Gave package to wrong neighbour... Liable?

[Muminneedofadvicelol]

Hi.

I have a dilemma tonight and can't sleep

A neighbour from across the street came to my door and said I had a package that belongs to them. My second name was the name signed and I couldn't for the life of me think what he was even saying as my new born was babbling away in the background. I just wanted to turn my attention to him as it was just after his bath time. Anyway, when he went away, I realised that I had indeed taken a package in, but gave it to the neighbour downstairs. That was over a week ago. When the delivery guy dropped it off, he said "can you take this for your neighbour" I stupidly assumed it was for the guy downstairs as he is my only neighbour in our block of flats. When I was leaving my house last week, he had come home and I just gave him the parcel without even looking at the label. (I'm an idiot)

Why hasn't he handed it over to the correct neighbour? Absolutely ridiculous.
Will I be liable for this?
Will baby brain ever get better!?!

[Hearhoovesthinkzebras]

What breach or offence is the OP supposed to have committed? She has no duty of care to the neighbour. She has made an honest mistake from which she does not benefit.

So does that mean that any neighbour who takes in a parcel for someone else can keep.it without penalty? That doesn't sound right. What stops people from just accepting deliveries and then just keeping them if they aren't held liable for it?

[GiveHerHellFromUs]

*What breach or offence is the OP supposed to have committed? She has no duty of care to the neighbour. She has made an honest mistake from which she does not benefit.
*
Theft, potentially. The police and company who sold the items wouldn't just accept her version of events and say to the receiver "oh well. Honest mistake. Let's all move on."

[dazzlinghaze]

@SpaghettiSharon yep! For theft. It does sound unbelievable but it's true, unfortunately.

[longearedbat]

The definition of theft is when something is 'dishonestly appropriated with the intention to permanently deprive', so the situation that the op describes doesn't fulfill this criteria. I honestly find it hard to believe that hard pressed police would take even a passing interest in this; in fact they would be more likely to say it's a civil matter between the complainants.
The parcel you took down to your neighbour op might very well have been for them anyway. Tell neighbour 2 what has happened and leave it at that. I really wouldn't give it another thought. Best advice is don't take in parcels for anyone; it often seems to cause problems.

[GiveHerHellFromUs]

@longearedbat yes but we're assuming OP is as honest as she says. Some people aren't honest.
I could imagine some people would pretend they'd passed the parcel on to another neighbour with the actual intention of keeping the parcel for themselves which is why it'd need to be investigated.

[Insideimsprinting]

You take in package for neighbor, didnt read the address on it and gave it to the wrong neighbour. You realise your error nd go see the person you gave it to ASAP tell them what happened nd bend over backwards to fix your mistake. This is a genuine cockup you have tried to fix.

The alternative, you feel embarrassed so don't speak to the neighbour you gave it to and forget all about it. The person who package belongs to tracks delivery and it comes back to you, except you told him nowt as you forgot about it. He is now wondering if you've lied and why. At worst he rings police and they need to know why you did what you did, didn't admit your error and try and fix it, is it because it wasn't a mistake. At best he challenges you, you remember and then have to tell him you didn't bother fixing it as you were embarrassed and you lok like a twat.

Please just have the courage to be honest and try and fix it otherwise a seemingly innocent mistake may not end up looking like that. Sometimes you just have to admit you've cocked up and try and fix it, at least your conscious will be clear.

[Suze1621]

I would check with your downstairs neighbour first as it may not be the same parcel. We have had more than one occurrence of people knocking to collect parcels supposedly 'left with neighbour' when no parcel had been left with us, invariably with text/email notifications rather than a card through the door so no guarantee they are even on the right street. One of ours turned up over a mile away & kind person brought it round.

[Lifecraft]

What breach or offence is the OP supposed to have committed? She has no duty of care to the neighbour.

Yes she does. We all owe each other a duty of care. She could have refused to take the parcel but accepted it. She then accepted the responsibility to get it to the right person. She was then negligent, and gave it to the wrong person. It wasn't deliberate, it wasn't theft, but she has caused someone to lose out by her negligence. It was an accident caused by her negligence, just like reversing her car into someone else's parked car.

If the parcel cannot be retrieved, because having been given it, the neighbour who got it thought it was theirs and used it, if the neighbour who lost out decides to sue, OP is completely liable for the loss.

[ProfessorSlocombe]

If the parcel cannot be retrieved, because having been given it, the neighbour who got it thought it was theirs and used it, if the neighbour who lost out decides to sue, OP is completely liable for the loss.

But could then sue the neighbour they gave the package to, in turn for that loss ...

The good think about neighbours - unlike itinerant dodgy tradesmen - is you know where they live. Which makes serving papers and instructing bailiffs relatively simple. If needed.

Maybe for £20 it could be chalked up to experience. But £2,000 for a top-flight Apple iShiny ... I'd be in court on Monday.

[Whattodoabout]

Look, you have a newborn so everyone would forgive you for making this silly mistake. The onus is on your neighbour to return it to the rightful owner, have a word with him and explain the mix up. It may well be that he’s opened it and thought it was a random gift from someone or perhaps it’s something he would order for himself and he thinks it’s his. Stranger things have happened and I don’t think you’re at fault for assuming it was your only real neighbour’s parcel.

