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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To refuse to keep sorting their post.

84 replies

poppybuns · 19/02/2021 22:51

Moved into our new house a month ago.

The sellers said they hadn't had time to sort a redirection out so could I pop any post that comes for them to another house down the street.

It's been a month and they still get a lot of post. They obviously don't want to pay for the redirection. It isn't really an issue for me to take it to the neighbour but they clearly aren't changing their address as it isn't just junk mail that's coming, I'm pretty sure today's post is a new bank card as I can feel it in the envelope. There was an NHS appointment letter last week too.

How long do I keep this up for? is it unreasonable of me to start returning to sender, they've had a month to sort it.

OP posts:

Southwest12 · 20/02/2021 18:24

The people I bought my house from didn't bother redirecting any mail. They popped round a few times but then didn't come for ages. There was a huge pile so eventually I wrote return to sender on it and put it back in the postbox.

Unfortunately for them he'd been caught speeding and as he hadn't paid the fine it went further and ended up with debt collectors who came to the house but I told them they didn't live here. He'd also got a new car and hadn't updated DVLA. He came looking for that letter and wasn't best pleased it had been returned to sender, I think there's a £1k fine if you don't update your details!

Daphnise · 20/02/2021 18:29

If you're that fed up, throw it all away.

Glittertwins · 20/02/2021 18:30

It's not exactly hard to set up mail redirection so if they can manage to drag themselves back to the locality, they can manage to set this up. I'd be doing as PP have said in that it would go in a pile by the door and dumped on the neighbour's doorstep at my convenience along with a PA note of that is all you're getting!

Di11y · 20/02/2021 18:34

Just add a note when you next take it over.

saraclara · 20/02/2021 18:34

Put a note with the next lot. Be polite and pleasant, but explain that while you continue getting their post, it doesn't feel like your home, so can they please arrange for re-direction

TomorrowIsAnotherDae · 20/02/2021 18:40

@Fourleafclover93

Do what I done. Put a sign on your letter box or door telling the post man or woman please only post mail for (insert names of you and people you live with)

My sign has been destroyed in the rain but the post man told me he remembers only mail for me and DH

My understanding is that Royal Mail have to deliver to the address on the envelope, they can’t just go by name personal.help.royalmail.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5156/~/ive-received-someone-elses-mail

AnitaB888 · 20/02/2021 18:41

As I understand it you cannot legally dispose/open/interfere with someone else's mail.

Keep it safe, then write them a letter informing them that you are still receiving mail addressed to them and give them a reasonable time limit (say one month) to collect it/sort it out. Tell them if they don't do this you will be forced to dispose of it.
Send the letter 'signed for'.

Once you know they have received the letter follow through with what you told them.

FinallyHere · 20/02/2021 18:47

What does it say about you, if you move house and dont tell your bank etc about your new address? There is a reason there is a find for not updating your address on your drivers licence.

While I can just about understand people who need a few days or would like to having anything missed by the redirect sent on l, a month later I would be very seriously concerned.

I'd probably give a warning that the next drop off would be the last, in about a week and that anything else that turns up will be returned to sender.

I really hope that there is. I thing more than laziness here but wouldn't rely on it.

warn them that I was going to return to sender anything that arrived

FinallyHere · 20/02/2021 18:50

cannot legally dispose/open/interfere with someone else's mail.

This is predicated on the combination of name and address. Enabling someone to falsely claim that they live at your address is really not a good idea.

For example, insurance on a car will not be valid if the car is no longer regularly kept at that address.

user1493494961 · 20/02/2021 18:52

I wouldn't want people knocking my door at the moment, I would return to sender.

LadyFidgetAndHerHandbag · 20/02/2021 18:58

What does it say about you, if you move house and dont tell your bank etc about your new address?
I once moved and told my bank my new address. They failed to update their system properly and sent my new bank card to my old address then got arsey when I pointed out that it was their responsibility.

AnitaB888 · 20/02/2021 19:00

@FinallyHere,

" cannot legally dispose/open/interfere with someone else's mail.

