Dear all
Hope you can advise. I found out this evening that my lodger has passed on my home address to a friend of his to use - this chap has evidently recently been pulled over for speeding (I don't know the details) and was apparently advised by the copper who stopped him that if he gave in effect a false address, it would be impossible for him to be prosecuted.
Notwithstanding the fact that this appears to be shoddy practice by our police (if it is true), I am more concerned right now with my address having been presented without my knowledge or consent. When the NIP arrives should I ignore it or should I open it, contact the constabulary and inform them of what I know?
My concern, aside from the fact that I don't want to be an accessory to this kind of thing, is that if the police cannot track down the chap, the only thing they will have is my address.
Not that it should matter but you may be interested to know that both my lodger and his mate are Irish and certainly my lodger's attitude towards motoring is that he can get away with anything in the UK provided he keeps his Irish numberplates. This extends to speeding tickets and more.
Any advice gratefully received.
S
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Don't open any post which arrives addressed to him, just return with "not known at this address" or similar endorsed on the envelope.
In a fairly short time the police will probably visit and you can tell them the story.
Something similar happened when a neighbour of mine moved abroad and sold his car at auction. I suddenly started getting parking tickets and then the police kindly knocked on the door very late one night (we were in bed).
He'd owned the car for a couple of years and I''d never had his tax reminders etc, so I've no idea what changed when he sold it, but I explained and I heard no more about it.
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Policeman stopped someone for speeding and then advised that same person how to avoid prosecution ? .... i don't think so, and how did you find out - did your lodger tell you ?, somebody could be having you on.
However, if it turns out to be true i would follow Bill Payers advice and just return all correspondence, and if you do then get a knock on the door, just tell the truth.
I think it should be the registered keeper of the vehicle who gets the NIP if the driver can't be traced, but BP's experience shows that may not always happen, easy to say, but i don't think you need worry.
If nothing happens at all, i would be wondering why i was told this story ....
Nice lodger by the way!
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A straight bat is the one to use in this circumstance.
If, as you suspect may happen, a NIP arrives addressed to you, then open it and reply on the lines that you have not carried out the offence.
Furthermore, because you were not in the district at the time, it looks as if someone may have given your name.
Any correspondence arriving at your house addressed to somebody else should be marked return to sender.
Might be time for the lodger to moved on, as well.
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>>>>advised by the copper who stopped him that if he gave in effect a false address, it would be impossible for him to be prosecuted.
Notwithstanding the fact that this appears to be shoddy practice by our police (if it is true), <<<<<
That is an utter load of baloney. No Plod in his right mind would do such a thing. Failing to gice details is an offence in itself and serious. Avenues are available for correct details to be established and if this was true then Plod in deep doo doos.
dvd
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Not withstanding the actual tenuous connection between the offender and you, this could equally have happened anyway, to anyone. Addresses are not secret, and anyone so minded can give any false, or non-existant address in an effort to escape detection.
Someone must, or might, live at 37 Sebastopol Terrace, Bolton, or 4 Acacia Gardens, Teddington.
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anyone so minded can give any false or non-existant address
I'm guessing that in this case the perp has an Irish licence and a car with Irish plates too.
So the Police officer may well have said "and where can we find you in the UK?" and was given the the OP's address. There's no suggestion the wrong name was given.
I note DVD's comments, but I know a few policemen (and a police woman) and I can easily imagine the conversation referred to taking place. Anything to avoid something which looks like it might be a bit difficult.
Edited by Bill Payer on 08/07/2009 at 13:16
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"Goodbye lodger" is the only way.
You won't get a NIP anyway if he was stopped at the roadside as a verbal NIP would have been given at the time (I think).
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ISTR it's an offence to tamper/open with someone else's mail, so you won't know what the letter contains. Just return it with a note on the back, "not at this address" which will be entirely true. It's not your problem, nor fault, and as has been said, anyone could falsely give 23, Railway Cuttings, East Cheam as an address.
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Leave Tony Hancock out of it.
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Leave Tony Hancock out of it.
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Blimey! Is that a joke from Mr X?
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Yes, and a good one. His (Hancock's) mate Sid did a bit of boxing didn't he? :-)
JH
Edited by JH on 08/07/2009 at 22:41
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