Argh, phone

So, in addition to the robo-political calls, I've been fielding lots of calls from creditors seeking the son of the former owner of my house.


(I had been screening my calls but I was getting so many hang-up calls I decided I had better see what was up. So now I take the calls but immediately hang up if a recorded voice comes on or if someone whose voice I don't recognize asks for me by my full name).

This morning, I got one. The lady was looking for "Steven" (the name of the son of the former homeowner). Knowing how these people often operate (not letting you get a word in edgewise), I started my spiel - explaining I had bought the house from his mom 9 years ago, I don't have contact information for him, his mom is dead, I don't know where he is.

She stopped me midway through: "Why are you getting angry at ME?!?! Don't use your energy that way!"

Look, lady. I've taken maybe five of these calls in the past month. Don't get angry with ME.

I did apologize but observed that I had had to field a great many of these calls, that I often work at home and they are an interruption, and I can't help. And considering that it's been NINE FRACKING YEARS since the guy's MOTHER even lived here, it seems kind of pointless to call the house.

And the phone number here is different than what it was then - it is "my" phone number I got when I moved here. And if they did an address lookup, they would see MY NAME which in no way resembles the name of the person they are seeking, or his mother, in the directory.

I don't know - is there any way I can do some kind of a public THIS HOUSE NO LONGER BELONGS TO THIS FAMILY AND I DON"T KNOW WHERE THE DEADBEAT SON IS AND THE MOTHER IS DEAD SO BUGGER OFF AND STOP BOTHERING ME thing? I know people publish notes in the newspaper that they will no longer pay debts of family members and such, but this is different and that would just be local, anyway.

The thing is - when I worked with the son to buy the house he seemed like a stand-up guy. I don't know whether he just got into lots of problems later on or if it was a front, or what. But it's frustrating to deal with these calls that much later.