Somebody using my address for their bills - what to do?

[Guderian]

The previous owner of my house was a Scottish guy married to a Thai wife. When they left they evidently didn’t tell all the companies that serviced the house, like TOT and True, and for months I was left with TOT and others sending bills demanding money to my house. Everything was in the Thai wife’s name. Over some months I eventually contacted everybody and explained the situation and the bills stopped coming.

 

 

Now, five years later, I’ve started getting bills from CAT in the Thai wife’s name. She obviously can’t produce a recent utility bill in her name for this address, but I’m guessing she may still have the house book in her name. This is annoying but I’m not going to start chasing all over town and writing letters, I’m sure it can’t be legal for her to be doing this so what would you advise?  

 

 

I doubt if the police would have much interest, but I may be wrong there, and I don’t want to run up large legal bills. Would Pattaya City Hall (that's where I live) be of any help in stopping them using my address? Any other suggestions?

 

 

I don’t know their new address but I have a pretty good idea from Facebook of which  village in Pattaya they moved to if that would be of any help.

 

Thanks for any advice.

Edited October 29, 2016 by Guderian

[Peterw42]

Every house I have ever lived in, has got mail for previous occupants. Write "not at this address" return to sender or throw it in the bin. Its not like you are liable for any money owed. You are probably breaking the law by opening the letters.

[Guderian]

In Britain people and companies can put a legal tag or mark on a property if the owner owes them money and that stops the property from being sold. I don't owe any money but OTOH the likes of CAT don't know that I'm the owner rather than the Thai wife (or at least my company is). Could they do something similar in Thailand?

[trogers]

4 minutes ago, Guderian said:

In Britain people and companies can put a legal tag or mark on a property if the owner owes them money and that stops the property from being sold. I don't owe any money but OTOH the likes of CAT don't know that I'm the owner rather than the Thai wife (or at least my company is). Could they do something similar in Thailand?

 

I guess you must be Thai, as you claimed to be the owner of a house.

 

Nobody can tag any property without first checking the owner's particulars at the Land office.

[Peterw42]

1 minute ago, Guderian said:

In Britain people and companies can put a legal tag or mark on a property if the owner owes them money and that stops the property from being sold. I don't owe any money but OTOH the likes of CAT don't know that I'm the owner rather than the Thai wife (or at least my company is). Could they do something similar in Thailand?

 

Yes, Australia has similar covenants. But they can only put a covenant on a property if the "owner" owes them money. I think that would be the first thing the land office would check, does the person who owes money own the property. I see your point, but I imagine there are checks in place. People can be renting and owe money, doesnt mean someone can put a covenant.

[Guderian]

1 minute ago, Peterw42 said:

 

Yes, Australia has similar covenants. But they can only put a covenant on a property if the "owner" owes them money. I think that would be the first thing the land office would check, does the person who owes money own the property. I see your point, but I imagine there are checks in place. People can be renting and owe money, doesnt mean someone can put a covenant.

 

That seems a sensible point about the renters.

 

So there's no problem with somebody else using your address here? I don;t need to worry about the Thai lady continuing to do this?

[trogers]

2 minutes ago, Guderian said:

 

That seems a sensible point about the renters.

 

So there's no problem with somebody else using your address here? I don;t need to worry about the Thai lady continuing to do this?

 

CAT service is tied to a phone number (mobile or fixed) registered to her Thai ID card, with a billing address.

 

Billing address can be changed, but not her particulars in her ID card.

[Guderian]

1 minute ago, trogers said:

 

CAT service is tied to a phone number (mobile or fixed) registered to her Thai ID card, with a billing address.

 

Billing address can be changed, but not her particulars in her ID card.

 

So why do you think she's using my address? She might get away with a few months free use until CAT realises they're not going to get paid and cut her off, but surely then she won;t be able to use CAT again as they will know her ID card and that she's got unpaid bills against it?

 

And wouldn't something similar have happened when she didn't pay the TOT bills before leaving here as they must have known her ID card? Or is this just a standard Thai way of doing things, don't bother sorting out your bills but presumably you'd have to pay them the next time you needed that company's services?

[Peterw42]

There is a good chance your address is still on her 5 year license.

[trogers]

She is probably either a procrastinator or she was a nominee owner of the house...

[Guderian]

3 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

There is a good chance your address is still on her 5 year license.

 

It's five years now since I bought the shack so her licence should have expired by now. Or maybe it was due to expire a few months ago and that's why she started the CAT billing nonsense while she still had proof of address?

