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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Opened previous owners mail

260 replies

justalittlelemondrizzle · 30/06/2016 11:21

Since buying the house almost a year ago we have recieved all the old owners mail. Everything from car insurance and bank statements to birthday cards and junk mail. I've been returning everything to sender and for the last couple of months letters have greatly reduced and have almost stopped. It was my birthday the other day and today a birthday card came in the post. I didn't look at the name on the envelope as it was clearly a birthday card so just opened it like a giddy child wondering who it could be from. Well it wasn't for me but the previous owners son and £50 fell out. I'm not sure what to do. I have no forwarding address and I can't return this to sender.

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 30/06/2016 11:45

I'd guess that it's for an 18th or 21st birthday. (The amount and the 'Mr'.)

Jinglebells99 · 30/06/2016 11:46

You contact the estate agent and ask them to forward it! I can't believe anyone would do otherwise. You have the means to get it to the right person.

MilkTwoSugarsThanks · 30/06/2016 11:46

justmyview - not strictly true. It's an offence to deliberately obstruct delivery of mail, but opening unintentionally or opening in order to hopefully use the information to get it to the intended recipient is not.

mirime · 30/06/2016 11:47

We kept getting mail for the previous three owners of our house, it was a pain - included shares related mail, a hardcore German porn catalogue (arrived the day my in laws were coming over!), notice from debt collectors and so on.

We moved and now just get the post meant for three other houses/flats because none of them know their correct addresses. We get offered takeaways we've not ordered as well - one of these days I'm just going to accept one!

If you can't contact the previous owners through other means, I'd keep it for a few months then dispose of it as I saw fit - probably mostly to charity as I'd feel guilty otherwise.

Arfarfanarf · 30/06/2016 11:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Crazycatladyloz82 · 30/06/2016 11:52

I bin it but have opened a few official looking things after the police came knocking a few years ago Hmm. My favourite is when I can clearly feel new bank cards through the envelope, it has been 3 years tell the bank you have bloody moved. Some people take the piss. I initially tried to return to sender but have given up

Glittershoes22 · 30/06/2016 11:55

Karma is a biatch, if it was a card sent by an elderly relative to your DC at your old address by accident ,you would be upset if the new owners kept it and refused to pass on. Make best efforts to get it to the intended recipient and if it doesnt happen I would keep it. Making no effort to get it to the recipient isn't really on, especially when its so easy to drop an email to the estate agent.

legotits · 30/06/2016 11:58

We get loads of shite for the last occupants which now gets chucked in the fire.

Kicking myself now thinking I've burnt money Grin

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 30/06/2016 12:00

Would the solicitor who handed the sale have a forwarding address? Might be worth asking.
I would hang on to the money for now, just in case.

Dontyoulovecalpol · 30/06/2016 12:03

It's not a criminal offence to open post addressed to others.

OP I would keep it and consider it my good luck- police indeed!

user1465823522 · 30/06/2016 12:04

prob not helpful but I once got 2 policemen at my door delivering a summons for the guy who lived there 2 years before hand.

pearlylum · 30/06/2016 12:04

I open previous occupiers mail.

They left 2 years ago and I don't have a forwarding address. Some have been tax demands etc which I have returned to the tax office.

I don't want final demands or my address being blacklisted because of an unpaid debt. Too right I open the mail. If some organisation has my address in connection with an unpaid bill then I want to know about it.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 30/06/2016 12:08

BTW I had loads of mail for the previous owner of a flat - he had left no forwarding address and no wonder - it was very quickly obvious that he had left a lot of bills inc. phone and utilities unpaid and had cc debt etc.

So after a while I felt obliged to open the mail and contact creditors and several debt collection agencies who were chasing him - I didn't want bailiffs coming round. It took a while and at least 12 letters with copies of my council tax bill etc., but they were all reasonable and backed off.

