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AIBU?

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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:
CowVersusMouse · 30/06/2016 14:37

If you're poor then keep it.

Previous owner of my last flat, the owner had died and I kept getting bank letters. Eventually opened one and she had about £800. Stalked the executor of her will using Google and messaged her to get a forwarding address. (I did ask some questions to check it was the right person..)

NoahVale · 30/06/2016 14:39

keep it

NoahVale · 30/06/2016 14:40

if they havent informed this person of their new address they are clearly crazy.

hold on to it for a couple of weeks, or a month then spend it

peggyundercrackers · 30/06/2016 14:42

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

of course its stealing. the money is meant for a child. she has childs first name and last name - wouldn't take a genius to work out where to send it would it. even giving it to police with the name, they would no doubt manage to trace it. OP could call estate agent or her solicitor - its very little effort to pick up the phone for 2 mins to ask the question and it would only take 2 mins to look one social media like facebook - its hardly an imposition.

Babysafari · 30/06/2016 14:44

Am I the only one thinking she cannot keep this money? It's not like she found it in the street it was intended for someone else.

It could be an elderly relative who's forgot to update their address book.

I'm sure it wouldn't be too difficult to track down the previous owners. Facebook, estate agents?

MarchelineWhatNot · 30/06/2016 14:44

I think keeping it would be a rotten thing to do. It can takes ages for a Mail Direction to kick it might not be their fault. In any case, it's not the boy's fault. It's a lot of money, please try to get it to him. And there are some good suggestions here... Facebook, the estate agents, for instance.

itstheYbirdstop · 30/06/2016 14:44

Pop it in a charity tin! Who are you people?? I know that's an amazing thing to do but..really?? You must have a lot of spare cash or a halo.

itstheYbirdstop · 30/06/2016 14:45

I would try and track down previous owner but failing that I'd keep it.

NoahVale · 30/06/2016 14:45

perhaps the sender of the card and money was very scatter brained, just as disorganised, it is quite uncommon to send money by post isnt it?

Dontyoulovecalpol · 30/06/2016 14:45

peggy for the xxx time it's not a child and If you think the police are going to try and trace them you're bonkers

Original poster
justalittlelemondrizzle · 30/06/2016 14:53

I don't have the first name. Envelope and card both say Mr Surname. It's an 18th card so that's probably why they have written it like that. If I had a first name I would find him on Facebook. He is 18 so will definately use it. I've searched for the previous owner who doesn't appear to be on there. I've also just searched for the last name which was a waste of time.
Estate agents/solicitors won't be able to give me a forwarding address and I am not going delivering it to them for them to probably spend on the office sandwich run.
I'm not stealing it. Its been recieved and I will give them ample time to retrieve it. After which I probably will spend it.
I have done enough post sorting for these people. Had it not been my birthday recently. It wouldn't have been opened and would be in the bin now and I'd be none the wiser

OP posts:
hippiedays · 30/06/2016 14:57

Just spend it for now and keep the card. If they come looking for it, you can stick the 50 quid back in and give it to them. The chances are that they won't bother following it up.

peggyundercrackers · 30/06/2016 14:58

Dontyoulovecalpol the child is only 18 - so strictly speaking not a child as such but certainly not an adult if going by threads on here - people generally regards teenagers as children.

Jengnr · 30/06/2016 14:58

I'd try and find them. Not for the recipient, for the sender.

The estate agent or solicitor won't be able to give you their details but they would be able to phone/write/email them to get in contact with you. I'd make a phone call to each and ask for their help then leave it. If you don't hear anything for six months spend it.

LivingOnTheDancefloor · 30/06/2016 15:04

I say keep it in a drawer for a while - I am talking years not just months.
If unclaimed after say 2-3y I would spend it or give it to charity.

laurenwiltxx · 30/06/2016 15:04

Keep it

hippiedays · 30/06/2016 15:06

ETA I can't believe people are suggesting to contact solicitors and estate agents. The card will end up sitting on their desks indefinitely and what a waste of the OP's time. It is fifty pounds, not exactly a few hundred!

Westfacing · 30/06/2016 15:10

After 13 years in my place I occasionally get junk mail for tenants of the previous owner, which I always return in the vain hope they'll get the message.

For a number of years I got official looking letters from one postmark and did Return to Sender saying not known at this address. When they continued I opened one and it was a debt collector - I phoned and explained the situation and that was that, never received any more.

I'm glad I did it as I don't want my address on a blacklist.

The OP seems to have spent enough time and effort and trying to track down the previous owners. Maybe take it to police station and after six months it may be yours!

HisNameWasPrinceAndHeWasFunky · 30/06/2016 15:10

keep it as compensation for dealing with their post - they should have got their mail redirected.

LADLX · 30/06/2016 15:13

What card & £50??
Wink

scarednoob · 30/06/2016 15:29

your solicitor will have their solicitor's details from the sale - you could email them and ask for the forwarding address as you have some personal post for them, or ask the solicitors to forward it for you?

scarednoob · 30/06/2016 15:30

er, if this happened for one of my clients, no way would it sit on my desk for more than 5 minutes, thank you very much hippiedays!!!

hippiedays · 30/06/2016 15:37

er....in my old workplace it would sit there until it was filed in a 'non urgent' 'folder which wouldn't be looked at until somebody was moving desks/going on mat leave/leaving the company!!!!

scarednoob · 30/06/2016 15:46

Ha, not here. I save that for the actual work Wink

NeedsAsockamnesty · 30/06/2016 15:52

Finding money in the street and keeping it is an offence.

It's theft by finding and people do get convicted of it regularly.

The stupidity of the offence is that you end up with a conviction yet if you take the item/money to a police station they give it back to you after about 6 months and then it's legitimately yours to keep.

My stupid errant nephew was convicted of theft by finding for a cheap jewellery item that he decided to sell to a jeweller instead of handing in.he got convicted and had to do 180 hours comunity reperation for the sake of £6 when the item he stole had sentimental value and if he had handed it in he would have got £100 reward from the owner.

He wasn't even shopped by the jewellers it was a member of the public giving the correct location and time and a decent description then cctv.