[Guderian]

3 minutes ago, trogers said:

She is probably either a procrastinator or she was a nominee owner of the house...

 

She might well have been, the Scottish husband was the company director but I've no idea who the Thai nominee shareholders were.

[Guderian]

Thanks for the replies, it seems I don't have to worry about this. I'll just bin anything that comes for her in the future.

[trogers]

Just ignore those bills and letters. I still receive correspondence of my previous condo owner and her tenants, after eight years...?

[blackcab]

Do you own the house? If so, do you have the blue book? Who is registered in the book?

[Guderian]

15 hours ago, blackcab said:

Do you own the house? If so, do you have the blue book? Who is registered in the book?

 

The house is owned via the company route and I've never had any reason to want to get a house book. I'm not even sure if it's possible when the owner is a company. So if the Thai wife had a house book then that's the only one.

[blackcab]

33 minutes ago, Guderian said:

 

The house is owned via the company route and I've never had any reason to want to get a house book. I'm not even sure if it's possible when the owner is a company. So if the Thai wife had a house book then that's the only one.

 

You can get a new copy easily by going to the district office. I did this last month myself. You will need a copy of the chanote and a copy of the sale document, plus the company DBD and shareholder list. You will also need a copy of the ID of the signing shareholder. If you are not a shareholder you will need an authority letter. Everything needs to have the company stamp and a signature on each page.

 

The company director or their representstive will also be able to remove everyone from the housebook. Until this is done the head of household (which might be your ex) can add anyone and everyone to the house book and also get new house books issued. Once someone is added to the housebook the can get a Thai ID card and then start signing themselves up for services/driving licenses, etc. at your address.

 

The standard practice when you buy a property is to remove everyone from the housebook the same day.

[tifino]

 

could the system back flip and accuse you of having other foreigners (scotsman husband) at your address, without a TM30 covering them?

 

because that is how it would look to the system, even though you can later on respond with proof to the contrary

 

 

that scheming scotty's thai wife may still be a thorn in your side

[Estrada]

We bought our house 22 years ago and we still get monthly statements sent by Kasikorn Bank addressed to the previous owner, even though Kasikorn told me, two years ago, that they would change the address on their records. Of course nothing happened, so now I just bin the letters.

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

On Saturday, October 29, 2016 at 3:09 PM, Guderian said:

 

So why do you think she's using my address? She might get away with a few months free use until CAT realises they're not going to get paid and cut her off, but surely then she won;t be able to use CAT again as they will know her ID card and that she's got unpaid bills against it?

 

And wouldn't something similar have happened when she didn't pay the TOT bills before leaving here as they must have known her ID card? Or is this just a standard Thai way of doing things, don't bother sorting out your bills but presumably you'd have to pay them the next time you needed that company's services?

When she or any Thai move to another area they are supposed to change the address on their ID card and get a new one. But are the CAT account for recent services or for old services ? Why I ask is because international calls on TOT lines are billed by CAT and it maybe that this account is small and dates back 5 years. Or it can be that you changed the TOT line and CAT didnt change the person residing at your address. You may have made international calls on your TOT line for the first time and got billed by CAT for recent calls. They are very slow sometimes.

[Don Mega]

What services does CAT provide that are not tied to the billing address ?

[NoshowJones]

On 10/29/2016 at 2:45 PM, Guderian said:

In Britain people and companies can put a legal tag or mark on a property if the owner owes them money and that stops the property from being sold. I don't owe any money but OTOH the likes of CAT don't know that I'm the owner rather than the Thai wife (or at least my company is). Could they do something similar in Thailand?

Another of the "lazy on the keyboard" brigade. What does OTOH stand for?

The Thaivisa posters brigades are sure mounting up.

[Don Mega]

10 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

Another of the "lazy on the keyboard" brigade. What does OTOH stand for?

 

On The Other Hand.

[NoshowJones]

15 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

On The Other Hand.

Thanks, I thought that was one of Randy Travis's songs.

[monkey4u]

You could be a kind hearted guy and pay the bills for them  

By the way my Great Great Great Grand Mothers buffalo is sick  can you help out 

[little mary sunshine]

     Write:. DECEASED, "return to sender"on all

the mail and give back to Mail, Postal Service !!

[Khon Kaen Dave]

I really wouldnt worry about it.As the other guys are saying,either bin them or put Not known here. Whats the worst they can do,send round a collector.You tell them that you are not the people they want,show them some form of ID and that should be that.

For gods sake dont let it worry you,it must happen all the time here.