AIBU to do nothing after receiving a letter for the previous owner

[Onemoret1me]

I came home tonight to find a handwritten envelope that had been posted through Royal Mail, signed for delivery.
we hadn’t signed for it, it was just through the letterbox and had my address but no name in

opened the letter and it’s a letter addressed to the previous owner, a male who must be at least early 60’s ( not lived in the house for approx 7 years)
the letter is from a potential child of theirs saying they’ve been informed previous owner may be their biological dad and asking if he would get in touch

The letter is signed with first and last name but no contact number or address

would I be unreasonable to do nothing? I feel if I start trying to see if I have previous owners forwarding address still then I’m sticking my nose in something that doesn’t involve me.
equally, I feel if I do nothing then this person will assume previous owner has received the letter and chosen not to reach out.

what would you do, if anything?

Well theres nothing anyone can do anyway with no details to reply to?

Although guess they could turn up.

So someone put an unaddressed letter through your letterbox but there are no contact details at all in it apart from a signed name? And it's not addressed to anyone? I'm not sure what you actually can do. I would want to do something if I could, but in your case I didn't know what that would be.

How many previous owners were there though?

I think your solicitor who helped you sell would be more useful than the estate agent. They couldn’t give you details, but they could handle the letter instead

Check who signed for it for a start. With the Royal Mail.

You have nowhere to return it to unless the Royal Mail can advise you of who requested the signed tracking. As someone would have done.

If recorded... could Royal Mail help?
Alternatively, look your house up on the property register... or if rented, the landlord may have previous tenants details.

This is obviously bollocks as the sender would have included their contact details

If there are no contact details for the sender, I can't see the point in doing anything about it. Even if you forward it to the addressee, they aren't going to be able to do anything are they?

Edit to say: Actually I would put it back in the post marked "Not known at this address". If it was sent signed for, the post office will probably have some way to contact the sender or provide the info that it was undeliverable where the sender would look for proof of delivery.

@Onemoret1me

I would throw it straight in the bin. Not your circus, not your monkeys.

This is a previous occupant of the house that this is meant for, and this is not your problem to deal with.

Pay no attention to the people saying 'I don't understand why you wouldn't at least TRY to do something to get the letter to the person it's meant for.'

For one thing, it's pretty stupid for the sender to include no address or contact details, and secondly, not your problem. It's very easy for people to volunteer other peoples time and effort. It's not them it's happening to.

If someone does turn up, you tell them that you have no idea who they are on about and they have the wrong address.

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Can people not read? No one signed for it and there is no address to just return to sender 🙄

This. 100% . This is important. Why would you ever want to be the blocker to this person finding their long lost parent.

I think you need to try and find the previous occupant of your house and let them have the letter. Can you look for him on 192, or Facebook or other social media?

I’d put it straight in the paper recycling bin without a second thought.

So unkind.

This. ^ As I said @Onemoret1me Not your problem to deal with. Chuck it in the bin. Ignore the #BeKind posters, as I said, people are always so quick to offer other peoples time and effort. In reality, they would very likely not do anything with it. And even if they would, they've no business telling you that YOU should. Some people have better/more important things to do than run around after people they don't even know...

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For most letters I would ignore but morally I would want to do something in this situation. I think I would email the solicitor from when I was buying the house and ask if they would email it to the seller’s solicitor to pass on. They might refuse, or want paying, but at least I have done something and that’s the best I can think of. However, I don’t really know what the child was expecting if the letter didn’t have any contact information?

With experience of writing this kind of letter, please try and get hold of the author. You don't have to get involved, but let them know at least that the recipient hasn't received it so they are not assuming they have been ignored and stop trying.

@Onemoret1me either put it back in post marked "return to sender" or forward it to the seller's solicitor - you will have their name and contact details somewhere.

It's possible that a neighbour signed for it while you were out, then posted it through your door. It should have a reference number on it so you may be able to check signing details via the royal mail's track and trace website.

As the letter didn't have contact details, I'd assume the previous owner might already know them - it could be an acquaintance rather than a stranger.

As other people have said send copy to sellers solicitor and/or give it to your postie even without a return address

i had loads of dodgy stuff being delivered to me when I first moved in and my regular postie became my new best mate

You forward the letter on to the previous owner. This is important.

Either via your estate agent, solicitor or if all else fails maybe a police community officer could help, I’m not sure about that one.

Put it back in the postbox as not known at this address, it'll get sent to Belfast where they usually open them.

Royal mail may have a a return address connected to the postage label.

You could look up the tracking reference sometimes I tells you were it was sent from.

I'm sorry to be negative, but this sounds like possible fraud/a scam to me. 💯

Scammers have been known to pose as long-lost children or relatives for fake inheritance claims or claims to an estate, or fabricated family ties to steal money and/or personal information.

The scammer contacts a family claiming to be an unrecognized child from a past relationship to eventually demand a share of the estate or get info.

The fact that they left no name on the top of the envelope and also no contact number /address is DODGY as hell... 🤔

@Onemoret1me

Hunt down the sender, reunite them with their long lost relative, write a best selling book about your odyssey to do this, sell the film rights for millions, retire to your country house and/or villa in St Tropez.

Maybe the writer of the letter is already known to the man , and the only new information is that he might be their father. Though in that case you would have thought they were aware that he had moved!

All sounds a bit odd. Forward the letter if you have the address, otherwise bin it.

What else could you do?