AIBU to think this intimidating house buying letter should be reported to police?

[Blopi]

Friend’s elderly neighbours came back from holiday to find a letter delivered by person. It has made them upset and frightened.

It was addressed to them personally Mr and Mrs (surname)
They said that their home is too big for the couple and would be suitable for a 5 bedroom HMO. Willing to pay £Xk for it (properties have been selling for 10-15% more) and will visit them on Thursday at 11am to discuss things. Signed by Mr (common surname). No phone number or email address.

Her neighbours have zero intention of moving home as they have lived there for 58 years. They are upset on how they are targeted and wondering how did they get their names?

In the past I had these letters which have been sent to others down the estate. Though not intimidating like this letter, nor personalised.

Unfortunately my friend is working on Thursday. She would have loved to have seen if the person turned up and told

Should my friend phone the police on the non emergency line about this? As maybe something else dodgy going on

@Blopi they will have gotten the homeowners' names from the Land Registry, which is public. (Apologies if this has already been mentioned but it seems the thread has been derailed with an HMO/whether older people should be allowed to stay in their homes discussion...)

The letter's phrasing is cheeky, and I can well imagine how the couple might find it intimidating.

Are they concerned it's potential burglars casing the property? I would be wondering this.

If there are no friends or family available to support on the day and it was my friend/loved one, I think I would ring the non-emergency line of the police and see if there is a community officer who could potentially be there on the day.

WTF is wrong with people, seriously.

Agree. They need someone strong-minded in the house for when/if this person turns up. They can then be sent on their way fromm the doorstep with a firm No. On no account should they be allowed over the threshhold into the house. "Nothing to discuss, and by the way your presumptious tactics are not appreciated. Goodbye". With bullying types like this it is important that the bully perceives that the vulnerable person(s) has strong back up. 😯

These letters and occasionally people knocking on the door are not unusual in our neighborhood. It’s a high demand area and people rarely sell. Sometimes homes do indeed sell without being listed.

Just tell them to drop the letter in the bin.

The government should replace stamp duty with land tax. There's a wider issue about housing and people being stuck in houses etc.
But as with lots of things that's a policy issue/a system issue. It's not that a particular group of people are in the main taking the piss/behaving selfishly or to blame for the problem. That's true of elderly people in larger houses, (it's also true of council house tenants, people on benefits, the young unemployed, immigrants). The tendancy to focus on specific groups as being the reason for the countries problems rather than looking at actual systems is really corrosive.
So while, in general threads, I would agree that there is an issue with housing availability that isn't the elderly couples fault and they have every right to continue living in their house undisturbed by shady people if they want. The tone of the letter, implying they shouldn't be living in a house larger than their needs is quite vile. It also suggests they have been watched/that the letter writer specificallybtook note of their living situation which is really creepy.

have you had actual letters without any contact details and saying they will be back at a certain date and time? I too live in a high demand area but the letters, even when addressed to my address, aren't so brusque as the one received by the OP's neighbour. All have contact details of the sender and none have ever said that they will be back at a set date and time.

Several PP have mentioned the letter writer getting names from the electoral roll. My details are not on the ER but potential purchasers of some of our land address letters to us because they have purchased our details from Land Registry- costs about £7. The ones addressed just to DH get an immediate shredding.
it is well worth them using the LR notification process, in case of any funny business. Your neighbour could do it for them as you don’t need to own the property to do it.

If the eldery couple don't have a friend or relative availabile, they could sellotape a letter addressed to the developer on their door, making it clear they have no intention of speaking to or selling to him and will view any further approaches as harassment, which will be reported to the police. If they do decide to speak to him, don't let him in the house.

The police gather intelligence on many thungand may already have information on this type of attempt to pressure vulnerable people to sell property.
The motto of the police is To Serve and Protect. Offering advice to elderly people who have been targeted aggressively is very much in the remit of the local neighbourhood team.

This.

Is it a police matter or something like trading standards?
Either way the person who has sent this letter seems to have done some research which is worrying.

Do you really get letters addressed to you by name and suggesting as you are old and there are only two of you living in the house you should sell ?

Chances are it’s poorly thought out and presumptuous business practice rather than an attempt at intimidation. I think I would report to Trading Standards rather than the police, at least initially. And be out at the time of the “appointment”, or have someone else there to tell. Mr Common Surname to go away.

However, if there is any sort of follow up or pressure (like mother letter), THEN I would escalate to police.

It would be worth their while getting a Ring doorbell.

When my parents lived 5 mins drive from a very very good school. Their home became more lucrative after the school moved from 8 miles away to 5 mins drive away.

They probably got an open letter sent to all the properties down the small cul de sac once a month. They had an email address and a phone number. Nothing about going to turn up at a certain date and time. Nor were named in the letter.

They just shredded the letters.

The motto of the police is To Serve and Protect.

Not unless we're all trapped in an American cop show it's not.

How about 'to protect the public by detecting and preventing crime' ?

And specifically the Derbyshire Police 'protect the most vulnerable from harm.'

On the off chance that this is a genuine letter and not just someone trying to stir up tension in the neighbourhood (HMOs being very much the Big Bad Wolf of the moment, despite them often being rented by students and young professionals) if you insist on contacting the police, do it online, don't call them. You'll find the contact details on your local police force website. If you phone them they're likely to say it's a civil matter and no crime has been committed. I'd be absolutely stunned if they sent a PCSO as some have suggested they would. They just don't have the resources.

If the people who received the letter are concerned, can they not just go out at that time? If they are housebound is there no one in the community that could go and sit with them at that time? A Good Neighbour scheme, a friend or a family member? Do they have a day care centre that they could attend? Could they call the Silver Line at the time this person is meant to attend so that they are occupied at that time?

they will have gotten the homeowners' names from the Land Registry, which is public.

Not all land is on the registry. A house unsold for 58 years may not be.

Get a big red pen and write a huge NO across the letter and tape it to the front door on the day they say they are coming and then don’t answer the door.

I'm not convinced the police should be there to reassure people about an unwanted knock at the door at a given date and time (so easily avoided by being out or simply sending them away if/when they knock).

Honestly, the letter is cheeky but I don't see the threat or the danger. No crime has been committed and none threatened either.

A letter naming the recipients, implying their age and the occupational status of the property is known and trying to shame them into selling their property is more threatening than cheeky.
Leaving the property empty at the time of the 'appointment' would be a very unwise move.

This is horrible for the couple. If i was their neighbour I'd do what I could to wfh that morning and be with the neighbours around 11am to see if anyone comes. If the nwihhbour can't do it then a driend or relative of the couple. If the writers of the letter do turn up, then whoever is there can photograph them and their vehicle and then let the police know.

I would make sure there’s someone tough there with them, who will tell whoever it is that the couple are NOT interested, so fuck off (maybe marginally more politely) and if they approach the couple again, or contact them in anyway, the police will be involved.

It's easy to get their name off the electoral roll. Tell them not to answer the door. I would advise getting an intercom doorbell- you just tell anyone you don't want to talk to that you would'nt be interested and never actually go to the door- they are worth their weight TBH. You could tell the police, but this falls a long way short of harrassment, so I doubt they would be very interested.

Police. If there were contact details of an EA or other business on the letter then maybe trading standards but there is no evidence on the letter that its any kind of business.