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?

I did a year's redirect when we moved but also when my parents died.

I figured it needed that to catch all the events like Christmas etc in case there was anyone we'd missed.

If I was receiving hospital care it would be one of the first ones I'd have changed. These people have a real lack of personal responsibility.

When we moved 6 years ago, we updated our details with the hospital and assumed all future mail would come to our new address. However, various departments had not been informed and appointment letters were being sent to our old address. Not just one department, but many. This even happened in new departments we'd not been seen by while at old address. Even now I have to check each department has the updated details. I recently turned 50, and had a mammogram invitation sent to the old address. Likewise NHS letters occasionally arrive here for the previous owners.
I agree in general that by now the previous owners should have updated their details - however I would be mindful that NHS letters could potentially have serious consequences if not seen by addressee quickly.

I wouldnt even answer the door to them. I would probably get in a meno rage and tell them to stop trespassing on my property for even being there. They moved on they should have gotten it sorted. Absolute batshittery.

I know just what you mean!
I moved 12 months ago, set up royal mail redirection, my buyers have had no mail coming through for me.
The people whose house I bought, total mess. I've had car tax reminders ( I changed thr important addresses like car registration etc before I even moved ), hospital letters etc. I've reverted to sending them back saying not at this address, and on the last 2 that came through I wrote " return to sender, the people previously here did not leave a forwarding address so I cannot help you".
I too feel awkward but I feel it's not my responsibility, only to make sure letters go back, that's all I have to do. So definitely YANBU

Not always. We bought our house from 3 sisters, whose parents were both deceased. Two years later, we got a hospital appointment for their father!
As the envelope had the hospital address on the back, I rang the hospital and explained. He must have slipped through the cracks. If he'd been alive, it would have been a heck of a wait for his appointment though!

To be fair, it's pretty difficult to redirect post to wherever the original owner has gone to.

They are being serious CFs. Continue to say you have zero post and you have deposited in post box marking the post ‘not know at address’. If they complain tell them to change the address then!

OP bought their house - she didn’t apply to be their sodding PA! As another poster has said, if you’re in a position where you need hospital appointments, be damn sure you’ve updated your details.

Yes, exactly the same. When they finally realised they weren’t getting any more of their post that way, it stopped arriving within a month or so. Stick to your guns - it’s the only way. Total CFery.

It was such a shame their post fell into your paper shredder, luckily you noticed before you emptied the shredder bin and saved it for them. The pritt stick is a gift.

Once you have told them to set up a redirect, it can take 28 days to take effect.

So the first month is understandable… beyond that… return to sender.

We have lived in this house for 10 years. Still receiving an annual letter for the previous owner.
This is the same couple who left the garage and loft full of stuff, a skip on the driveway, and clothes in the wardrobe... And 6 months after we moved in they had the front to email and ask for the clothes .

I moved THREE years ago. We had constant issues with post from the people who used to live here including a couple of driving offence letters. I used to inform her when there was something important. About 6 weeks ago I returned a jury summons to sender. I feel no guilt about it whatsoever - she has clearly failed to update some important people that she moved three years ago!

Actually even more recently I got a debt collection letter for someone I know to be her EX husband that hasn’t lived in the house for several years prior to she did. That one I opened so I could call the company and inform them that they would not be seizing any of my property because the debtor does not live here.

You are being entirely reasonable. And you are not “wasting NHS resources” these gobshites are by not doing the simple thing and updating their bloody address.

I don’t know why some people refuse to do a normal sensible thing like update their address. Unless they’re hiding from someone but that’s not my problem. It’s died down a bit now but we still get Mail including parcels for the people for the people who used to live in our house. Everything gets sent back. Last year I got the wife thumping on our door at nearly 10pm like she was the fucking police, wanting to pick up what she said was her son’s birthday present which had been delivered to our fucking house. But I’d sent it back with the delivery driver when it showed up. She was fuming. Tough tits. Bloody weirdo. They moved out 6 years ago ffs.

You're not being unreasonable - they are. Nine months? You can create a whole human being in that time!

Complete cheapskates. Postal redirection is about £50 for 6 months.

I was getting the post of the man who used to live in my house with his partner and children. His mam or sister who lives close by would keep coming over and ask for it. I always kept it in a bag for him thinking I was being helpful. Turns out his partner, who he lives and has 5 children with, was claiming universal credit as a single person and he was claiming single as well and said he still lived at my address. He fell out with his sister who told me what was going on and she told universal credit as well.

Probably sounds about right for the appointment 🤣

TBF, my neighbour did do the re- direction but it seemed the post office had messed up- she complained three times. I would be furious if I had paid all that money & still have to trail 4 miles to pick up my mail 😩

If you redirect mail that has the‘recycling’ symbol on it, does it get returned or just binned? Some companies are still sending marketing material after 10 years of returns.

I’d email

regarding you calling regularly at the house, instead of changing your address or redirecting mail, whilst I could understand this situation for the first 3 months - this has now gone beyond the realms of reasonable 9 months later.

every letter, card etc will be sent back to the post office. I would advice you to change your address on everything, Driving licence, Bsnks, Building societies, doctors, hospital and post any Xmas cards early with your new address.

hopefully this will be the end of the matter

12 years we’ve been in our house, I still get some mail (finally down to junk mail now which goes straight in the bin).
I did “return to sender” from day one. Post redirection is easy and cheap, surely its way more bother for them to keep schlepping round to their own house?!

If you know their new address, send it on, unpaid, they will then get lots of fee to pay cards.

Did this with our previous owners after 2 months, printed a load of labels with the new address, slapped them on and back in the post box, they soon got the message.

YANBU. I had similar when I bought my home previous owners turning up asking for things they forgot to take or their post.

They decided to get all their Xmas shopping delivered to me I think as our sorting office was a pain to get to. I stopped answering door so they put note through asking me to call so they could collect parcels I sent 1 message saying it was all returned to sender. Funnily enough it never happened again.