Real-life MMD: Whose lens is it anyway?

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Comments

  • did you ask any of your neighbours if they were expecting a parcel? it could have just had the wrong flat number on it.
  • My best friend moved into a house and a few weeks in she found a box of wine (from one of those clubs) in the bushes in front of her house addressed to the previous owner. They hadn't left a forwarding address so she took it inside and left it - assuming they'd pick it up. For the next 2 years a box appeared every quarter. She contacted the wine club the first few times and then gave up.

    We had a lot of wine as gifts for some time after that...

    If you've made an effort (and from the minimal info in your post I'd say maybe try a little harder) to find the owner and return the lens, no one claims it - sell it. I think it's nice you're planning on giving the money to charity if you do (I'd probably treat myself to a little something too...!)
  • As there's no name on the parcel and you're in a flat then I would definately have gone round to others in the flats in case it was just that the wrong flat number had been put on the parcel - doing that shows you're a decent, honest person and if they got something for you in the future or could help you, then they would remember your honesty here and do something for you to - I've had that happen to me before when I lived in a flat and the person said they wouldn't have bothered except for the fact that they remembered I'd done something for them before so they helped me out!

    It's not to late to try now - even though it's 6 months later - why you've waited this long before asking on here I don't know?!
  • If the previous occupant left no forwarding address with you or the letting agent and has not contacted you asking if you received it, and there was no return address on the parcel then yes, keep it.
  • Firstly, the lens isn't yours...
    Sending one email without getting a response does not make it yours to sell.
    If the owner does return and ask for it, you have to give it them. "I gave it to charity" is not an excuse. You will just have to pay them for it.
    Go to the estate agent in person and ask for the last tenants details. Call them.

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    Owe to Tesco CC - [STRIKE]£1,000[/STRIKE] 01/01/12 £750
    Santander iPad loan - [STRIKE]£450[/STRIKE] £300 23/01/12
  • It sounds like you have done as much as is reasonably possible to do to try to find the owner. It's odd that there isn't a return address, but that's not your fault. what you really should have done is to return the parcel to the carrier, but that's not always easy. it's yours now, do what you will with it.
    'Never argue with an idiot. They will only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.' George Carlin
  • The law states you must do everything reasonable to attempt to find the true owner and notify them of what has happened. You are well within your rights to open the parcel to locate an invoice etc with an address on, if there is not one there and you have repeatedly recieved no response from the email address, and you have exhausted all attempts to find details via the carrier and ebay, then the property would revert to being yours. However if you have not done these things, and just sent one email and have other lines of enquiry which could furnish you with the true owners details or return address still remain untried, then it could be considered theft by finding. If you still have a prickly conscience, take it to the police station, get it booked in as found proerty and if unclaimed it will be auctioned and the proceeds given to charity.
  • alanq
    alanq Posts: 4,216
    Combo Breaker First Post
    Forumite
    I find it hard to believe that neither the outside nor inside bore any contact details for the sender.

    As there is no addressee named one cannot be 100% sure that the lens was not meant for the current occupiers. (Close though!)

    I wonder if it could be argued that this could come under the header of "unsolicited goods". If so then the lens belongs to the recipient.
    http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/nireland/consumer_ni/consumer_common_problems_with_products_e/consumer_problems_with_delivery_e/consumer_unsolicited_goods_e/youve_received_goods_or_services_you_didnt_ask_for_distance_sales.htm
  • It must have come from somewhere, is there no return address on it, or paperwork inside the package?
  • If there are no details of the sender either outside or inside the parcel then you have the same problem as the post office in identifying the rightful owner. I would keep it for a year then dispose of it as you please if it remains unclaimed, you are not a storage facility for a mis-delivered item with no name on it.
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