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Original poster

Still getting mail after 18 months.

57 replies

Summer84 · 08/01/2019 10:59

We bought our new house 18 months yet we are still getting mail for the people who used to live there before.
Within the first 3-4 months, we received:
Letters from HMRC
Letters from his accountant (he is self-employed)
Tickets to a show at the O2
Debit Cards
NI cards for the children
Letters from the banks

Anyway, we called the estate agents that we bought from and asked them to pass the mail on and tell the old owners to get a redirect, as we would not be doing this again.
When we moved we had a redirect from day one and still have the redirect on now until July, which means we would have had it for 2 years.

On Valentines day last year (after we had been in house for 7 months) we returned home to find a box of flowers on the doorstep, for the woman who used to live there, fortunately the box had a contact number on its label, I messaged this number and it turned out that the husband had ordered flowers and sent them to his old address…. Who does that??
When he came to pick them up, his words were “ I wondered why they hadn’t come. Thank you very much”.

Anyway, we receive more mail from
HMRC chasing a debt
DCAs chasing the HMRC debt
His accountant forwarding letters from the HMRC chasing debt

I really don’t need to go on with the ail that we get but we if we kept all of this mail we could have been a bad mad, who would have stored all of this data and if we did, we could have had:
Names
DOB
NIN
An address (albeit the old one)
Bank Details
Credit Cards
Car Registration details
Pension Details
The list goes on…

I have called the accountant a few times, as they would be the best person to prevent most of mail coming to us, but they still haven’t done anything as they need to speak to him first, they clearly haven’t said anything, but I know they have spoken to him recently, as he has called to pay invoices, as we receive the receipts.

But my latest thing is, I received a letter from the DVLA (V11) as her vehicle tax runs out at the end of this month and I am going to write to them and get her details removed and let them know that she does not live at my address and has not done so for 18 months, in the hope that they receive a fine when they find her, as it looks like she blatantly let her VT renew at my address and not hers last year. AIBU if I do this, as I have had enough and I am just waiting for the DCA to turn up at our door.

Yes, I understand that it can be a chore getting everything in order after moving, unless we are just mega organised, as we changed our details with literally all that needed to know within a month, as 6 months prior, we were making up the list of everybody that we would have to inform and whilst we have had our redirect in place for 18 months, we do get the odd letter, but these are mainly for sales, ie a previous window company…. Nothing of any importance. But 18 months…… what would you do?

OP posts:
thecapitalsunited · 08/01/2019 11:02

I would just return it all to sender. Certainly don’t keep any of it for them or chase it up.

paap1975 · 08/01/2019 11:04

Write "not at this address" across the front and pop it back in a letter box

Inniu · 08/01/2019 11:05

Definitely return to sender marked addressee unknown.

13 years on I still get post for the previous owners. Two of whom are dead but still get Christmas cards.

MrsJayy · 08/01/2019 11:07

I was getting debt letters for last people they were a family of adults so we got different letters i always not at this addressed and put them inthe post box but in the end i gave them to the postman he did a redirect. You don't need to be chasing up just put them back in the post box or hand them back to the postie.

RogersVideo · 08/01/2019 11:08

I think you're making way too big a meal of it. Just write "Not known at this address, return to sender" and pop it back in the post. It's really not your problem if they get behind on their bills.

Original poster
Summer84 · 08/01/2019 11:10

RogersVideo I understand what you are saying here, but the thing that concerns me the most is the mans sheer incompetence. I mean, this man can't even get his flower delivery right, yet he is running his companies books from my address and the accountants are not doing anything about it.

OP posts:
dullclothesbrightmind · 08/01/2019 11:11

Why are you opening their mail? Is that even legal?

Just write 'no known at this address' and put back in the post.

It is really irritating that they have not redirected but you must be opening their post to know what is in it, and that really isn't on.

MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig · 08/01/2019 11:12

Are they just incredibly thick do you think? People don’t know you’ve moved unless you tell them, they don’t automatically know!

