<p>First, I am not the one the debt collectors are looking for.</p>
<p>I’ve heard of debt collection agencies making nasty phone calls, but do they actually send out debt collectors to a debtor’s residence?</p>
<p>The reason I am asking is, I just moved into an apartment, and the previous tenant’s debt notices are still getting placed on my door, being mailed to my new address, and now some guy came at 4:30 am (yes, in the wee morning hours) and was banging on the door and asking for the previous tenant, which woke me up. I am not entirely sure it was a debt collector because I failed to ask in my semi-impaired state at 4:30 am, but I did tell him the previous tenant no longer lived there and that I just moved in. So, hopefully the guy will not come back. I have also contacted the debtors numerous creditors, and informed them the tenant no longer lives at the address. </p>
<p>That said, I am really upset if these tactics are being used to collect debts. Even if you were an irresponsible fool who maxed out a dozen credit cards knowing you could never pay them back, you should not be subjected to that sort of treatment. It’s counterproductive. Harassing people all hours of the day is incredibly disruptive to a person’s life, traumatizing, and just making a bad situation worse. It may make a person angry and less likely to pay back the debts.</p>
<p>Well, I look forward to your answers, and thank you in advance.</p>
<p>We believe the previous residents of our house had debt issues. Soon after we moved in, we had some strange guy in our driveway, writing down the license plate numbers of our cars. When we asked him what he was doing, he said he was looking for Previous Resident. We told him Previous Resident didn’t live there anymore, but he looked highly skeptical. Probably he’s heard it all.</p>
<p>Yeah, I had the same problem. The guy said he thought the debtors car was in the apartment lot. I even flashed my drivers license right in front of his face and told him the debtor did not live there anymore. I was paying the damn rent now, and I never even met the debtor, so get the hell out! He still seemed pretty skeptical, and I felt like punching him in the face. </p>
<p>Waking people up at 4:30 am, that’s absurd!</p>
<p>bump!</p>
<p>Looking forward to some more replies.</p>
<p>Keep a digital camera available and take a picture of the guy. If the person persists, file a report with the police for harassment or trespassing.</p>
<p>Most of the practices you mention are illegal. You should contact local law enforcement and your state attorney general office consumer complaint division to indicate that debt collectors are illegally harassing you (which that would be even if you are the debtor, which you aren’t).</p>
<p>I think turning up at 4:30am is certainly illegal… even if you were the one they were after. </p>
<p>I’m not sure exactly what you could do to prevent a ‘new’ debt collection agency from showing up, but I would have some things ready if someone does stop by. Sadly, the first time these collectors show up they probably think their target still lives there and will continue to think so until someone informs them otherwise. I doubt the target is going to call them up with that info any time soon… </p>
<p>Personally, I would just whip up a quick printed document which has a space for the debt collector’s name and signature under the following statement:</p>
<p>“I acknowledge that on DATE at approximately TIME I was informed by YOUR NAME that PERSON THEY’RE AFTER’S NAME is not longer resident at this address and is in no way related to or an acquaintance of the current owner/occupier. I furthermore acknowledge that I have been informed that my permission to enter the property at ADDRESS is permanently revoked and that any future attempts to enter this property will be considered illegal trespass.”</p>
<p>Chances are they won’t sign it, but it will let them know you mean business. Take a bunch of photos of them when you confront them and just generally be very forward and curt and hopefully they’ll let you go after that. If for some reason they’re dumb enough to return, take their picture again and call the police right away as they’re certainly breaking the law at that point.</p>