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algebrapro18

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I have lived in this apartment for over a year now and I still get calls for a previous tennent and its getting really old. She apparently raced up a rather large sum of debt and I have been getting threatening calls from collection agencies. I just called them back and not so calmly explained to them that I am not her and to please stop calling. I won't be use the actual language I used on the phone, it would probably get me banned from this site. The calls started about a week or two after I moved in and havn't stopped since. If someone calls asking for her I will either hang up on them and let my answering machine explain to the person who calls back why they got hung up on, or I will sometimes calmly sometimes not calmly explain to the person calling that I am no her and I don't know where she is. I just wish people would get the hint and stop calling me. I swear 90% of my calls are for her and its driving me up the wall, especially when they wake me up like this one did this morning. I even went as far as to make a answering machine message that said who I am and if your calling for the old tennent you have not reached her so please stop calling. I wanted to say something a little less polite but I don't want to be telling people in the government to go...you know. I am pretty sure its going to be the police calling one day because its been over a year that these people have tried to reach her.

And while I am venting about stuff the other day I was playing a game minding my own business and my landlords teenage son stops by. He knocked and I started to look for clothing(I was still in my underwear) and the little punk just walked right into my apartment. Well I was mad because I wasn't dressed, and more importantly I haden't told him he could come in. He then proceeds to ask me when I am going to be moving out and then informs me that I need to be out in the next two days. WHAT I just signed my lease extention in March saying that this place is legally mine until June of 09!!! I marched over to my drawer and showed him the lease agreement and he just left saying that this was the place his mom told him to come. What a little punk...and now I don't know if she has given away my apartment to someone else. That little boy is lucky I didn't take the power the law gives me into my own hands because he was not welcome in my apartment and in the state of Wisconsin when someone who enters your home unwanted you can do what ever the heck you want to them...with out using excessive force. Of corse from the looks of the guy if I even laid a finger on him it would have been excessive force he couldn't have been more than 100 pounds...she needs to send a bigger goon if she is going to get me out of a place I legaly rent as I am north of 350 still so her little son wouldn't have gotten anywhere if he had tried to get me out.

There rant over...I feel a little better now though I am kind of wishing that kid stops by again...*evil grin*.
 

clixpix

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Why do you have the same phone number as the former tenant?
If you changed your phone number, the calls would stop, wouldn't they? It seems like the simplest way to end the frustration.
 
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algebrapro18

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I'm actually not sure if its the former tenant or the last known user of the number I just assumed. Phone service was off when I got this place so it might be a different number that someone else had at one point in time.
 

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Originally Posted by clixpix

If you changed your phone number, the calls would stop, wouldn't they? It seems like the simplest way to end the frustration.
It's the first thing a telephone provider does when you move into somewhere new over here. Even old numbers don't get passed on straight away.
 

mrblanche

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We've lived here 10 years, and we've gotten calls for the person who had the number before us that entire time. Not much you can do about it. At least it isn't the number of bowling alley, or something!
 

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I think that if they are collection agencies they are using her last known address and doing a reverse search for the phone number. I don't know if they have access to that, but it might explain things.
 

AbbysMom

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Change your phone number. Problem solved.

Originally Posted by algebrapro18

And while I am venting about stuff the other day I was playing a game minding my own business and my landlords teenage son stops by. He knocked and I started to look for clothing(I was still in my underwear) and the little punk just walked right into my apartment. Well I was mad because I wasn't dressed, and more importantly I haden't told him he could come in. He then proceeds to ask me when I am going to be moving out and then informs me that I need to be out in the next two days. WHAT I just signed my lease extention in March saying that this place is legally mine until June of 09!!! I marched over to my drawer and showed him the lease agreement and he just left saying that this was the place his mom told him to come. What a little punk...and now I don't know if she has given away my apartment to someone else. That little boy is lucky I didn't take the power the law gives me into my own hands because he was not welcome in my apartment and in the state of Wisconsin when someone who enters your home unwanted you can do what ever the heck you want to them...with out using excessive force. Of corse from the looks of the guy if I even laid a finger on him it would have been excessive force he couldn't have been more than 100 pounds...she needs to send a bigger goon if she is going to get me out of a place I legaly rent as I am north of 350 still so her little son wouldn't have gotten anywhere if he had tried to get me out.

There rant over...I feel a little better now though I am kind of wishing that kid stops by again...*evil grin*.
I would investigate that law a little further before you do anything.
You may legally rent, but she legally owns the place. I wouldn't be doing "whatever the heck you want" to him and still expect to live there.
 

clixpix

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Originally Posted by AbbysMom

Change your phone number. Problem solved.



I would investigate that law a little further before you do anything.
You may legally rent, but she legally owns the place. I wouldn't be doing "whatever the heck you want" to him and still expect to live there.
Too true. You still have to meet certain criteria to invoke the Castle Law. I think it would be difficult to prove that you were in imminent danger from a small statured teenager.
 
