The cottage in Vidja was Ulla-Lena Lindqvist's "little paradise", where she could spend the summer months in peace and quiet. But in the spring of 2023, strange things started to happen.
I went down to the mailbox to get the newspaper, and there was other mail there. It was addressed to other people, but with my address.
At first she thought it was a mistake, but when she searched online she saw that a large number of people she didn't know were listed at the address.
The police closed down
She called the Swedish Tax Agency and reported the matter to the police. The police dropped the report and referred the matter to the Swedish Tax Agency, which replied that they would first have to contact the people.
"It was very slow. At a much faster pace, new people were constantly arriving at the address," says Ulla-Lena Lindqvist.
She removed the address from her mailbox. The mail continued to arrive, now addressed to “c/o Robert Lindqvist,” a made-up name.
I felt like I was being watched. It was very uncomfortable. At first I was scared and then I became both angry and sad.
Hem & Hyra has reviewed the case and seen that many in the area have been affected in a similar way, as it turns out that someone is selling the addresses to companies and private individuals, and then going to collect the mail.
To this day, the problems continue for Ulla-Lena Lindqvist, even though she has taken down the mailbox.
Last week there were about 60 people registered here.
The security she previously felt in the area is gone. She is worried, among other things, that someone who has signed up at the cabin will have a threat image towards her that could affect her.
90 strangers
In total, the Swedish Tax Agency has incorrectly registered over 90 people at the address and on Tuesday she filed a lawsuit at the Stockholm District Court against the state.
She has been left in the lurch by the authorities and that is not acceptable, says Fredrik Bäärnhielm Thorslund, a lawyer at the Center for Justice who represents Ulla-Lena Lindqvist.
The state's handling of the fake documents constitutes an infringement of her right to respect for property, private life and home under the European Convention, he says.
We believe that the state has a responsibility and now we demand that the state take that responsibility.
They are demanding symbolic damages of 25,000 kronor, but also hope that it can have a bearing on others. The Swedish Tax Agency receives approximately 20,000 cases each year from people affected by incorrect population registrations.
The newspaper Hem & Hyra has examined the case of Ulla-Lena Lindqvist and has seen that several properties in the cottage area have been affected in a similar way. According to the examination, the area has become a hub for so-called fake addresses – and it has turned out to be a person who sells the addresses to companies and private individuals and then goes out and collects the mail.
Several of the people who were incorrectly listed in the area are from Ukraine and say they bought their addresses because they live in second homes and the hosts don't want them listed there. The people themselves say they didn't know where they were listed.
In October this year, the Swedish Tax Agency announced that they are streamlining the work of handling incorrect population registrations. This includes new machine solutions, sample-based control work and methods for investigating what is behind the incorrect population registration.
Sources: Home & Rent, Swedish Tax Agency
