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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU to charge a handling fee / write DEAD on this post!

48 replies

WyldChyld · 01/10/2015 16:59

Okay, so I'm not fully serious... sort of

We moved into our house six months ago. The agreement that we had with the last occupiers were that they were getting their post redirected (as did we) but that because of issues they had with getting the redirection bought, we would keep their post for the first few weeks and they would collect.

Six months down the line, we are still inundated with post. They haven't put a redirection on but more annoyingly, I don't think they have changed their bloody address on anything! We have had letters from the kids schools, bank statements, subscription magazines and catalogues, stuff from their insurance companies... The list never ends

We handed over mail for the first two months - the agreement was I would text her when we had too much and he would ask a friend to collect and pass it on (moved out of area). Since then, I have been writing "not at address" and putting been in the post but it never ends. I'm sick of being a post lady - they get more than us! If it was occasional, i wouldn't mind...

So, AIBU to sue them for nuisance / charge a fee / declare them dead???

OP posts:

whois · 01/10/2015 18:09

I reckon 3 months of keeping all mail for them. Another 3 or passing on anything important looking but 'returning to sending' anything else. Then just bin stuff.

I printed out several pages of sticky labeles so I could just stick on a 'r t s not known at thes address' label.

Jeffreythegiraffe · 01/10/2015 18:10

Well I would be telling her you are binning everything from now on, it's their problem not yours.

IsItMeOr · 01/10/2015 18:12

The post office had the cheek to tell me off for holding on to mail that came to our house for the first month or so, because I didn't realise that they had put a re-direct on but only after about a month or so. Apparently I was supposed to know that I had to quickly put it back in the post for the Royal Mail to deal with, rather than wonder whether they planned to pick it up sometime. I eventually shoved the lot back in a post box marked no longer at this address after about 3 months I think.

As they took all the working lightbulbs, ripped the tiled splashback off the walls while attempting to remove a cheap toothbrush holder, and even took the screws out of some of the mains sockets, it was hard to care whether they ever got their mail tbh.

It kept coming for at least 15 years. Including stuff from share management companies. I was very tempted to open some of it, but never did.

Littlef00t · 01/10/2015 18:20

Just text to say you are going to start binning it. Give it a couple of weeks and do just that. 99% of the time important letters from companies can be re-sent if she's expecting something.

FeliciaJollygoodfellow · 01/10/2015 18:22

We got loads for about 2 years here too. Abruptly stopped when I got there SORN declaration which I returned to say 'not known at this address and no off street parking'.

I was slightly and when I got a letter from a local solicitor, took it back to their office and asked them to remove the address from their list as they were no longer living in our house.

That was 4 years ago I still get that one!

FeliciaJollygoodfellow · 01/10/2015 18:23

Oh, and I would be binning it by now. I consider my work done once I've sent about 6 months worth of bank statements back to the bank.

SoupDragon · 01/10/2015 18:29

I would tell them that after X date you will be returning any further mail to the sender. Then I would print out a set of labels saying "return to sender -moved from this address on XX/XX/XX" and do just that.

I would feel happier giving them fair warning before returning all their post.

Isthiscorrect · 01/10/2015 18:34

Could you send it to their solicitor when you bought the house asking them to pass it on, as you don't know where they moved to. I'm sure solicitor will be happy to charge them ;-)

ImperialBlether · 01/10/2015 18:35

Text her and ask for her address.

Buy a pack of big envelopes.

Every week put her mail in it and post it without a stamp to her address.

purplemeggie · 01/10/2015 18:37

I had this problem at my last house. I think there's a service whereby you can declare that someone no longer lives at an address and they stop delivering it. I've just had a look at the Royal Mail website and I couldn't find it, but if you ask at the Post Office, they might be able to help.

tictactoad · 01/10/2015 18:51

Don't contact her again. She's not of a mind to sort it. Leave it a month or two just to be sure then bin it. Repeat as necessary.

