What can a CCJ do?

[Webb]

Beyond permitting a claimant to take further proceedings, what does the 'public register' do for a CCJ?

Last year I obtained a CCJ against a former tenant.

Six months later I learnt that the solicitor of another landlord was trying to obtain the eviction of the same tenant from another property. Only when I sent him a copy of my CCJ did he learn of its existence. Should his court or that solicitor have found it on the 'public register' at the time of his proceedings?

Six months after (over a year after the CCJ date) the current tenant had to prove to a magistrate's representative who called, that they were not the same tenant as above. (The former tenant had evidently given the false address.)

Could and/or should the CCJ register have prevented these subsequent incidents? Could someone explain what the CCJ public register is for?

[Matt Churchill]

CCJ will show on someone's credit file. So would have been apparent if a credit reference search via Equifax/Experian was undertaken.

AFAIK CCJ's will be linked to someone's address, so in your example maybe the guy put a false address down? Alternatively, a search wasn't done.

[Webb]

Thanks Matt,

Out of interest, is Equifax/Experian in public domain, e.g. on a website, like the insolvency.gov.uk register?

And to clarify your point about the address, the CCJ doesn't have the address of my rented property on it as it was not used for the Service. The tenant had already departed by then.

[Matt Churchill]

Not sure what you need to access Experian/Equifax, I used them in my previous job at a Bank.

[Webb]

According to Equifax website you pay a fee for a credit report. But I'm not clear whether that's just for a report on yourself, or on anyone you might have an interest in. Also I'm not clear whether you have to declare your interest when you apply. (I don't intend to try.)

A sample report on the site shows (among other details) CCJ records and some former addresses of the reported person.

This seems to indicate that anyone (e.g. a bailiff) with access to a credit report could visit any former address on a report, true or false, at any time, to check the whereabouts and credentials of someone the're after. I don't now think that the CCJ can prevent this.

It seems to me that all tenants, particularly in areas where tenancies change frequently, should be advised to keep their passports handy!

Can anyone enlighten me on this?

[xilla]

Hi webb

I know that under the data protection act you cannot obtain other peoples credit files.

Equifax and Experian will only allow you to abtain your own credit file.

The CCJ you have against your ex tenent is only of use if he/she applies for credit and an association with the rented address is linked to them, ie if they had a bank account at rented address then inform the bank of the new address when they move the bank will form an association between the old and new address.

i think your only option is to try to find out where the tenent has moved to and get baillifs involved to recover your loses

hope this makes sense to you and hope it helps

[Webb]

Thanks xilla,

I do understand my options regarding recovering my own losses on my former tenant.

The point of my question is this:

Why has my CCJ not stopped a Magistrates rep. calling on my current tenant over a year after it was granted and registered?