Are they just using my address?

[applemousey]

Sorry, no idea where to put this...
I recently started receiving mail (appears to be legal/official?) for the brother of the previous owner of our house, I say brother - it's an assumption based on the name etc.
We have lived here 3 years and it's only in the last 6 months it's started. They are all from overseas mainly Canada and America.

I put 'return to sender no longer at this address' each time and it's still happening. Is there anything I can do? I wouldn't be to bothered if it were the odd screwfix catalogue, but each letter always has 'legal documents enclosed' or from a solicitor etc.

Have you contacted the previous owner yet?

Did you open it in error?!

I've tried to contact the previous owner, they no longer live in this country and all avenues of contact no longer work. Can't even find them on Facebook as a last resort.

Is the solicitor's name on the envelope? If it is I would call their office directly to let them know the situation.

Contact whoever it's coming from. If it's not on the envelope, just open it. I had to because it was clear it were bailiff letters but no contact on envelope.

I've never opened the mail received, I've googled the senders address before to find out if I can contact them to prevent further letters. The current letter (from this morning) says on the outside 'LEGAL NOTICE ENCLOSED. DIRECT TO THE ATTENTION OF ADDRESSEE OR PRESIDENT/GENERAL COUNCIL'
I am assuming about wether it's legal/official-type mail based on the companies sending and the info on the envelope.

I would contact whoever is sending them. Yes I know you shouldn't open mail not addressed to you but we were getting bailiff letters for the previous owners of our house. I opened them and rang them about it, they never even questioned me opening the letter. I would have been mortified if they had turned up at my door if I hadn't opened them!!

The current letter is from New York. I've emailed them, but I had no response the last time either (different company)

@MissRabbitIsExhausted

I would contact whoever is sending them. Yes I know you shouldn't open mail not addressed to you but we were getting bailiff letters for the previous owners of our house. I opened them and rang them about it, they never even questioned me opening the letter. I would have been mortified if they had turned up at my door if I hadn't opened them!!

Exactly the same here. And because you can't let them in, I would have to deal outside with them for the whole estate to see. So fuck it.

It’s got your address so you thought it was for you and opened it and contacted the people sending it to put the situation right....If mail falls on the floor you open it without even checking cos why would you have someone else’s mail?

Could be spamming letter (ambulance chasing law firm) and the company is using a very old list. Just open it.

Something similar happened to me years ago. After I bought my first house I started to get letters addressed to the previous owners that were obviously from debt collectors, I contacted the company and told them I had no contact details for the previous owners but they didn't believe me and continued to sent letters. Eventually I opened one, I know I shouldnt have but pleased I did as they were going to send the bailiffs. Fortunately my mum at the time worked for a solicitor and she sent them a letter threatening legal action if they didn't stop harassing me, all of a sudden the letters stopped (surprise surprise!) and I never heard from them again. If there is a return address on any of the envelopes you could send them back with a covering letter explaining the situation and say you are feeling harassed and will seek legal action if they don't stop. It's worth try.

We have loads and loads as we bought a house that used to be short term let. Counted about 15 names.
Like you I diligently returned to sender. Then when clearly important stuff started to arrive (O2 contract to this address) I started contacting companies.
I reckon I've halved it at this stage (2 years in). The ex owner still as all his bank statements and PPI crap sent here. I did send them back, I also told him repeatedly but it kept coming. Now it's filed in the bin.

It's only illegal to open somebody else's mail if you plan to do so for malicious purposes. Just open them all, find out what it's all about and contact the sender directly.

Open it! We had loads of bailiff threats saying we’re coming to re-possess everything-for a previous tenant! It was quite worrying. The ll phoned the bailiff company to give them proof of new ownership and contact details of the estate agent who sold the previous person their new house. All the mail stopped.

open it, and reply to the solicitor via their email explaining why you opened it.