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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask that the sellers of the house we've bought pay for all their rubbish to be collected

54 replies

Rain2122 · 02/12/2022 13:58

We've just moved house. The sellers left loads of stuff all around the house e.g. old mops and brooms, loads of half empty cleaning products, wardrobe storage things you put clothes in, dead plants, a cat bowl, a wooden unit in the downstairs toilet. They also left the fridge-freezer despite saying on the Fixtures & Fittings list they were taking it, so we will need to pay for removal.

I went around gathering up all the smaller bits and have piled it up in one corner for now with the intention of gradually disposing of it or filling the car for a tip trip. I wanted to take a photo but OH started putting some of it in the bin already, though there is still a lot there.

The latest thing to annoy me is that they'd also left the recycling bin half filled - we stuck some recycling on the top and put the bin out for bin day today but the bin men have refused to empty it because apparently the sellers have dumped non-recycling stuff in it!! So now my OH is saying he's going to have to sort through all their rubbish which has been in the bin which is disgusting.

Am I being unreasonable contacting our solicitor about this to see if we can get the sellers to pay for all this rubbish to be collected? I don't like to make a fuss and suspect the sellers are still in contact with our new neighbours so we don't want to appear 'difficult' but it doesn't seem fair for them to leave us to deal with all their rubbish!

OP posts:
SBAM · 02/12/2022 14:00

Completely reasonable to ask the solicitors but be aware that you may spend more trying to chase and enforce them to deal with it than it would cost just to hire a skip yourselves.

RabbitSocks · 02/12/2022 14:02

You are not unreasonable on the stuff inside the house but this is very common. You’ll spend more on solicitors than it costs to bin probably.

You are slightly unreasonable to expect an empty recycling bin, if it hasn’t been picked up for a week it hasn’t been picked up for a week.

However you’re not unreasonable at all to expect that they would’ve filled it with the correct stuff. That’s annoying but I don’t think there’s anything you can really do about it.

Blanketwars · 02/12/2022 14:03

YANBU. At all!! Our vendors did this, the same sort of stuff was left plus some mattresses in the shed!! The estate agent took it very seriously and told them they had to come get it. Their son came round screaming and shouting but I was there with my tiny baby and the guys we had in stripping wallpaper and carpets etc sorted him out sharpish. They took it all after the EA told them they either did it themselves or paid for it. The contract says vacant possession and that’s not vacant!!
I’d call the EA first.

Dacadactyl · 02/12/2022 14:12

I don't think you'll get anywhere.

Our sellers left their wardrobes and drawers. Plus their old fridge freezer and a full kitchen in the garage.

We had to pay for the council to come and collect it.

greenhousegal · 02/12/2022 14:18

Bag up what you can and take to the tip.

Put the freezer on freecycle or leave it in the front garden with a note saying "take for free, in working order"

I wouldn't bother chasing costs, these things are very common in house moving life. But maybe contact EA for advice first.

Original poster
Rain2122 · 02/12/2022 14:20

RabbitSocks · 02/12/2022 14:02

You are not unreasonable on the stuff inside the house but this is very common. You’ll spend more on solicitors than it costs to bin probably.

You are slightly unreasonable to expect an empty recycling bin, if it hasn’t been picked up for a week it hasn’t been picked up for a week.

However you’re not unreasonable at all to expect that they would’ve filled it with the correct stuff. That’s annoying but I don’t think there’s anything you can really do about it.

Sorry I was unclear - we weren't bothered about the bin being half filled, it's just the fact they've filled it with things the bin men won't take so we now need to dispose of it ourselves.

OP posts:
pictish · 02/12/2022 14:23

You’ll never see any money from them. Just get rid yourself.

jackstini · 02/12/2022 14:23

Go back to the estate agent and tell them. Usually on the sale form the vendor has to sign to say the house is being left empty

We got the vendor of one house we bought to pay £200 for a skip and got rid of it that way

pictish · 02/12/2022 14:25

Rain2122 · 02/12/2022 13:58

We've just moved house. The sellers left loads of stuff all around the house e.g. old mops and brooms, loads of half empty cleaning products, wardrobe storage things you put clothes in, dead plants, a cat bowl, a wooden unit in the downstairs toilet. They also left the fridge-freezer despite saying on the Fixtures & Fittings list they were taking it, so we will need to pay for removal.

I went around gathering up all the smaller bits and have piled it up in one corner for now with the intention of gradually disposing of it or filling the car for a tip trip. I wanted to take a photo but OH started putting some of it in the bin already, though there is still a lot there.

The latest thing to annoy me is that they'd also left the recycling bin half filled - we stuck some recycling on the top and put the bin out for bin day today but the bin men have refused to empty it because apparently the sellers have dumped non-recycling stuff in it!! So now my OH is saying he's going to have to sort through all their rubbish which has been in the bin which is disgusting.

Am I being unreasonable contacting our solicitor about this to see if we can get the sellers to pay for all this rubbish to be collected? I don't like to make a fuss and suspect the sellers are still in contact with our new neighbours so we don't want to appear 'difficult' but it doesn't seem fair for them to leave us to deal with all their rubbish!