Parcel companies are dicks for this, I have had a fair few parcels delivered to completely random homes on different streets I then end up having to find myself. I think they go to do the next delivery and decide to ask if they’ll take yours in too, it’s really shitty but they’re under massive pressure so I understand why they do it.

[Lifecraft]

Look, you have a newborn so everyone would forgive you for making this silly mistake.

Nope. If the OP didn't feel she was up to doing the task, she should have refused to accept the parcel. Once she took it in, legally that was her telling the world "this is a simple task that I am able to perform". And then she got it wrong.

In a small claims court, "yes, I made a mistake, but let me off because I have a newborn" just wouldn't wash.

The neighbour who received the parcel may also be liable, depending on the circumstances. They may have also been negligent, but the OP definitely was, and she isn't disputing that fact.

[GiveHerHellFromUs]

But could then sue the neighbour they gave the package to, in turn for that loss ...


But she has no proof of that. The delivery company can prove she signed for the parcel but I doubt she got her neighbour to sign when she handed it over.

[ProfessorSlocombe]

But could then sue the neighbour they gave the package to, in turn for that loss ...

But she has no proof of that. The delivery company can prove she signed for the parcel but I doubt she got her neighbour to sign when she handed it over.

Hence the ellipsis . That's the legal situation. Obviously proof - or lack thereof - is key.

The OP is in a slightly delicate position because - by their own admission - rather than handing the parcel over to someone who called on them (which provides a minimum standard of trustworthiness - after all how would the caller know the OP had the parcel ?) the OP actively went and found the wrong person to give the parcel to. Which slightly amplifies the negligence.

Bear in mind most couriers and online suppliers between them have heard every excuse under the sun to disguise fraud, and this might just look a bit like that. If the parcels value was significant, they might be disinclined to do anything.

[JasonPollack]

Don't worry. Nothing will happen. Ignore pp. scaremongering. I would explain to both neighbours what has happened and then leave it with them.

[Muminneedofadvicelol]

I have tried to get the neighbour I've gave the parcel to, but no answer at his door. The parcel was given to me and signed for on the same day I gave the neighbour it, so he absolutely has it unless someone has forged my name and signature.

I am having to wait till tonight again to try and get my neighbour and ask him about this and just make out he's obviously made a mistake too. Try make a laugh about it. I just feel this is yet another thing on my plate at the moment that's why I originally posted to get some positive advice from someone who has maybe been in a similar situation. Thank you. X

[meyouandlulutoo]

Where I used to live, for a while I was often the only person in the street who was at home, Christmas time was a nightmare of deliveries. After running around after neighbours eventually I used to tell the courier/postal service that I would only accept or sign for parcels if they put a notice through the door of the person to advise where their parcel was. I would then only hand it over if the person came to me to collect.

[LochJessMonster]

Why is this being made into a big deal?

Ask downstairs neighbour for parcel back or tell other neighbour you accidentally gave it to downstairs neighbour and let him go and get it back.

[halloumi2019]

I guess you would, to a certain degree, be held “liable”. Only because it’s your signature on the tracking and your house as the GPS location of the delivery, you also admit you accepted the parcel. So for the actual recipient & sender, you were the person the missing parcel was delivered to, so you would be the person they would name as a suspect if they reported this to the police. Or alternatively they could take civil action against you. Both paths are unlikely though. It’s more likely that the courier will bang on your door to “investigate.”

In your situation, I would leave a note for the neighbour who has the parcel. I would also inform the actual recipient that you gave it to neighbour at number X, hopefully they can arrange to sort it between themselves. If the neighbour has stolen it, it’s the recipient’s choice to involve police.

In the future, don’t accept parcels or double check the address first.

[Rosehip10]

Just don't take in parcels. It becomes a nightmare.

[PriscillaTheHun]

Did you manage to speak to your downstairs neighbour, OP?

[Binglebong]

Do you have a name like Smith? Just wondering if it was delivered to a different neighbour. A week does seem like a long time to wait to pick up a parcel.

[Muminneedofadvicelol]

Hi

Update

He's denied all knowledge of me giving him a parcel on the first place, but when I went to the neighbour across the street, they said the parcel in question had been left at their door opened...

Cannot stand people who lie, however I am glad it's sorted. I don't want to read too much into it, but I think it's pretty obvious what's happened here.

Note to self- never taking any more parcels ever again. Lesson learned. Xx

[halloumi2019]

Weird. You can’t trust that neighbour anymore. Never accept mail for them again. Hopefully the actual recipient of the parcel managed to get their stuff in unused condition!

[duckyolucky]

The posters talking about theft & criminal offences. Surely a case like this wouldn't get to court (unless we are talking parcels worth hundreds of thousands which would be unlikely to be left with neighbours in the first place). Prosecution would set a huge precedence & I expect it to be in the delivery companies favour (efficiency & cost) that neighbours do take in parcels.

[SummerPlace]

But £2,000 for a top-flight Apple iShiny If it was such a costly item wouldn't you insist that you have to personally sign for it, and if you aren't in and can't, then the iShiny be taken to the nearest post office or other suitable site to be collected?