But I couldn't help wondering how often this happens (esp in London where this was) - people clearing off to their country of origin and leaving a load of debt which will never be paid - this bloke must have owed at least £20K and from what I could see from the LR had made a huge profit on the sale of his flat, so I can't think it was a case of not being able to pay.

easiersaidthandone · 30/06/2016 12:08

We have had so much previous guys mail it's untrue along with debt threats. I know the person in my old house and my bank and various banks still send credit cards to that house to persuade me to have one and from many other credit card companys yet I told my bank the day I moved! I think with things like that it is outsourced and details do not get updated same with insurance companys sending renews even when you haven't been with them for over 2 years! Its not always the previous persons fault.

If i opened it by mistake and found that I would try to get in contact like other people have suggested to contact the estate agents asking for a forwarding address or keep it for sometime incase they contacted me or knocked on.

If you were the intended recipient how would you want it to be handled? If you didnt receive your birthday £50 in error one of your friends forgot about your change of address and it was delivered to your previous, would you hope the person that person did the honest thing and find you or just go spend it?

FeliciaJollygoodfellow · 30/06/2016 12:16

I only stopped getting mail for the last owners when we got a SORN notice in the post.

I called and told the DVLA that not only did they not live here anymore, but that there was no off street parking so not actually possible to SORN a vehicle in my street.

Petty I know. But it still rankled that they essentially trashed all the carpets and the kitchen before we moved in.

SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 30/06/2016 12:18

I would hold on to it for a while incase either the previous owner, their DS or the sender comes looking for it.

Original poster
justalittlelemondrizzle · 30/06/2016 12:19

Thanks everyone. I'm going to reseal and keep hold of it for a few months. I'm not going out of my way for someone who has made no effort to change their address which has resulted in me being bombarded with their mail all this time.
If they want it. They can make the effort to come and get it. This may be the kick up the bum they need to make a few phonecalls to update their address.

OP posts:
Ed1tY0urPr0f1le · 30/06/2016 12:23

It might be an older relative who they have told but has forgotten.

My Great Aunt had the wrong house number for us written in her address book and, despite us telling her, face to face and in writing, many times, she carried on sending things there for years! Fortunately it was just down the road and the people were very understanding and just stuck them through our door. Eventually my mum managed to get hold of the address book and change it for her Grin

I would try the estate agent or put it to one side for a few weeks and see if they ask for it - if they do, it would be a good opportunity to suggest they update people on their new address!

GoblinLittleOwl · 30/06/2016 12:24

Contact the estate agents.
Wait for the next official statement, contact the senders and ask for an address.
How did you manage to return previous birthday cards?

Ed1tY0urPr0f1le · 30/06/2016 12:24

X post Grin

ssd · 30/06/2016 12:25

this happened to me recently, I opened my mail after coming in and didnt check the name on the front......one letter was from a solicitor saying my inheritance from my late uncle would be in the region of £125,000 and I would receive it in the next few months......honestly I just gasped, we are skint, on minimum wage, .......then I looked at the address and it was for the person on the next street, same number but XX road, not XX street, my address....

I went to his door with it and apologized for opening it in error, he said thanks and that was that

still, I felt rich for approximately 10 seconds, I've never had or will have an inheritance and it showed me what it must be like.....for a teeny while!!

ssd · 30/06/2016 12:28

sorry, to answer the op, I'd keep it in a drawer to see if anyone comes for it and after maybe a year or two, if no one does I'd spend it on my kids, silently thanking the sending, who ever they were

Original poster
justalittlelemondrizzle · 30/06/2016 12:30

Ssd Aww no. I felt your pain today. Albeit on a much much smaller scale Grin

Goblin - in the past anything that didn't have a return address went straight in the recycling. No one has ever come knocking before

OP posts:
peggyundercrackers · 30/06/2016 12:32

because its not for the owner but his son I would make an effort to get it to him. the son isn't responsible for his parents actions - doesn't matter that the son is older. also as someone else said it might be from an elderly relative who has an old address list or has forgotten the change of address due to health issues.

I think its incredibly sad people posting to keep someone elses money and steal it from them... that's despicable.

ssd · 30/06/2016 12:39

but its not stealing of the op genuinely doesnt know where to forward the money onto peggy Shock