Next Door Using Our Address

[SundaeGirl]

I think our neighbour is using our address for bills.

We live in an old building that is subdivided into different properties. Our address is the main address with the front door eg The Old Schoolhouse, Little Village. There are neighbours who live at e.g The Flat, The Old Schoolhouse, Little Village and also Housekeepers Cottage, The Old Schoolhouse and The Bakery, The Old Schoolhouse and so on.

The postman knows who everyone is, so letters get to the right door. But we get a lot of letters/bills addressed to one of the neighbours whenever it is not our usual postie. They are never addressed to her at her full address, just to ours (e.g The Old Schoolhouse). It's odd because this is the kind of post where when you are filling in the dropdown menu on address forms, she would have to have chosen our address.

She has a reputation for running out on bills and would have a rubbish credit score, I'm sure. I am getting a bit anxious. DH doesn't want to rock the boat by saying anything and neither do I (she's a lovely nieghbour).

AIBU to stick my head in the sand?

Just start sending them back 'not at this address'.

Write "Not known at this address. Please return to sender." on the envelope and pop it back in the postbox.

Debts are accrued against individuals now not properties, so you shouldn't be concerned for that reason, but I can see you would be annoyed. A neighbour of ours has done this. I opened the letter, called the company and gave them the correct address. DH told me not to get involved but I was furious that neighbour would do this

Speak to your postie and insist that any post even if it has their name on it goes to the correct address and say why

You could return them to sender with "not at at this address" on them. That way if it is dodgy dealings you're clear - and there's a good chance she won't ever know you've done it.

If it's got their name but your full address then it should be delivered to you regardless of the name. I'd be having a quiet word with the postie and explain the situation. He could find himself in trouble if he's not careful.

Thanks for the replies.

I didn't realise that about debts being against people. Yeah, my main concern was credit.

Why would she do it? It's strange.

For those coming to your address, simply repost with 'return to sender, not known at this address'.

Do you believe your regular postie is delivering things to the neighbour with their name but your address on? If so you need to speak to them or the sorting office about delivering to an address, rather than just a name and 'similar' address.

I would also speak to the neighbour and ask them to give their proper,full address rather than yours, as you're 'getting a lot of junk mail you're sending back'.

If they're using those auto fill forms,do they give the full range of options? That may be the problem of they don't.

Might be a genuine mistake, my friends were desperately trying to pay their council tax and all the bills but heir address was not on the lists so their post was getting lost. Took them ages to sort it out - they had similar setup to yours...
I'd speak to the neighbor though.

The dropdown menu does have her address - she's choosing ours. And not just with the one things. With lots of things!

It is odd. I was sure it was going to be about credit score.

Hmm then it is really weird. Ask her and let us know!

I'd call up the various companies you're receiving bills or to let them know about the mistake.

if you're worried about your credit score, check it with Experian against your name and your address. If neighbour is using your address, you can report it to them and then financially disassociate yourself from that person and/or address.
Otherwise as pp said, speak to P.O!

Speak to the neighbour first. Tell her she needs to change her address. If she doesn't, start returning to sender. I don't see what the post office can do about it, if they are delivering to the correct address.

It may be about credit score for her even if it doesn't affect you. If Joan smith of the old schoolhouse has a negative credit score but Joan smith of the old posthouse doesn't that makes things easier for her

Just send them back to the person..... your could run the risk of problems if you just pass them on to get.

Tbh I think the most appropriate first step would be to maybe accumulate a pile of the letters and then take them over to her in one batch and speak to her about it, and say that you suggest she contact these companies and ensure her address details are "updated" because the companies or her have "obviously made some kind of mistake" - be as polite as possible but firm.

If that changes nothing, then I would start writing 'not at this address' on the front and posting them back, they will be returned to sender, and you will no longer receive the mail, and it will be her problem to sort out. You have no legal right to open up mail that is not addressed to you and anyway it's not your duty or obligation to be contacting companies to correct them, it's her job.

Instead of just marking them return to sender, which doesn't always work as the sender rarely seems to check because the address was given to them in the first place, I open them up and tape a note to the top of the bill which says 'Addressee does not live at this address, their correct address is ... '

If they still keep arriving then I send another note requesting that they amend their records and that further bills will be considered as harassment. That usually works.

I'd definitely return to sender not know at this address. At the very least it's annoying receiving other people's post.

You need to ask her! Just say "We keep getting things for you which have our address on....can you make sure you choose the correct address in future?" and check your credit score!

I'd do what previously1474907171 suggests.

You can check your credit score online with Experian (and others). They do a free 30 day trial IIRC.

If it's not a totally separate address, maybe it's not in the drop down list for her to select? My first step would be going on the companies website and seeing if her address is listed

Maybe she was having trouble with misdirected post using her actual address. At our old address, we used to have tonnes of letters delivered to our house (clearly residential...) that were addressed to a business (clearly based on an industrial estate...) in a different town with a different postcode. There was only 1 line similarity in the address!! I eventually wrote to the business and asked them to tell customers. It to include that line in the address, as it was not only unnecessary in helping the letters end up in the right place, but clearly positively unhelpful to the post office!