining information would be highly illegal; mind you, illegality has never stopped a DCA beforeIf you have concerns about the way the info has been gained, then make a complaint to the ICO, Police your MP and Anyone else who will listenSeeing as it may involve information pertaining to a child, then someone somewhere needs to take this VERY seriously. (preferably the local constabulary) It may be a coincidence, but how likely is that? Not very

[Balor]

I'm think I will test the theory first whilst I have the form in front of me to amend / update the details the school holds. My partner, only 2 months ago, moved in so I can't fathom how else they got her details.

 

I will make slight changes the the address and return to school, and wait any more correspondance for the DC / Soliciters.

[dx100uk]

TBH i would think you are way off the mark here

 

a school would never give out that info

 

dx

[Balor]

I should add that the DC / Solicitor never threatens anything or demands money, only asks her to contact them by phone and / or fill in an income / expenditure form and return to their address. So, for us, their letters always appear to be phishing for her to confirm they have the right person and in the process negating their illegal activity, which we're not stupid enough to do.

[rameses_qc]

TBH i would think you are way off the mark here

 

a school would never give out that info

 

dx

 

I don't think they would either, but all it takes is one bad apple

[Balor]

In any case I will amend the details stored to verify. We will not be contacting the DC / solicitors until they start to make threats either and then take action from there. If not the Local Authority I'd love to know what methods they used.

[Bazooka Boo]

Have you made use of Royal Mail's 'Redirect' service at all?

[harrassed senior]

What about bank, benefits etc. Has your OH notified these of change of address, as this will go straight on the CRA files, remember CRAs and benfits agencies are now in cahoots.

[Balor]

She didn't use Royal Mail redirection. Her bank is still registered at her old address she has informed CTC and CB that she has moved to her current address. Surely neither of those two have passed this information on.

[Guest Cartaphilus]

Just quickly read through your thread and the problems within. I have another viewpoint based on experience: I have found in the past that it all depends on the 'training' or 'knowledge' of the person answering the phone at various establishments to what is given out by 'error' or simply because the person wasn't aware they shouldn't have. Anyone can pick up a phone when said and done in an office and any number of elements could be at work as to how or why (error, someone picking up the phone who shouldn't have been and so on, I once phoned an official office and a friend of someone working there was answering phones, she didn't work there ... she didn't tell me that until I had spilled out my question and private information to them, because you wouldn't automatically think anyone answering the phone wouldn't work there, why would you?. Prior to that it was someone working in a council office who was giving me duff information because I found out later she wasn't meant to be working in that department apparently so I was told and I wasn't told that at the time, led to rather a mess of confusion. That isn't saying that has happened here, but private data has got out somehow and as it's a school involved. Like I said, just another viewpoint.