A 46-year-old man who moved into his Punggol flat more than a year ago says his life has been anything but peaceful, all because of debts left behind by the previous owner.
Mr Pang, a maritime worker, lives at Block 666B Punggol Drive. He told Shin Min Daily News that he collected the keys in January 2023, but just three months later, he received his first debt collection letter not addressed to him, but to the previous flat owner.
At first, the issue seemed to go away after he alerted his housing agent. But in June this year, debt collectors showed up at his door again, asking for the former owner.
Previous owner borrowed thousands before selling the flat
According to letters Mr Pang showed the reporter, the previous owner had borrowed $6,000 and $2,000 from two different lenders in January and February 2023, just before the sale was completed.
The loan companies started chasing the debt in April 2023. One of the latest letters, sent just last month, claimed the previous owner still owed $1,500, and with interest, was being asked to pay $2,850.
Mr Pang said that even during renovation works, he kept receiving debt collection letters addressed to the former owner. Some were even from banks. After returning those letters to the sender, they stopped, but others continued.
He said, “Even telling the housing agent doesn’t help anymore.”
Authorities say the previous owner updated their address
Thinking the debt collectors were targeting his flat because the previous owner did not update their address, Mr Pang contacted the authorities to check.
To his surprise, the reply from government agencies confirmed that the former owner had already updated their address.
He said, “I don’t understand why debt collectors are still showing up here.”
He added that he heard the former owner sold the flat, possibly due to a divorce.
According to Singapore law, anyone who changes address must update it on their IC within 28 days. Failing to do so can result in a fine of up to $5,000, jail of up to 5 years, or both.
Filed police report to protect family
Although the debt collectors did not cause any trouble, Mr Pang was worried his neighbours might think he was the one in debt. He also feared the situation could escalate, especially if illegal moneylenders got involved.
To protect his family, he filed a police report.
He also texted the debt collection company, informing them that the debtor no longer lived there. He attached proof from the authorities and a copy of his police report. The company replied that they would inform their management.
