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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wish the old owners of of house would change their sodding address?

117 replies

TerribleCustomerCervix · 13/04/2022 20:25

We bought our house in September 2020. Very smooth sale, old owners very obliging and left the place so clean you could eat your dinner off the floor.

But we are STILL getting post for them- I’ve not been opening another, but by the stamps/logos on the envelopes I can see it’s loads of official stuff. Bank statements for their adult kids, HMRC and bank stuff for the self-employed builder ex-owner, parking fines. We just got a brown envelope letter which is clearly a reminder about last months unpaid parking fine.

I wanted to start returning them to sender, but Hmm DH doesn’t want to. He’s been giving them to another neighbour who is still in contact with old-owners to pass on, who is now understandably getting pissed off at having to play Postman Pat.

I’m also a bit worried about our address still being linked to the previous owners business, especially with HMRC.

Am I being unreasonable to say to DH he’s being soft, and from now on everything is going back to the sender?

OP posts:
saleorbouy · 13/04/2022 21:18

If you return most things to the sender with "No longer at this address" then the accounts will be blocked until the account holder calls. This way you can gradually reduce the volume of mail.

SheWoreYellow · 13/04/2022 21:18

I’ll be the lone voice with your DH Grin

How hard is it to pass some letters to a neighbour every few weeks?

Threeboysandadog · 13/04/2022 21:20

We’ve been in our house 23 years and we still get the odd Christmas card for the old owners.

Rewis · 13/04/2022 21:22

How hard is it to pass some letters to a neighbour every few weeks?

Because then the neighbour has to deal with it?

RoisinD · 13/04/2022 21:22

Will he feel as sympathetic and caring if the bailiffs turn up at your door?

Original poster
TerribleCustomerCervix · 13/04/2022 21:24

Also, your DH sounds bonkers but in a very kind and thoughtful though slightly paranoid way

This just sums him up in fairness Grin

I’m going to put my foot down though- we are no longer operating a sorting office, everything will be returned going forward.

OP posts:
Rewis · 13/04/2022 21:25

I don't understand why you wouldn't return to sender. I don't understand what is your husbands problem with it.

quitefranklyabsurd · 13/04/2022 21:25

Have you got an email address or phone number for the previous occupants?

We had a similar scenario with a grown up son of the vendor not changing his address with the dvla. I dropped his mum a note and he came to collect it all.

ChiefWiggumsBoy · 13/04/2022 21:26

@SheWoreYellow

I’ll be the lone voice with your DH Grin

How hard is it to pass some letters to a neighbour every few weeks?

Much harder than just changing your address after more than a year.

I'm with you OP. We bought this house Oct last year and the woman clearly hasn't changed her address on anything. Also didn't leave a forwarding address and when I opened one of them I found out why - basically she hasn't paid any bills for over a year Hmm.

I sent some of them back to sender but most I just bin now. Sod her.

Foolsrule · 13/04/2022 21:27

In their defence, the last twice we’ve done postal redirections, they haven’t worked properly. I know because I know the families who’ve moved into our old homes. They know we’ve organised redirections and thankfully help us out. Royal Mail are not very good!

Hkyvvse · 13/04/2022 21:28

We have been here 11 years and still get at least 3 items of post a week for the elderly previous owner who PASSED AWAY 🤦🏻‍♀️

2tired2bewitty · 13/04/2022 21:30

Return to sender every time. We had this but it stopped pretty fast when I sent what were clearly tax reminders for their cars back. (In my defence there wasn’t anything else I could have done as I had no forwarding details)

amicissimma · 13/04/2022 21:31

YANBU

Simply write 'not at this address' on every single piece of mail for them and stick it back in the post at your convenience.

Your DH is making the situation unnecessarily complicated by involving himself in their affairs, which are none of his business.

OnTheBoardwalk · 13/04/2022 21:31

@SheWoreYellow

I’ll be the lone voice with your DH Grin

How hard is it to pass some letters to a neighbour every few weeks?

After 18 months, really!

Send me your address and I’ll start using it for official documents for a few months. If you can get them sent on to me that would be great

LifeBeginsNow · 13/04/2022 21:34

I've been RTS since we moved here Feb 21 and it hasn't worked on many. I've given up on the repeat offender's now who have the company logo on the outside of the envelope.

I would call but I haven't got the energy to sit on hold for 30mins to explain. They've moved country too so I'm guessing they are trying to escape their debt (judging by the volume of store card letters).

NorthSouthcatlady · 13/04/2022 21:37

I would send it back return to sender, it might make them eventually stop. Shame as lm sure filing it in the recycling bin would be easier and more satisfying

Unicornsbumhole · 13/04/2022 21:37

If you are getting parking fines for them that could mean their car is still registered at your address which is illegal.
Our vendors also forgot to change their address for pretty much everything but pretty soon sorted it out when I threatened to scrap their car when their new V5 came through our door.
Lazy sods

SpringLobelia · 13/04/2022 21:37

Our vendors were on the run from bailliffs. 3 years after they left we were getting knocks on the door and their mail. Including things they had clearly recently bought such as Hush and NEXT parcels. Wew for a year or so handed them to the neighbour who was in contact. The started returning to sender wholesale.

It stopped VERY quickly after they realised we were no longer being accommodating.

ChiefWiggumsBoy · 13/04/2022 21:40

@Foolsrule

In their defence, the last twice we’ve done postal redirections, they haven’t worked properly. I know because I know the families who’ve moved into our old homes. They know we’ve organised redirections and thankfully help us out. Royal Mail are not very good!
Redirects are intended for 18 months after you've moved!
Arianya · 13/04/2022 21:40

I got letters for the previous owners of my house and marked them Return To Sender. Some stopped. Others just kept coming, and they were threatening letters from bailiffs etc. On one occasion I had bailiffs turn up at the door! So after that I opened those letters and telephoned to say the people weren’t here. A couple of them actually said they couldn’t stop sending the letters, they had to keep writing to the last known address for the person who owed the money. I actually had to complain to the ombudsman to get those letters stopped.

BridesmaidPanic · 13/04/2022 21:45

The people that used to live here were useless and we still get an occasional piece of mail or Amazon deliveries for them, but it was topped the other week by receiving not one but two DPD parcels for the owner before that. They moved out in 1998!

The first one I rejected but the second my helpful neighbours accepted on our behalf!

I RTS everything but if i recognise letters from the same sender despite this i do open them.

The best one was a letter from their daughter's school asking the parents to call them as they'd been trying to get in touch to discuss some "concerns" about her behaviour but weren't able to get through on the phone. I emailed the school, apologised i'd opened it "in error" and told them they'd moved out (and out of catchment) 2 years earlier and they might like to speak to the daughter for the correct details. I never got another letter again!

BoredZelda · 13/04/2022 21:53

Redirects are intended for 18 months after you've moved!

Not according to Royal Mail. You can re direct for 4 years.

ASeriesOfTubes · 13/04/2022 21:54

If Very Patient Neighbour is pissed off, why isn't he/she badgering them to get their shit together?

ChiefWiggumsBoy · 13/04/2022 21:58

@BoredZelda

Redirects are intended for 18 months after you've moved!

Not according to Royal Mail. You can re direct for 4 years.

I actually meant aren't but regardless, these people clearly don't have one or are aware it isn't working.
TheGlitterati · 13/04/2022 22:01

Been in our house for over 10 years and we still get Christmas cards and other random post for the old owners!