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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to start binning the previous owners (important looking) post

69 replies

paddypoopants · 15/08/2011 13:16

Been in the new house for a year. The previous owners redirected their post for one month only which needless to say was insufficient as they had been here 20 odd years. Their 3 grownup daughters who still lived here on and off didn't redirect their post at all. One of the daughters was meant to pick up the post periodically - she did it once and then I was asked to take the post to her as she is still living nearby - well a 10 min drive. I have done this 5 times now. We get stuff everyday - 6 letters today. Some important looking documents, student loan stuff, DVLA stuff, cheque books, parking tickets.
I redirected my post for 12 months and have now extended it for another 6 months. Can I now feel guiltfree in just binning the stuff. I sent a load back to sender but it is really pissing me off. I am not really inclined to feel charitably towards them as they took all the curtains when they said they would leave them and pulled curtain poles down in the process. Oh and they are loaded so it's not a lack of funds. My mother told me I was being unreasonable as the stuff was obviously important

OP posts:
TriggersBroom · 15/08/2011 13:17

Personally I'd give them a final warning and then bin from now on.

Andrewofgg · 15/08/2011 13:17

It's not too much trouble to write GONE AWAY and put it back in a letter box.

BimboNo5 · 15/08/2011 13:18

Isnt it against the law to bin peoples post?

chicletteeth · 15/08/2011 13:19

Give them a final warning and say to them, you have one week to get your post redirected. If you don't, i will not be passing them onto you and I will not allow you to come and collect it.
How can they possibly expect you to drop it off.
They're taking the piss

woollyideas · 15/08/2011 13:19

HTH:

www.thesite.org/homelawandmoney/askthesiteqandas/legalandrightsqandas/otherpeoplespost

Very annoying for you, though!

worraliberty · 15/08/2011 13:20

Binning won't help

You need to write 'No longer at this address' and keep popping them back in the post box.

chicletteeth · 15/08/2011 13:20

You perhaps need to notify the postoffice that they don't live their and not to send it to you anymore as you can't legally bin it, and you don't want to have to repeatedly put 'not known at this address' on it

ClaireDeLoon · 15/08/2011 13:21

You can't bin legally bin it I thought? Back in the post returned to sender is best then it's the senders problem.

Meglet · 15/08/2011 13:21

I'd write 'gone away' too. XP didn't bother to inform his GP, bank or the police (victim of assault) that he'd moved out. After a while I just put it back in the post. He soon learnt his lesson when he missed an appointment, never had any more post for him after that.

Signet2012 · 15/08/2011 13:23

I have the same problem although its for my exP who has not lived here for 8 years from the CSA for a child he fathered when he was with me! I did return them to CSA as i have no idea where he is. However on the last one I did write his mothers home address :) Any more that have come through since I have binned as I even phoned before and told them and asked them not to send anymore as it was a bit of a kick in the teeth. I still get the odd Tax letter for a man who had the house before me, again I have posted them back saying "person no longer lives at this address since 2000" they continue to send them so now I just bin them.

TheMonster · 15/08/2011 13:25

I would return it to sender and put 'no longer at this address' on it.

Original poster
paddypoopants · 15/08/2011 13:25

Woollyideas - thanks for that.
I am so not happy as the ones I have returned to DVLA, etc just keep coming back as they obviously have no forwarding address. I suppose I'll have to drop it off again with a note asking them to sort it. I really don't want the previous owner coming back here or to directly contact her as she is really the bossiest and the most impossible woman I have ever met(and that's saying something).

OP posts:
AMumInScotland · 15/08/2011 13:27

You certainly don't have to hold it for them, or take it round. But as above, you cannot legally bin it.

Just put "No longer at this address" onto them and put them back in a post box.

TheMonster · 15/08/2011 13:30

There is no way I would be taking it around to them.

FreePeaceSweet · 15/08/2011 13:33

I still get post for the previous occupants nearly 4 years after buying the house. Last month they received some save the date/ wedding invitations. There was no return address so I opened one in the hope of finding an address. But no it was just first names with the date to be saved. I feel guilty that they think they will be ignored or not invited but what can you do? I had some stickers that said "No Longer Resident At The Address - Please Amend Your Records"

vividgingerchilli · 15/08/2011 13:33

As far as I know it's illegal to do that, you must either tell them to collect it and keep it for them, take it round or put "not at this address" and put it back in the post box - that is what I do.

aquos · 15/08/2011 13:34

The old chap that lived at our house for 15 years didn't even bother with a re-direct. For the first 3 or 4 months he came round weekly and collected his post. Then I started writing No Longer At This Address and putting it back the post. Several of the companies I returned mail to have just continued to send it to this address. I asked the postman to stop putting it through our door, but he said he has to even though he knows the old chap no longer lives here. It's been a year now and I have started binning it. We have started getting letters from debt collectors addressed to one of his sons who to my knowledge hasn't lived here for about 8 years. It all seems such a waste of time.

LolaRennt · 15/08/2011 13:34

she did it once and then I was asked to take the post to her as she is still living nearby - well a 10 min drive.

in the nicest possible way you have mug written across your forehead, esp after the curtain thing,

CAll them tell them to rediect their mail or you will leave all post in a box near your bins.

muddyangels123nomoreHPforme · 15/08/2011 13:41

I still get post from previous home owners, who sold to us 10 years ago.
I just put " Not known at this address" and get DS2 to pop it in the post box when he goes to his friend's house.

We had one the other week from DWP that was for a person that hasn't lived here for 16 years!

PrettyCandles · 15/08/2011 13:47

I have a suspicion that it would actually be illegal - the post is not yours to bin.

Shove everything that is addressed to them, important and junk, into an A4 envelope with a first class stamp and post it to the address you have for them. The postage will be insufficient so they will have to pay for it at their end. And don't be in any rush - do it every couple of months or so. After a few times they may get the message.

It is not your job to take the post to them!

I still get stuff addressed to the owner before last!

Panda1234 · 15/08/2011 13:48

I remember a previous thread where I suggested someone was being U for not redirecting their post and keeping going back to their old house after a year when the new tenants clearly didn't want them doing so, and a couple of people jumped on me for it!

I'd either call the daughter, give her one last warning and tell HER to pick it up (cos let's face it, she's not going to do anything about it if you make things easy for her), or I'd just redirect everything without saying anything to them.

Pendeen · 15/08/2011 13:49

As you know their new address can't you simply write the new adres on the post and put it back into a post box?

They will very quickly become fed up of receiving slips from their postman telling them they have post waiting at the sorting ofice excess postage to pay.

TimeWasting · 15/08/2011 13:51

One last warning, then 'Not this address, return to sender' and back in the post.

I do this, for the couple who lived here 4 years ago. It's annoying, but unless the companies know they're not here, they'll keep sending it.

Ciske · 15/08/2011 13:53

Collect the post for a month, then do a 'return to sender, not known at this address' on all of them and post back. Repeat once a month and it should steadily dry up.

We had lots of debt collection agencies sending letters to previous owners, plus piles of random rubbish from all variety of catalogues and companies, so we solved it this way.

dippydoodah · 15/08/2011 13:54

Absolutely stop taking the post to them - can't believe you've been doing that tbh! We still get post for the previous owners after 10 years. Just shove it back in the box with not at this address on it. Once we started doing this the amount of post we received dropped dramatically.