Mail from previous owners
Discussion
We bought our property in March 2019, the people we purchased off moved down the road.
After moving in we were still getting mail for them so we would walk down and post it to them, caught them in person and motioned it on more than one occasion and they kept saying they would get around to updating their address.
We have since stopped taking it to them but started writing no longer at this address and popping it back in the Post Box
We are still receiving mail for them and some of these are from Banks, HMRC and DWP. Late last year he died, we know this as they are friends of friends and friends of my GF's clients.
This week we have received a letter titled to his estate, whilst I will ensure this is handed to his wife in person, is it anything to be concerned about other than they don't have their own affairs in order?
My gut feeling is no but thought i'd check with the masses.
After moving in we were still getting mail for them so we would walk down and post it to them, caught them in person and motioned it on more than one occasion and they kept saying they would get around to updating their address.
We have since stopped taking it to them but started writing no longer at this address and popping it back in the Post Box
We are still receiving mail for them and some of these are from Banks, HMRC and DWP. Late last year he died, we know this as they are friends of friends and friends of my GF's clients.
This week we have received a letter titled to his estate, whilst I will ensure this is handed to his wife in person, is it anything to be concerned about other than they don't have their own affairs in order?
My gut feeling is no but thought i'd check with the masses.
DaveH23 said:
SeekerOfTruthAndPies said:
Perhaps the letter IS intended for you, and they've left you a substantial sum for being so helpful in taking their post round!
Every cloud.... 
:
yes, time to redirect as not know at this address and maybe write to them at the new address passing on condolences but mentioning you are still getting mail at your place, and they may want to ensure probate people are fully aware of the correct address.
PS be careful of writing "non longerLIVING at this address" it may be taken badly if his missus sees it!
Edited by poo at Paul's on Wednesday 12th January 14:16
dhutch said:
Dave Hedgehog said:
how hard would it have been for them to setup a mail redirect
Not hard, but seriously expensive and far from perfect! We continue to get stuff which is important enough not to throw away - we just drop it off occasionally when walking the dog. It's probably now at the point where it's 3 or 4 items a year.
I believe they had a mail redirect set up initially - but it does get pricey.
dhutch said:
Dave Hedgehog said:
how hard would it have been for them to setup a mail redirect
Not hard, but seriously expensive and far from perfect! We have lived in our house for 1 year and have not received a single letter addressed to any previous owner. It is entirely doable, but....if you're not savvy about identity fraud, or perhaps have the faculty and ability to contact all the various providers in question then it's not always as easy.
When we moved, I wrote down every company I could possibly think of that needed to know about our change in address and contacted them if I couldn't update it online. Took ages though and had to do it twice as we stayed somewhere for 2 weeks in between.
We had a redirect too which caught some stragglers, but mostly marketing stuff.
When we moved, I wrote down every company I could possibly think of that needed to know about our change in address and contacted them if I couldn't update it online. Took ages though and had to do it twice as we stayed somewhere for 2 weeks in between.
We had a redirect too which caught some stragglers, but mostly marketing stuff.
Chris Type R said:
We still get mail for the previous owners of our property (since June 2015) and drop it off from time to time as they have moved nearby. They're always ever so apologetic saying that they have told people multiple times of the change of address and to throw any post away.
We continue to get stuff which is important enough not to throw away - we just drop it off occasionally when walking the dog. It's probably now at the point where it's 3 or 4 items a year.
I believe they had a mail redirect set up initially - but it does get pricey.
Exactly the same with us at our house. Previous owners very nice and still in regular contact, had redirect, a few missed bits afterwards, but now mainly I whatapp them to say it's arrival and stick it back in the postbox 'No longer at this address, please remove from records' which is slowly getting through to the last stragglers. Plus a Christmas card or two a year we post on. We continue to get stuff which is important enough not to throw away - we just drop it off occasionally when walking the dog. It's probably now at the point where it's 3 or 4 items a year.
I believe they had a mail redirect set up initially - but it does get pricey.
When I moved I logged anything in got post for for a year before I moved, made a list, checked it twice, still missed a few things.
I used it as an advantage at my first house, used to stand holding a stack of post while asking the previous owner (a 'builder') awkward questions about why/where xyz wire/pipe when.
Even in my student days I was returning post to sender. It's not perfect but does help reduce it with time.
joropug said:
We have lived in our house for 1 year and have not received a single letter addressed to any previous owner. It is entirely doable, but....if you're not savvy about identity fraud, or perhaps have the faculty and ability to contact all the various providers in question then it's not always as easy.
When we moved, I wrote down every company I could possibly think of that needed to know about our change in address and contacted them if I couldn't update it online. Took ages though and had to do it twice as we stayed somewhere for 2 weeks in between.
We had a redirect too which caught some stragglers, but mostly marketing stuff.
Well you are lucky. I have lived in this address for nearly 18 years and I get about 1 letter/card or something a year addressed to the owners before me or the owners before them. At the same time the new owner of the house I moved from brings around about 1 item per year. When we moved, I wrote down every company I could possibly think of that needed to know about our change in address and contacted them if I couldn't update it online. Took ages though and had to do it twice as we stayed somewhere for 2 weeks in between.
We had a redirect too which caught some stragglers, but mostly marketing stuff.
LosingGrip said:
We get post from the person who used to live here. We found out she lives nearby so my girlfriend dropped it off and she asked us to continue to do it as it was easier than telling everyone.
We now chuck it all in the recycling bin without opening it.
Blimey, some people are just dumb aren't they.We now chuck it all in the recycling bin without opening it.
I've lived in my place since 2005 and very occasionally get things for the previous owners. Been a while now though so I think it's stopped.
Weird thing is that I've had several things for people who have never lived here, as far as I know. Last year we had Christmas cards addressed to someone - two clearly from the same family who thought they knew people here. I've had Tesco club cards turn up for people I've never heard of. I've had at lease two letters from DVLA addressed to the same person. Someone who's clearly just picked a random address to give to DVLA so they can run a vehicle under the radar. Never lived anywhere with so much random mail arriving.
Weird thing is that I've had several things for people who have never lived here, as far as I know. Last year we had Christmas cards addressed to someone - two clearly from the same family who thought they knew people here. I've had Tesco club cards turn up for people I've never heard of. I've had at lease two letters from DVLA addressed to the same person. Someone who's clearly just picked a random address to give to DVLA so they can run a vehicle under the radar. Never lived anywhere with so much random mail arriving.
You’d think it would be dead easy but sometimes is not .
I gave up , they have tightened security a lot recently as it’s common way to defraud.
I spent hours on the phone and website and it keep rejecting my request .
Personal I would just collect their mail up and take it round occasionally, may the Universe will reward you with good Kama
I gave up , they have tightened security a lot recently as it’s common way to defraud.
I spent hours on the phone and website and it keep rejecting my request .
Personal I would just collect their mail up and take it round occasionally, may the Universe will reward you with good Kama
As a residential landlord, any mail I receive for previous tenants, and/or unknown person/s I open, placing a letter inside, either stating the tenant/s new postal address, or for an unknown person/s, stating "Not known at this address. I also state my name and contact details.
Under the Postal Services Act 2000, there is no offence of interfering with mail in its transmission, if the mail is addressed to the address of the person opening the mail.
Under the Postal Services Act 2000, there is no offence of interfering with mail in its transmission, if the mail is addressed to the address of the person opening the mail.
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