I don’t think I’ve ever moved into a house that didn’t have a bunch of crap left behind.

pictish · 02/12/2022 14:25

Sorry didn’t mean to quote there.

dizzydizzydizzy · 02/12/2022 14:26

As PPs have said, try contacting the estate agent. Your vendors have broken their contract.

Original poster
Rain2122 · 02/12/2022 14:28

pictish · 02/12/2022 14:25

I don’t think I’ve ever moved into a house that didn’t have a bunch of crap left behind.

Show quote history

I really don't understand this - what is wrong with people? We left our old property completely empty and very clean, out of courtesy to the lady moving in. Do some people have no empathy? It's hard enough moving house and isn't very nice having to dispose of someone else's rubbish.

OP posts:
pictish · 02/12/2022 14:31

Rain2122 · 02/12/2022 14:28

I really don't understand this - what is wrong with people? We left our old property completely empty and very clean, out of courtesy to the lady moving in. Do some people have no empathy? It's hard enough moving house and isn't very nice having to dispose of someone else's rubbish.

Show quote history

Yeah I know but it seems to be par for the course.

Crikeyalmighty · 02/12/2022 14:37

Maybe it would be a good idea for solicitors to retain £1000 on completion - to be kept for disposing of other peoples shit and paid over once stuff paid to be disposed of or paid over if purchaser is fully satisfied that house is empty - a bit like rental retainers

TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams · 02/12/2022 14:39

Crikeyalmighty · 02/12/2022 14:37

Maybe it would be a good idea for solicitors to retain £1000 on completion - to be kept for disposing of other peoples shit and paid over once stuff paid to be disposed of or paid over if purchaser is fully satisfied that house is empty - a bit like rental retainers

And clean!

£1000k wouldn't have covered the mess and filth I was left with.

BatshitandBonkers · 02/12/2022 14:42

SBAM · 02/12/2022 14:00

Completely reasonable to ask the solicitors but be aware that you may spend more trying to chase and enforce them to deal with it than it would cost just to hire a skip yourselves.

This is what our solicitor told us.
We just sorted it ourselves in the last 2 houses we’ve moved to.

MyAutocorrectWishesMeDeaj · 02/12/2022 14:45

Go via estate agents first.

Honestly, I'd spend money to get them to pay for it on principle. They have broken a contract.

I have never moved into a house I've bought where they've left a load of stuff.

TheNoodlesIncident · 02/12/2022 14:48

I really don't understand this - what is wrong with people? ... Do some people have no empathy?

Unfortunately this is the case. They don't give a damn about you, all that matters is themselves. See also: entitled people; inconsiderate people; nuisance neighbours...

It's worth making a bit of a fuss to your solicitors, as the vendors are in breach of the contract which was for vacant possession (I presume). Don't have any high expectations (which your other half clearly doesn't, as he's just getting on with trying to shift it), you're unlikely to get any joy but sometimes people's consciences get tweaked/their solicitors are arsey enough with them to get them to sort it out.

FWIW, lots of people do leave their old property nice and clean with no crap left, others don't. You've just been unlucky. Some people have left considerably worse issues for their buyers to discover, I hope this is not you...

Kabalagala · 02/12/2022 14:51

We had to pay for 3 large skips to get rid of the shite our sellers left behind. We decided it wasn't worth the agro trying to get them to pay.

anoldcharter · 02/12/2022 15:11

same happened to us (but left a lot more than that), rang estate agents straight away and said not happy and wanted it removed - they got the vendors to pay for someone to come and collect it all - don't let the gits get away with it, good luck!

Stangerthings · 02/12/2022 15:17

Yes this happened to me. I rang the solicitor who said it was now not "vacant possession and we could threaten to cancel the purchase. They then paid for a skip. However we had to dump everything they had left in it.

NippyWoowoo · 02/12/2022 15:21

Good luck. Friend of mine had previous seller leave a non-working fridge and all communication with solicitors was ignored. They had it removed at their expense.

Pleaseaddcaffine · 02/12/2022 15:21

I'm selling and have ordered a skip.. Very excited to fill it and leave house empty.
5hought it was normal tbh

Stangerthings · 02/12/2022 15:22

We left our house in an immaculate condition. My husband even filled in any holes where pictures had been hung, bleached the sinks and loos, hoovered and dusted everywhere, washed out kitchen cupboards etc.
The house we moved to had a skip load of crap left including a stinking washing machine. Every surface and cupboard was black with dirt. Some people have no shame.

KettrickenSmiled · 02/12/2022 15:22

Am I being unreasonable contacting our solicitor about this to see if we can get the sellers to pay for all this rubbish to be collected? I don't like to make a fuss and suspect the sellers are still in contact with our new neighbours so we don't want to appear 'difficult' but it doesn't seem fair for them to leave us to deal with all their rubbish!

YANBU

Your vendors are in breach of contract, & your solicitor will have seen it all before. The vendors are relying on you doing the repressed british thing of seething silently but not challenging them. They owe you at least for a skip, at most for a skip & 'damages' ie inconvenience. Get your solicitor to write a "strongly worded" letter demanding restitution, with a deadline & increasing costs for storing their crap the longer they leave it with you.

It's not making a fuss & if your new neighbours take against you for expecting your vendors to do the decent thing, you needn't pay any attention to them.