Catzpyjamas · 01/10/2015 18:54

purplemeggie, that's the Mail Preference Service (upthread).

wasonthelist · 01/10/2015 19:01

Wtf is wrong with people? I get e-mail like this, destined for my namesakes in the USA and Australia. After the three millionth time I suggested they should be more careful, the sender from US wrote back telling me how I should have been more polite. So now any mail from her goes straight to junk, and she won't even know she's sent the details of a stack of share deals to the wrong person (again). At least I stopped getting the Aussie doctors patient lists and their bills.

Jux · 01/10/2015 19:18

We've been here 10 years, and still get letters for the past owner and whatever mates rellies she told to use her address. We've stopped doing anything with them but chucking them.

There is an ex-tenant who did a midnight flit who occasionally uses our address. His letters are easily identifiable as they are clearly final demands (red all over them) so we open those, ring whoever it's from, give them the name of the various other bailiffs who are after him and his last known address, also his fb name and his last girlfriend's name and area of residence. The sooner they catch the bastard the sooner we'll stop getting bailiff's knocking at our door, eyeing up our car and anything else they can see.

Ememem84 · 01/10/2015 19:43

We've had this. I've received previous owners new credit card. And PIN number. Sent everything back to sender.

We still get a Christmas card every year from "Alan" he encloses £20 every year. We can't send it back as we have no idea who he is (card is handwritten and hand delivered). We've donated it to charity every year.

Moomintroll85 · 01/10/2015 19:50

Argh I feel your pain. She sounds like a bit of a tit too, I would never expect a new occupant to do my admin and hold onto my post, just notify everyone important that you've moved! it's a pain to do but it's her responsibility, no one else's.

We still get HMRC letters, bills and other important stuff for the people who lived here before us. I usually return to sender for anything that looks important but I'm now losing patience after 6 months so it may all soon get binned.

Also had the electoral register statement thingy through and there's me, my DP and a randomer on it who's not even one of the previous tenants (who lived here for years) so don't know who the crap he is but he's getting crossed out.

starlight2007 · 01/10/2015 19:58

I kept getting bank stuff..I phoned the Nat west who said they could do nothing over the phone, so I had to go into branch but I did not want a financial link with previous occupier

Oldraver · 01/10/2015 21:42

Alpaca It will be 17 years this Christmas...Its frigging irritating isn't it... I moved into my (new build) house 17 years ago this month. The first Christmas I got a shed load of cards for next door but two. When I returned them she said "oh my house used to be numbered 15", which I found really strange

I returned them for a few years then wrote on one I would no longer return them. I still get a load at Christmas and got a card recently for them...I cant fathom why they heck she hasn't corrected anyone

SistersOfPercy · 01/10/2015 23:16

I get a ski brochure every year addressed to Mr X, but he moved out in 1989 and we bought the house from Mr Y in 1996.

Worst one I had was just our address and no name on the envelope only on opening it we found some very sensitive documents for the lady down the road (her name was on those, had it have also been on the envelope id never have opened it). I felt terrible handing them over to her but she was lovely about it.

DingbatsFur · 02/10/2015 08:13

We used to get the previous occupant's hardcore porn catalogues from the Netherlands delivered to the rented house I was in.
One day the company sent a letter saying if we didn't order anything the catalogues would stop.
Too bad, so sad.
I agree though, stick it all in an envelope and out it back in the post (without a stamp).

NotMeNotYouNotAnyone · 02/10/2015 08:38

Big companies should have processes to deal with returned Mail, it can take a while to make it back to then though. If you've told them previously and allowed time for updates, open the letter and phone them and tell them they're breaching the data protection act by continuing to send mail to an address they've been told is not their customers.

IKnowIAmButWhatAreYou · 02/10/2015 08:52

We bin it all here, after checking if there's any cash in things that look like birthday/christmas cards!!

Helloitsme15 · 02/10/2015 09:32

We still get telesales phone calls for the previous owner - she died 18 years ago.

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