Someone from the past suddenly wants stuff back

[Chubbyspud]

My parents allowed the ex of one of my siblings to store some things in their garage. This was nearly a decade ago. It was only things like old teddies and books. My parents and myself attempted on several occasions to get these items back to them but no one turned up to collect them and the messages were ignored so when my parents needed the space back recently they had no choice other than to get rid of the items. There was nothing of any monetary value.

Suddenly, the family of the ex is now contacting us to say that there were precious family heirlooms amongst these items and that they need them back. The messages threaten to ‘go public’ and to involve the police and the courts if the items are not returned. It’s extremely upsetting because none of the items left behind could possibly have any monetary value so either they’re mistaken or these items don’t exist in the first place. In addition to this we made several attempts to reunite them with the things they had left there and they hadn’t made any effort to get them.

To me it seems ridiculous that they would have any leg to stand on in taking my parents to court but I really suffer with anxiety so of course this has triggered it.

Can anyone advise me on whether these are just hollow threats or whether they could actually go after my parents for something that was never in their possession and may not even exist?

Unless there is a signed inventory and a legal agreement, I doubt there is anything to worry about. It is nasty behaviour though. Do your parents have any evidence of their attempts to return the items? Maybe a chat with citizen's advice would reassure them. I believe that after almost a decade it is entirely reasonable to have got rid of the stuff.

Tell them to crack the fuck on - unless you’ve got a contract or they’ve evidence they’re barking.

Technically your parents should have followed the procedure laid out under the Torts (Interference With Goods) Act 1977, but in the situation you describe Ican see why no one thought about it.

They should only deal with the ex. It isn't the property of her family.

If I were your parents I would (assuming this was the case) tell them that she was given multiple opportunities to collect the stuff, and was warned they would be binned if not collected. Make it clear that none of the goods had any value so there is no loss. I assume too that there was no inventory taken of the goods so it would be almost impossible for them to prove what was there, and its value.

Do you have any copies of the ignored messages or anything?

I would answer them once explaining they were unresponsive to multiple attempts to get them to collect their things. That you had no choice but to donate/bin/whatever you did. That you did not financially benefit from their disposal. Then I would block and ignore. They are not likely to do anything further.

Not a leg to stand on. They’re just trying to hustle you. Just stick to the truth, your parents tried to make arrangements to get the stuff collected by its owner and they never came.
If they push it you can say are they willing to pay for the storage. Average small unit for a few boxes say minimum £120 a month. Times it by ten years. Expect that’s going to come to a higher figure than a few manky old teddies even if they’re Steiff.
Unless of course one was prized out the hand of a Titanic survivor and has a signed and dated letter to that effect 😂

Send them an invoice for storage costs
🤣

Say that they couldn’t have been that precious if they didn’t collect them on the numerous times you asked for them to be moved. I’d also tell them if they persist it threatening you then you will pursue costs for 10 years of storage.

Thank you all so much, your advice is reassuring.

In answer to some of your questions there are text messages that my parents have kept where they have tried to return the items to them. I’ve noticed that certain messages between myself and my siblings ex have been deleted. They were messages from me offering to return the items to them. They did not reply at the time and then immediately blocked me. The conversation was always friendly so it made no sense at the time but I just assumed that they had their reasons. That was probably about 7 years ago. Them deleting the messages is a bit suspicious.

There was never any kind of paperwork, contract or any kind of inventory and they haven’t specified in any messages what these supposed valuable items were. Most of the items were things like old birthday cards that were rotten with damp.

The annoying thing is that these boxes have been in my parents way for years and they’ve not known what to do with them. There’s now damp where the boxes have been stored that my parents will have to pay to repair that. It’s a horrible way to behave.

My only concern is that they could have invented fake facebook profiles of us and fabricated conversations to make it look like they had attempted to get their stuff back, although I am inclined to catastrophise things so hopefully I’m just being silly. They definitely have the moral compass to do something like that though. Thats the only way they could argue their case, despite it being false.

I am bracing myself for the ‘going public’ thing though. I have no doubt that they’ll attempt a smear campaign against my parents online. The message i received from them this week told me that unless we get these items back to them, that we never had in the first place, they will ‘go public….’ It’s an impossible situation and it feels a bit like blackmail.

I’m also a bit suspicious because my parents have recently come into some money after years of struggling financially (my mum is in her 70’s and still works 12 hour days for part of the week). Not sure how they’d be aware of this but I can’t help feeling that this might be a factor.

We tried on numerous occasions to return the items. We were ignored each and every time.. If we had known they would have been dumped on us for 10 years without contact we would not have agreed to store them.

This is exactly how I feel! I can’t imagine abandoning something valuable at an ex’s parents! Its really suspish

No wonder why they are an ex!

In this situation I'd get a friendly solicitor to write you a letter. It will cost around £250, but it will set your mind at ease

I thought that the Act was only to do with the belongings of former tenants?

The threat of ‘going public’ is total bullshit and utterly risible. What are they going to do? Whinge about it on Facebook to total strangers? That is literally the worst that could happen and if it did, you and your family just ignore it. Don’t engage, just block and ignore.

Tell them they left a load of stuff in someone else’s garage, ignored repeated attempts to ask them to take it away so it was disposed of. Then block and ignore.

I wouldn't do anything - what a load of nonsense - demanding stuff after 10 years- ridiculous. Ignore.

Go public with what? A Daily Mail sad face?🤣

Honestly some people just talk absolute nonsense don't they?

They are talking absolute poo. They don't have a leg. What complete idiots.And bullys.

If they lift a finger to abuse your parents publicly, by whatever means, I'd hot foot it to the police who have plenty of better things to deal with than these clowns. But at least they could have a sharp word and put them straight.

Hold your nerve OP. They're complete piss takers.

My advice is ignore them. If they persist send them an invoice for 10 years of storage

No. It covers any situation where one person is in possession of goods belonging to another person.

They are just being insane. But to put it to bed I would get a solicitor to write them a sharp letter.

You sound frightened OP. Maybe you should report them to the police. But maybe you should just ignore them.
They'll never succeed in carrying off such a farcical charge.

Just say unfortunately due to the damp or a leak after 10 years of storing said items they were destroyed and disposed off.

Just tell them to be very careful that anything they write about your parents is 100% true or you will pursue them for defamation.

Is it possible that your siblings ex has told their family that these possessions included the lost heirlooms - making your family the scapegoat to deflect from them losing or disposing of them?

I would be as specific as possible in telling them what was originally left in the garage, and immediately involve the police if they harassed your family any further.

In my experience the police are keen to move things into a dispute and mediation situation but I would insist on them treating this as harassment and refuse any talk of mediation if it is aired.