I am being asked by a solicitor for information I may have about various people in order to assist their own investigations. I am wondering if I am allowed to divulge such information.
In summary:
My late father owned a rental property. After his death, we (the Executors) served notice on the tenant, who failed to leave and we ended up getting a possession order. So the tenant finally left providing no forwarding address or contact details, and has subsequently passed away, owing us lots in unpaid rent and legal expenses (which are probably unrecoverable). This isn't the actual issue, though!
Now, it turns out the tenant was involved in identity theft, leading to them selling a property they didn't own (using the stolen ID) at well below the actual value to someone who is suspected to be in cahoots with them. The original owner of this property has engaged solicitors to fight to get the property back in their name. Those solicitors have managed to trace me, via my father's rental property address, as someone who may have information that could help them.
They are asking for things like a copy of the tenancy agreement, any details I have of ex-tenant's next of kin, whether there was money owing to us, what aliases the tenant may have used etc. (I think they want to prove a connection between the ex-tenant and the person they sold this other property to.)
While I would like to help, as it's a shocking story, my question as above is am I breaching anyone's privacy in doing so? Clearly the ex-tenant is dead, so they can't complain! But can I provide what little details I have of the next of kin? Or other aliases the ex-tenant used that I am aware of? Providing the tenancy agreement (which names the next of kin as resident at the address) feels a step to far, especially considering the solicitor asking for it is not acting for me or anyone I have any connection with.
