What to do if…
you receive a notice about a lien for a debt you do not recognise

What to do now

1. Put the notice somewhere safe and capture the basics.
   Keep the notice, envelope, and attachments. Write down the claimant or creditor name, any reference or case numbers, the date on the notice, the address or property mentioned, and the exact words used, such as “charging order”, “restriction”, “notice”, “interim”, “final”, “decree”, or “judgment”.

2. Work out what the notice is claiming to be.
   In England and Wales, a debt secured against property is often linked to a charging order after a judgment. In Scotland or Northern Ireland, the wording and registers may be different. Your immediate job is not to solve the whole legal issue; it is to find out whether there is a real court case, a real title-register entry, or only a demand letter.

3. Check the property record using the official register for the property’s country.

   • For England and Wales, search HM Land Registry property information and check the title register for charges, restrictions, or notices.
   • For Scotland, use Registers of Scotland to search the property information.
   • For Northern Ireland, use nidirect guidance on searching Land Registry records.
     If the property address is not yours, write that down and treat it as a possible error, mixed identity, or fraud.

4. If the notice names a court, verify it with the court using independent details.
   Find the court contact route yourself, not from the notice. Ask what has been issued, the date it was issued, where documents were served, and whether any hearing or response deadline is active.

5. If the notice mentions an interim or final charging order, treat it as time-sensitive.
   Do not wait for the creditor to explain it first. Check the court deadline and ask how objections or reconsideration requests must be filed. If you cannot get through quickly, keep trying and keep a note of each attempt.

6. Send a short written dispute to the creditor or collector.
   Say: “I do not recognise this debt and I dispute liability. Please provide evidence that I am the debtor, the basis of the alleged debt, and the basis for any court or property-register step. Please communicate in writing.” Include only the reference number, your name, and the address needed to identify the account they are claiming.

7. If the debt appears to be regulated consumer credit, mention the dispute clearly.
   If the collector or lender is FCA-authorised and the debt is covered by consumer-credit rules, they may have duties to investigate a debt disputed on valid or potentially valid grounds. Do not assume this pauses any court deadline; keep dealing with the court separately.

8. If you find a judgment you did not know about, ask the court about the route to challenge it.
   In England and Wales, if the court confirms a CCJ or High Court judgment and you do not owe the money or did not receive the original claim, ask how to apply to have it set aside; this commonly involves form N244. In Scotland or Northern Ireland, ask the relevant court what procedure applies and how quickly you must act.

9. If fraud or identity misuse is possible, report it through the right route.
   In England, Wales, or Northern Ireland, use Report Fraud for identity fraud and identity theft. In Scotland, use Police Scotland’s identity theft guidance. Also check your credit files for accounts or searches you do not recognise.

10. Keep one evidence trail.
    Make a simple timeline with dates, names, reference numbers, who you contacted, what they said, and copies or screenshots of letters, emails, property-register results, and court responses.