Previous owners being CFs?

[Pippylcoat]

9 months ago we moved in our house. The previous owners came over every week for the first three months asking for their post. We saved up the first bulk of post to give them, but when it became clear they didn’t want to pay for a redirectory or stop the ‘routine’, I began sending the post back as ‘not known at this address’. Each time they knocked I told them we had nothing for them and asked them to ensure they have updated their address with all bills and contacts. Several recent letters have been clearly important such as a hospital appointment and parking fines. I still returned to sender as they should have updated their address, knowing it is an illegal offence to not do this for the DVLA I refuse to support their continuous use of our address. The most recent arrival of them asking for post left a sour taste in my mouth, I was informed I must be keeping or opening their post as I legally have to return it to them. On top of never receiving a thank you this has made me realise what entitled CFs they are with no intention of stopping. I spoke to a friend who told me I should give them their post as the hospital appointment for example is a waste of nhs resources, and they will be prosecuted for not updating the DVLA. I don’t think I’m wrong for wanting this to stop, they have had 9 months and I didn’t mind at first but now I feel like an awful person about the letters I just returned. Has anyone else been through this and how did you handle it?

@Pippylcoat

I wonder if the car insurance is higher for the post code address where they now live and don’t want to pay the higher premiums? Do you know their new address? I don’t know about insurance company regulations but I wouldn’t be surprised if they refused to pay out for theft or an accident if they have never been notified of the new address and also not notified the DVLA.

I would post anything from the DVLA to your nearest police station with a covering note explaining the situation with the previous residents. They might be able to trace the car via ANPR and have a word with the driver…..

You don't legally have to give it to them. Perfectly acceptable to return to sender if they haven't changed their address with the people and companies they deal with it. I'd turn it around and say they need to stop using your address. Have you had an electoral roll update from your local council?

I would also contact the credit referencing agencies and check if they are still registered at your address. If they are, log a disassociation.

Redirect it don’t bin it. So the senders can log that they’ve moved on.
We had bailiffs at our door for previous occupants. I was happy to give them the new address.

Still getting post from previous owners after 22 years.

In the end I rang the company as it was shares. I kept all their Homebase vouchers though for being twats.

@NigelHarmansNewWife How do you log a dissociation please?

I have been receiving for a previous owner from debt collectors so will check the credit reference agencies.

Yes this happened to us. After 3 months I told them not to come back and I was returning it all to sender. They got really shitty - something to do with car documents - but I stood my ground and they haven't bothered us since

YANBU. You do not have to speak to them, or answer the door to them, or collect their post. Ignore and they will go away. Their fault.

I'm still getting post for a person who moved at least 10 years ago. It's financial stuff, I have no idea where they are now so it is returned to sender every time.
Tell them to get the mail redirected. You aren't responsible for their post and you have no idea when they might call. It's their fault if they miss appointments etc.

I think that’s more understandable then banks and dvla - sounds like someone who lost touch and dug out an old address book when they realised it was a big birthday.

(We got a funeral invite addressed to the occupants before last, presumably a child going through a parent’s address book to notify old friends. We dropped it round as they are local)

Thanks everyone, I don’t feel quite so bad now. Would it be sensible to email them that I will no longer hand over any post and they need to change their address directly? I’ve told them several times and it hasn’t made any difference, they clearly don’t they’re doing anything wrong.
The electoral roll is updated thankfully.

Honestly they are cheeky fuckers to not do a redirect.

But you should have manned up and told them it was game over after say a month so they'd know to get their act together and pay Royal Mail

By telling lies to them about 'no mail' you've probably caused a lot of issues, such as wasted hospital appointments etc. as you've been told by others.

So you're not exactly coming up smelling like roses either.

Previous owners of our house did similar, no redirect and just collected their post every couple of weeks. I was concerned when I could see red type peeking round edge of clear address window (overdue bills?), then brown envelopes ranked by local magistrates court (CCJs?) then the bailiffs turned up!
They were actually nice bailiffs and went away once I produced ID that showed I wasn't Mr Bloggs who owed money.
I didn't have the new address of Mr Bloggs the debtor but I knew his accountancy business address half a mile away.
So I "delivered" his mail to his office and made sure my disgust at having his bailiffs turn up was heard by most of his staff...

@Pippylcoat email is a good idea, then you have it in "writing" somewhere .
Honestly they are so bloody rude

“Betsy’s been dead for ten years!”

Don’t email them - don’t engage - they will only email back to say YOU are unreasonable and it’s no effort to keep their post and hand it to them. I would shred all correspondence in future, as return to sender isn’t working.

I just wouldn't even answer the door to them. You have been more than reasonable

We’ve been here 7 years and still get stuff. We forwarded it to begin with but then started to return as it got ridiculous.

Apologies if I missed this but do you have their address? If so, you could stick the new address on top and then post, but DO NOT attach any stamps.... This way the post will be re-directed to them but they'll have to pay the postage. They'll soon rethink their current system.

YANBU

Be firm that you are putting it all back in the post marked 'return to sender' and 'not known at this address' and they need to have their post redirected.

Not true I'm afraid. If you redirect post by changing the address, it is free.

Why on earth did you not just tell them that they have had plenty of time to arrange an appropriate redirection, and you have been/will continue to send any post back as 'no longer at this address'?

They are only CF because you are letting them be

Definitely just tell them you now return to sender. We had a couple turn up a year after we moved in asking if we had any post for XYZ - apparently their parent's credit card had been sent to our house. They looked so suspicious and disbelieving when I said we didn't have anything and returned anything not for us to sender. A year later! Piss off.

Not even sure I believed their story either - they could have been anyone

You're making this more difficult than it needs to be. They've been CF, you've been good to them.

Just tell them that as they haven't set up a redirect after 9 months, you've started returning everything to sender as a way to notify the organisations they don't live here anymore. Tell them you send post back the day it comes when you're on the school run or whatever, so they don't start coming round every day!

Having someone else associated with your address is also a legitimate concern for things like credit ratings etc. Esp if their financial or government stuff is coming to your address.

Got mail for one previous owner for years. At first I gave it to the estate agent, then marked it 'return to sender' (never heard from the seller). After a couple years I was fed up of this and I noticed a regular bunch in identical envelopes but no return address so I opened it - parking fines. So she hadn't changed her car registration which I believe is illegal. Well too bad for her that she let it go on for four years because after that I just chucked them out.

YANBU. Our vendors must be minted as we get about 4 subscription magazines here every month and we’ve lived here 4 years now!! I just open them now. Love which magazine!