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?

Anyone who was actually legit would know the person they are after hasn’t lived in that house for years though 🤷‍♀️ or you’d at least check!!!!

I would definitely see if I had the previous owners forwarding address and make some effort to do so. You are involved now OP and whatever action you take (forwarding/not forwarding) will have a significant impact on these people's lives. There is an unwritten social expectation that we will forward on mail, so that seems like best action to me.

There's not much you can do. How can you reply if they've given no details. There should be a picture or a barcode or something for a signed for letter, so the sender knows it's arrived. I thought they had to be actually signed for though.

Ifi the envelope was clearly addressed to previous owner, why did you open it?

I always forward anything that comes to previous occupier, if I don't have an address I return to sender but I would never deliberately open someone else's post.

If you can seal it back down so that it doesn't look like it has been opened, do that and deal with it.

If you can't, send it on anyway and apologise, say you opened it in error. That does happen.

Read the OPs post. Try again.

So happy to hear that you would do that. Now, if only the situation was the same as yours.

Agree check the envelope in case senders adress is on there
i think you can reseal stick in post box saying return to sender not known at this address and Royal Mail will return to sender

This thread wins a trophy for "Morons of the world unite".

There. Is. No. Return. Address. There. Is. No. Name. On. The. Envelope.

Send it to your solicitor who will send it to his solicitor who will send it to him.

Is this a creative writing assignment?

You’re telling the OP what she should do.

Does seem strange there is no contact information, unless the clue is in the letter, such as the name of the mothervwho has not shifted house. Maybe give it time and another letter will come with address.

I couldn't ignore something like this at all. Imagine what it must have taken for the sender to actually feel able to reach out in the first place. It is not an easy thing to do at all. It would almost feel as though I would be disrespectful towards this if I simply binned it (if I had received this). Please see about trying to forward this letter. It is clearly not minor junkmail.

Yes, if you have a forwarding address it would be wrong not to send it, no matter how long the previous owner has been moved out.
I don't see you motivation for not putting a forwarding address on it- it's not a lot of effort after all.

I can’t bin the letter. I think I’ll either give it to the postman if I see him or cross out my address and put it”not at the address” and stick it in the post box. The signed for sticker might be traceable by Royal Mail.
although will they just bin the letter??

to answer a few questions-

• it didn’t have a name on the envelope!
• I’d have to go and hunt in the lift and see what paperwork we have from when we bought the house and see if there’s any previous owner details
• could it be a scam - there’s not a lot of detail in the letter and how would previous owner contact this person as there’s no contact details
• lookibg on rightmove etc clearly shows the house was sold 7 years ago so surely if you’re tracking a long lost relative you’d do some research (but then why go to the trouble of a signed for letter if it’s a scam)
• I don’t know what an actual signed for sticker should look like so I’ll google that when I’m up and check it’s a legit one
• ive searched on social media but with just a name I can’t work anything out.

I don’t know if I have a forwarding address and will need to spend time I don’t have hunting for paperwork to see if there is one.

Maybe the man who lived there before knows this person, just didn't realise he was the dad, and so would know how to get in touch?!

Eg they lived round the corner and haven't moved (and didn't realize he had), or it's their niece / nephew, or friend's child...

Would solicitors really be interested after all these years?
they’d likely charge me for their time!

Have they put anything on the back of the envelope, sometimes people put the house number and postcode on the back.

If you have an address forward it.

Nothing on the envelope. I’ve checked but will check again.

Sounds dodgy, why go to the effort of sending it as signed for but not included any contact details.
I would put it in the bin. I haven't got time in my life for shit like this when the sender couldn't even include a phone number.

First I'd try to look him up on facebook, if you find him, or think it could be him, message and ask if they lived at your address.

The envelope only has the address but no name of the addressee too? It’s a bit odd.

It’s very odd. You’d expect there to be some contact details of the person that’s written the letter and why wouldn’t he have checked in right move to see if the house had been sold before posting a letter.

Yes, I agree strange no contact details or way of getting in touch with the writer.