Question moving... do I have to tell creditors?

[MMVDriver]

I stopped paying unsecured creditors this month. Not even 30 days late on anything yet, but I'm not going to be able to pay any of them for the foreseeable future, and will probably file in a couple of months. I have to move at the end of the month. Do I have any legal obligation to inform them of my address change? I'll still have the same phone #, but I'm sending all their calls (over 60 so far!) straight to voicemail. I have no intention of speaking to any of them, since I can't tell them what they want to hear.

[IamOld]

I don't think you have to tell them anything...the thing is, if you do call them, they'll want money from you :-)

ALthough I've seen here that some others opened up PO Boxes which are VERY cheap for this purpose....just so you know what's going on - on their end...

[frogger]

Welcome to the game of cat & mouse.

[bcohen]

Legally, the only creditors that you have to disclose your address change to are auto finance companies from which you have a leased or financed car. And even that only has to be done when you have already defaulted and the creditor wants to locate their collateral for reposession purposes.

However, it's probably best to give your creditors the new address, because you don't want them to serve you at your old address, get a default judgement (since you won't be able to plan or defend against a suit that you don't know about), and then discover your wages garnished and/or bank accounts emptied. I would cancel the phone number, though, and get a new unlisted one. There is no requirement that the creditors have a telephone number to harass you on. Let them send their communications in writing by postal mail.

[ValleYum]

Legally, the only creditors that you have to disclose your address change to are auto finance companies from which you have a leased or financed car. And even that only has to be done when you have already defaulted and the creditor wants to locate their collateral for reposession purposes.

However, it's probably best to give your creditors the new address, because you don't want them to serve you at your old address, get a default judgement (since you won't be able to plan or defend against a suit that you don't know about), and then discover your wages garnished and/or bank accounts emptied. I would cancel the phone number, though, and get a new unlisted one. There is no requirement that the creditors have a telephone number to harass you on. Let them send their communications in writing by postal mail.

This makes a PO Box rental look uber cheap!!

[sunshinepa]

If you are planning on filing in a few months, I would not bother. Most likely you have about 6 mos. before they will file a lawsuit however, I base this on my own experience. Maybe as suggested, do the PO Box but I wouldn't.

[APL]

If you don't tell them, and any mail gets returned to them, they may contact your family members. This may or may not matter to you. Even though the creditors have all my contact info, one especially nasty one contacted ALL my family members and it was devastating.

[MMVDriver]

Thank all around for the advice, I think I'll fill out a change of address form with the post office, so their notices can be forwarded. Then, when the fowarding period is ending, I'll rent a P.O. box and inform them by mail. Won't have to change my phone #, thanks to Call Control app. I urge anyone out there who is suffering from phone harassment to check into it. Chase is my largest creditor, and thanks to IHTBEmo for posting that article today. If they file, I now know to have them jump through every hoop. Hopefully they'll trip themselves up or at least be delayed long enough for me to beat them to the courthouse.

[jetsfan2010]

Legally, the only creditors that you have to disclose your address change to are auto finance companies from which you have a leased or financed car. And even that only has to be done when you have already defaulted and the creditor wants to locate their collateral for reposession purposes.

However, it's probably best to give your creditors the new address, because you don't want them to serve you at your old address, get a default judgement (since you won't be able to plan or defend against a suit that you don't know about), and then discover your wages garnished and/or bank accounts emptied. I would cancel the phone number, though, and get a new unlisted one. There is no requirement that the creditors have a telephone number to harass you on. Let them send their communications in writing by postal mail.

funny you posted that...
I met with my attorney last week after my 13 dismissed, and told him that I had a 2-3 wk window before I could the money together to get a new car, as when I re-file a 7 I am surrendering the car. He asked me since I filed the 13, where was my mail going, and I told him I switched everything to the PO Box nearly a yr ago. He then told me many auto lenders are not made aware when ppl change physical addresses and have mail going somewhere else, and unless they have your exact work addy, they will truly have the repo man out searching.

[MMVDriver]

I hold a clear title on my vehicle, and the secured debt I do have is small and manageable (and still payed-up current). The bulk of my debt is cc's, and about 40% is Chase. I plan on paying off the secured ASAP, before filing, if I can. Still, I'd like to give all the same PO box address, to avoid problems with info-sharing.