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Use of my address without permission

(32 Posts)
LilyoftheValley Tue 26-Mar-24 19:02:53

I understand that someone known to me may be proposing to put my address on a form for another. Apologies if that is vague but the person who attempt this is very vengeful and I am not sure what he may do.

The form in question is a Birth Certificate. Where do I stand as far as the law goes, please?

welbeck Tue 26-Mar-24 19:28:24

calling GSM, come in GSM.
but until then OP, i'm not quite sure what you mean.
is someone going to falsify details given to a registrar ?
that would cert be a criminal offence, and you should inform the registrar pronto.
is it place of birth, or address details of a parent ?
i suggest you contact your local registrars office, or the one relevant to the certificate.
ask their advice.
if someone is threatening you, or you feel intimidated, contact police on 101.
all the best.

M0nica Tue 26-Mar-24 19:45:29

Why not go to Citizen's Advice or Age UK tell them the full story. They will keep anything you say confidential, and be sure of the answer you get. With one exception we are not lawyers, we cannot advise on the law. Especially on a subject as arcane as this and with so little information about what exactly is being done.

Sago Tue 26-Mar-24 19:56:30

The only address on a birth certificate is that of the Mother.

LilyoftheValley Tue 26-Mar-24 20:17:22

Thank everyone for replying. I shall take advice given. It will cause such a commotion if the family concerned find out that I have been chatting on here.

Cabbie21 Tue 26-Mar-24 20:19:52

www.gov.uk/register-birth/ lots of info about the process here.
I can’t think what this person hopes to achieve. Or how you can be at fault.

Dee1012 Sat 30-Mar-24 11:25:24

I'm perhaps presuming but I'm wondering if this is in connection with nationality in some way?.... I'd urge caution and suggest taking advice.

montymops Sat 30-Mar-24 11:33:31

Agree with Welbeck - hope that Germanshepherdsmum may see your post and advise.

Tanjamaltija Sat 30-Mar-24 11:52:14

Someone did that to me, in order to enter competitions (presumably many, because she didn't say she just did it once). When she won and the letter came here, I asked her to stop using my address, before handing it over. I do not know whether she did, but I never received anything else with her name on it. I did not ask why she did it.

DeeAitch56 Sat 30-Mar-24 12:20:31

Is it not feasible to just return any post not for you to the sender, just stating ‘Not known at this address’?

Nannan2 Sat 30-Mar-24 12:21:26

I dont know but i know when one of my dd got a first passport (even though older) she had to put loads of info on all about parents/granparents etc.

TinSoldier Sat 30-Mar-24 12:42:04

Giving false information to a registar is an offence under the Perjury Act 1911 which can carry a custodial sentence.

As far as I am aware, the only addresses on a birth certificate are for the place of birth of the child, where the child will reside and the address of the informant if different.

There could be any number for reasons why someone wants to be untruthful e.g. to do with citizenship rights for the child or to conceal where a parent or informant is living.

Aiding and abetting an act of perjury can carry the same penalty so OP would be wise to stop this in its tracks just to protect herself in case the perjurer, if caught, claims he did this with her permission. Speak to the registrar. He or she could flag the case.

grandtanteJE65 Sat 30-Mar-24 13:06:33

Things may have changed but there is no address on my Birth Certificate, but OP, you have heard that someone is planning to misuse your address, which if this misuse involves a notification to the registrar, or any other felony.

You are obliged to report knowledge of a pre-meditatied crime to the relevant authority and to the police, so start phoning.

The registrar will no doubt be willing not to inform the person who states your address that he or she has been warned by you.

You cannot be held responsible for wrongful information that others give, but you can be held responsible for not informing the authorities that it has come to your attention that someone is considering doing so.

And, if you take no steps, you could be deemed to be complict in this use of your address.

Germanshepherdsmum Sat 30-Mar-24 13:25:37

Sorry, have only just seen this thread (thanks for your unfailing faith in me, welbeck!).

The child’s place of birth is shown on a birth certificate. It is possible that the child was born outside the UK but the parent(s) is/are seeking to pretend that it was born at the OP’s address, which I assume is in the UK, in an attempt to obtain UK citizenship for it. That would be a serious fraud (the penalty for which is as TinSoldier states), and the OP could be accused of conspiring to commit fraud or aiding and abetting commission of fraud if she does nothing. She would then have to prove her innocence, which will not be easy as she knows of the intention to use her address. She should visit the office of the registrar where the birth has been or is likely to be registered and speak with the registrar about it as soon as possible.

jenpax Sat 30-Mar-24 13:26:44

M0nica

Why not go to Citizen's Advice or Age UK tell them the full story. They will keep anything you say confidential, and be sure of the answer you get. With one exception we are not lawyers, we cannot advise on the law. Especially on a subject as arcane as this and with so little information about what exactly is being done.

We do not know of all the others qualifications here on GN! so that comment may not strictly be true.However in any event Not all legal practitioners are expert in all areas of law so I would agree that a good starting point would be citizens advice

Germanshepherdsmum Sat 30-Mar-24 13:35:27

I am a retired solicitor jenpax and probably the exception of whom MOnica spoke. One does not need to be an expert in this particular area of the law to know that the thing to do is to speak to the registrar.

jenpax Sat 30-Mar-24 13:40:41

No agreed but a sweeping statement that there is only one legally qualified GN member is perhaps misleading. The action is clearly incorrect and yes speak to the Registrar but the OP indicated a wider concern about her address being misused and this might be something that Cit A can advise her on without cost

eazybee Sat 30-Mar-24 14:17:35

I am curious as to how, and why, Angela Rayner was able to re-register the births of her two youngest children, following her marriage to him. at her husband's address.

Nannarose Sat 30-Mar-24 14:21:13

I also wonder if the local Women's Aid organisations may be able to help, as it sounds as if there might be some sort of coercion.

Germanshepherdsmum Sat 30-Mar-24 14:22:44

I don’t know much about AR and her children, but since 1926 illegitimate children’s births can be re registered if the parents subsequently marry.

TinSoldier Sat 30-Mar-24 14:31:08

It's a legal requirement. You must re-register a birth if:

you've married or formed a civil partnership with the other parent of your child. You must do this even if the birth parent's details are on the original birth registration

to add the birth father's name and details to your child’s birth entry if this was not recorded on the original

This is only available for births that happened in England or Wales.

The mother will be required to give her usual address at the time of re-registration if it differs from the place where the child was born.

eazybee Sat 30-Mar-24 14:31:38

Thank you, GSM.
It is the place of residence (of the mother?) which has been altered , and I did not think you were allowed to alter that.

eazybee Sat 30-Mar-24 14:32:34

and Tin Soldier.

Germanshepherdsmum Sat 30-Mar-24 14:45:56

She would, have given her address at the time of the re registration. It’s treated as a new registration rather than an amendment of the original one.

chrissie13 Sat 30-Mar-24 15:40:36

Tanjamaltija

Someone did that to me, in order to enter competitions (presumably many, because she didn't say she just did it once). When she won and the letter came here, I asked her to stop using my address, before handing it over. I do not know whether she did, but I never received anything else with her name on it. I did not ask why she did it.

That would be because a lot of competitions only allow 1 entry per household, so by using your address as well as hers she could have 2 entries.