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algebrapro18

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yeah seeing how I have him beat by about 250 unless he has a gun their isn't much a judge will believe was self defense...still wanted to hurt him though. You don't just walk into another persons apartment uninvited, I know landlords can do it but...still its just creepy.
 

rubsluts'mommy

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Originally Posted by algebrapro18

yeah seeing how I have him beat by about 250 unless he has a gun their isn't much a judge will believe was self defense...still wanted to hurt him though. You don't just walk into another persons apartment uninvited, I know landlords can do it but...still its just creepy.
landlords cannot do that uninvited... at least not in any state I've lived in! You have to give them permission, or they have to give 24 hour notice of entry. For example: I have a service request in for an appliance here... I had to sign a form in the office stating it was okay for them to come in and fix/look at said appliance.

The 24 hour things comes in situations like annual inspections, which get done here, as well as my last place in Chicago. They served notices saying they would be coming in to your unit during a stated set of days... they cannot just waltz right into your apartment w/o your permission or legal 24 hour notice. Period. If your landlord hasn't been giving you notice/getting permission, someone needs a talking to... in a calm manner. Find out what tenant rights you have in your state... Also, check your lease. It should state on there that they need permission or to give notice.

As for the phone thing... I know its annoying... but you don't have many options... you can't do much about them... they're within their legal rights to call... for all they know, you could be lying to them and the chick is standing right there... YOU know she's not, but they don't. Beyond changing your number, I don't know of anything else...

A.
 
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algebrapro18

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They don't need permission if their is probable cause or if they are presented with a warrant. Thankfully neither of those has been the case and *knocks on wood* won't be in the future.
 

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Oh my goodness! I can see why you are so upset! I don't understand why they don't stop calling you!!! How frustrating! I bet they found the number because you live at the same address she did. Somehow bill collectors find my parents number and call them. I'm going to be 21 this month and have been moved out for 3 years, CALL ME not my parents!
 

februa

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Awhile back I got a string of threatening calls for a collection agency looking for someone with the same last name as mine. I assume they were calling and harassing all people with that last name. Heres what I recommend
Get call display and then never answer the phone unless you know who it is calling. Then reverse look up the numbers repeatedly calling you/leaving harassing messages online (seriously usually as simple as entering the 10 digit number into google). I was able to determine the name of the credit agency that owned the call centre I was being called from. I then called their head office, and in a sickeningly polite (and near impossible to remain calm!) voice told them that I had informed 3 times (which I had) that I am not this person, and since I am still getting messages that end in "or else" I condsider this criminal harassment, with significant emotional suffering from the threats. Indeed, I said if your company continues to threaten and intimidate my family, my next phone call will be to my Lawyer to go forward with proceedings, as he already has recordings of your messages and transcripts of the dates and times I was called, and the dates and times I left messages/answered the phone informing them I am not this other person. Man the a&& kisssing I then got. I was assured my number would be removed, it was actually the most groveling Ive ever received, including basically begging not to go forward, because turns out that though I had lied and hadnt actually forwarded my stuff to my lawyer, that their harassment was indeed illegal at that time. They are not allowed to keep calling and threatening after you have informed them you are not this person. Given that you are in lawsuit happy USA (sorry guys!) I assume this will be even easier for you to claim.
 

laureen227

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Originally Posted by EnzoLeya

Oh my goodness! I can see why you are so upset! I don't understand why they don't stop calling you!!! How frustrating! I bet they found the number because you live at the same address she did. Somehow bill collectors find my parents number and call them. I'm going to be 21 this month and have been moved out for 3 years, CALL ME not my parents!
i can top that! i recently switched pharmacies... the old pharmacy gave the new pharmacy all the info, right? except they had my parents' phone number down as mine!
Mom told them when they called that i hadn't lived there for 25 years!
also, the church softball people called my parents - even tho i wrote MY numbers on the sign-up sheet

 

mer636

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what a little punk!! you totally should of called the cops on him!! >.< stupid people..

yeah have you tried changing your number? if not try it for sure
 

catkiki

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Originally Posted by Mer636

what a little punk!! you totally should of called the cops on him!! >.< stupid people..

yeah have you tried changing your number? if not try it for sure
and get an unlisted number. Then when they call information for the new number, they either won't get yours or will get the person they are actually trying to contact. Do they ask for you by name?

I work for a call center that has a collections department. (federal student loans) Everyday I have a stack of numbers to make bad because we called someone and left an automated message that doesn't name the person we are trying to reach. I will search for the number and make it bad even though a family member confirmed the number last time we called. But the big difference between our collection calls and other companies, is that we are actually trying to help the person, since we have ways to bring an account current and postpone payments. We are also monitored by the US Dept of Education. If we are heard using threats and scare tactics, the person doing this could be in big trouble. I have known people to be terminated because of this.

Next time they call and you answer, ask for a supervisor immediately and let them know that you are going to file a lawsuit against them for harassment.
 

abbycats

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We used to get threatening phone calls for somebody who had our number. I love letting my husband deal with them! I also get bill collectors calling me looking for my EX husband who lives in a different State than I do. He is in Colorado and accrued all of his delinquent debt in colorado! I haven't had contact with him for many years! He was such a slob...
 
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algebrapro18

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The most recent offense had been with automated calls that had me call a phone number, I called and not so politely asked to be taken off their system and they have left me alone since. But I am sure given another week they will be at it again from a different company.
 
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