This is predicated on the combination of name and address. Enabling someone to falsely claim that they live at your address is really not a good idea.

For example, insurance on a car will not be valid if the car is no longer regularly kept at that address."

What I wrote was the advice a solicitor told me.
You need to show you have made every reasonable effort to get the mail re-directed.

I am ready to be corrected by any other solicitor if I have got it wrong.

MustardMitt · 20/02/2021 19:02

It’s not up to OP to pick up life admin because these people haven’t sorted it!

I agree with others that have said write on the front of the next batch that you will be returning to sender any further post that comes.

Crackerofdoom · 20/02/2021 19:04

As long as you are taking it to them, they have no incentive to sort it.

I would just put it in a box and only give it to them if they turn up looking for it.

Snowymcsnowsony · 20/02/2021 19:05

We get post for the tenant before the last ones...
She was 102 when she left here 12 years ago!

And her ds who never left home had a letter from DWP last week.

He was 82 when they moved!

Flickoffboris · 20/02/2021 19:06

You're not really sorting it though, just chucking through a letterbox down the street.
I couldn't get worked up about this, I've lived in my house 4 years and still get the odd letter for the previous owner, which I bing through her door when I'm passing.

MustardMitt · 20/02/2021 19:45

It’s annoying though when you feel you have an obligation to get it to them in good time. You can’t just saunter down ten days later when you’re going that way if you can see it’s from the NHS.

Longsleepneeded · 20/02/2021 20:38

17MrsKJones yes it works, royal mail will take it through revenue protection and surcharge the recipient. They will get a card posted to them to collect it with a fee. Of course they may not want to collect it and they won't know who it's from, but you will have made an effort to return it to them , if there is no return address it will go to be checked, so make sure you write on the envelopes inside gone away of it may all come back to you!!

Longsleepneeded · 20/02/2021 20:40

The other thing you can do is write to your local sorting office asking them to only deliver mail to the names you specify, the postman needs it in writing

thatwouldbeanecumenicalmatter · 20/02/2021 20:49

Re: bailiffs we nearly had them at our door after our seller magically managed to redirect 90% of her other mail to her new address - apart from her debt collection letters

Original poster

poppybuns · 20/02/2021 21:07

Can't believe how many people don't bother sorting their mail, I set the redirection up on my old house as soon as we had a set date.. we had some mail go to our old hour the day after we moved and that's all there was. I know our buyers as she works in our local shop so see her all the time.
My sellers have moved around 4hrs away so would but much easier to redirect their mail than come back for it, unless they have poor neighbour posting it all to them.

I wouldn't be bothered about the odd bit of mail, but it's important stuff like banks and GPs.. surly that's the first thing you do?? And the get so much post.. we barley get any but they must get 10+ letters a week!

OP posts:

MissMarpleDarling · 20/02/2021 21:49

I'd just put not know at the adddress on the envelope and return to sender. If it's important they can then try phoning the person and get their new address.

MissMarpleDarling · 20/02/2021 21:49

Known

SnackSizeRaisin · 20/02/2021 22:11

A month isn't that long. I'd keep passing it on for 3 months but only at my own convenience. E.g. once a month. After that RTS it all.

Previous tenants here kept coming round to collect post for months after they'd moved out. It was pretty annoying having them knocking at the door a 8am every Monday. I told them we would send it on Instead. After a year it was still coming. It was all bad debt letters - so many, they had debts everywhere! We started RTS ING everything and it has all stopped now. Next time I would not keep doing it for so long! Mind you we also get Christmas cards for someone who moved out over 10 years ago. (No return address) Opened one eventually and it turned out to be from a family member who was wondering if she had received their previous Xmas cards. Managed to find out through a bit of googling that the lady had gone into a nursing home - relatives were very grateful for the info.

Faithtrusts · 20/02/2021 22:18

I've lived in my house for two years now and the previous owners cars are still registered to this house as I get dvla letters all the time... alongside everything else ... including their Sainsbury's food delivery when lockdown happened last March 🙈

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