Just put everything return to sender, addressee gone away. Apparently that’s code for person has died. HMRC might get a bit worried if they think they’ve lost their money and get off their arses and look into it. Mind you they’re money grabbing bastards so they probably deserve it.

CaledonianSleeper · 08/01/2019 11:13

You are not receiving any of this mail - it’s not addressed to you. Stop opening it. Write “Return to sender, no longer at this address” on the envelope (or even just “RTS” if you cba with that) and put it back in the post box. Seriously, stop opening it!

MrsJayy · 08/01/2019 11:16

Hand them back into the post office then make a complaint block from your address you are opening mail and getting to involved

notangelinajolie · 08/01/2019 11:18

Just write 'return to sender addressee not know at this address' on the envelope and pop it in the nearest post box.

Absolutely no need for you to be opening or interfering with these people's mail.

It really isn't your concern if her road tax is up for renewal.

Original poster
Summer84 · 08/01/2019 11:18

OK so for all that are having a go at me for opening the mail, I do have the legal right, as I do not have intent to do anything with it and I am at the address that it has been sent to.

That said, after 18 months, you would think, that I would just be able to get my mail and open it without even having to give it a second thought, as to who it could be for.

OP posts:
RogersVideo · 08/01/2019 11:19

His incompetence really, truly, is not your problem. If they don't care, why on earth do you?!

Jackshouse · 08/01/2019 11:20

You should not be opening his mail. Just pop it all back in the post box with not at this address on the top.

QuinionsRainbow · 08/01/2019 11:20

I didn't think they issued NI cards any more.

Original poster
Summer84 · 08/01/2019 11:20

Thanks MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig and yes I really do think that they are!

Also back to CaledonianSleeper, TBH no I CBA, as it is not really my responsibility, IMO they should have got their things in order and to me financial affairs should be priority to them.

OP posts:
123rd · 08/01/2019 11:21

We still get stuff 5 yrs on despite returning to sender.

Bumblebee39 · 08/01/2019 11:21

It's against the law to open someone else's mail. As others have said, return to sender.

I'm amazed you've not experienced this before. One house I lived in I received mail for about 10 people!

MrsJayy · 08/01/2019 11:21

You are right you shouldn't be getting their mail but you are and you just need to put it back in the post box opening it contacting senders is surely more of an inconvenience than re posting it .

Original poster
Summer84 · 08/01/2019 11:22

RogersVideo good point!

I think I will just let all the people who are chasing catch up with them in due course and when Companies House dissolve his business, that will also not be my problem! :)

In the bin it goes! If they cannot be bothered, why should I bother RTS!

OP posts:
CaledonianSleeper · 08/01/2019 11:22

“Probably not illegal” is not the same as “I have the legal right”.
Anyway, the point is the issue would likely have been resolved months ago if you’d just RTS’d it (because companies tend to have a procedure to deal with that) instead of opening it and writing to or phoning all and sundry. If you want to to stop, just RTS it.

itsboiledeggsagain · 08/01/2019 11:24

It is annoying but you are being Wierd about this.

CatnissEverdene · 08/01/2019 11:24

Return it, as that's the only way it will stop.

I certainly wouldn't return any parcels though or boxes of chocolates! Don't make it easier for them.

dullclothesbrightmind · 08/01/2019 11:26

Even if you do have a legal 'right' that doesn't mean that it IS right. I moved into a house where the owners did not redirect the mail but I would have never dreamt of opening it. I mean, why on earth would I?
What on earth are you? The only reason seems to be so you can work yourself up into an incensed, righteous rage.

Are you then securely sealing the mail again so that you can forward it to them?

Original poster
Summer84 · 08/01/2019 11:26

CaledonianSleeper, I have called one person - who I thought was the most important of them all. all the other letters have gone in the bin,
I honestly thought by calling his accountant would have been the right thing to do.

Whilst you point out about the accuracies over whether I have the right to open this mail or not, surely, he should not have a right to be continuing to run his business from my address?

OP posts: