No Postal Delivery due to Neighbours dog!

menders

I hope this is the right place to post but wanted to post on MSE due to the helpful people here on this board..

We have shared access to our property and the neighbour keeps nasty yappy small dogs which we have complained about as they bite anyone (even us) entering and leaving out property! They have no control over them and its a joke..

We don't want to fall out with them, but we get by, and think they do bring them in due to past arguments, from them roaming free around the properties and our lawn! (there's and indeed ours!)

Anyway now we have heard now that the Postman won't deliver to our house due to passing the dogs now, so we aren't getting our post anymore!

So we now get our personal mail being left at a neighbours house, and they sort it and deliver it up to 9pm pushed through the door (im not sure whether they even keep the post back and deliver when it 'builds up'!)

Surely this is wrong!

This issue has nothing to do with us, they are not our dogs, and now the postie won't deliver to us! We've only just found out about this and i'm a bit annoyed!

What are my next steps? Do I contact the local depot?? Royal Mail? Citizens Advice?

I need the post for my work, as I get Recorded Deilvery mail that needs my personal signature so getting it shoved through the door at 9pm isnt great!

We even believe that one 'recorded delivery' for us, was signed for under a false signature, which we looked up on the electronic online signature reader, that wasn't ours!! isn't that illegal? We thought it maybe the Postman sigining, but now think its them so they can get away with not getting into an argument regarding the dog, post, and Royal Mail!!

Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

UKTigerlily

Afaik Royal Mail have a right to deliver in safety & if they believe they are at risk from the dogs they can indeed refuse delivery, you could arrange to collect it from the PO I think. The best thing would maybe be to contact the landlord if they rent & the dog warden at the council as you mention the dogs have bitten people. The owners of the dogs have to keep them under control & seeing as the land is not theirs but yours also I don't think they'd get away with the dogs biting on private property get out.

menders

Thank you.

The land is shared so it is theirs and we have access to get to our property. Totally agree that RM should deliver in safety, at the end of the day this is the neighbours problem

If this was to go further, do I contact RSPCA or Dog Warden?

I think I may have to also contact the Local delivery office. I don't want to collect from my office as its a 15 min drive every day! ontop of other daily things..

All this because of something thats not our problem and we seem to suffer..

lucylucky

Not sure that a postie can take the decision to deliver your mail to someone else in the expectation that you will somehow get it.

I would get onto Royal Mail and ask why you are not getting your post.

If they admit that postie will not deliver owing to the dogs ask for it in writing as it will strengthen and case you may end up having in respect of your neighbours.

Ask what temporary solution they, RM, can offer in order that you can get your mail

spugzbunny

I have no experience at all of this but I would have thought Royal Mail had the obligation to at least inform you that post was no longer going to be delivered due to safety concerns? You say that 'you have heard' - who did you hear from?

My personal plan of action would be:

1. Call the post depot and ask them to confirm the fact that post is no longer to be delivered. Ask them who has agreed to have the post left with the neighbour and tell them your suspicions about false signatures.

2. Write a letter of complaint to the post office regarding the fact that you were not informed, you did not agree to the alternative delivery arrangements and that you believe signatures to be falsified.

3. Speak to your neighbour with the dogs and explain the situation and ask if they are prepared to keep the dogs inside or around back.

4. Speak to the council regarding your neighbours dogs.

I do not know where you live but is it not possible to have a post box installed at the entry to your property on the outside of a fence so that the postie doesnt need to actually enter the property?

twinmom04

if the postie is refusing to deliver your mail because of the dogs then you should have had a letter from the manager. you can arrange to have your mail sent to the post office if they will let you. phone customer services on 08457 740 740

ukjoel

To be honest as they are small yappy dogs I would borrow a video camera, pretend your recording the kids or something making faces, then pop out to the car (camera still on) record yourself being bitten.

Then would put in phone calls to dog warden, council, and a solicitor.

Upshot should be no more dog issues, post delivered, and compensation for the bite.

job done.

cyberbob

You need to sort it out with your neighbours I would suggest before you start calling RSPCA or dog wardens to get some proper legal advice about where you stand with access. We live in a property that the neighbours have a legal right of access. In our deeds it states that they have right of safe unrestricted access.

You need to get some legal advice take your deeds to a solicitor or contact the CAB. Then you will know what action you can take to get safe access across the land. Then if that's sorted out the postman can as well

chocdonuty

How about an american style postbox on the edge of your property?
probably be best to fit it with a lock too.
As for the dogs what have the neighbours said about the problem?

unholyangel

Are the neighbours reasonable?

Perhaps suggest a alternative that would suit both? Perhaps fencing off the pathway from the rest of the garden? Or dog obedience classes?

At least the neighbours wont be put out as their dogs wont be at risk of being put down if they are deemed dangerous - especially if small kids are in the house (happened to a dog round at my parents area - bit a kid and the dog ended up being put to sleep because of it).

fluffnutter

menders wrote: »

...the neighbour keeps nasty yappy small dogs which we have complained about as they bite anyone (even us) entering and leaving out property!

That's your main problem. It's not just the post that's affected! What about couriers, your friends and family, your neighbours' friends and family? It's illegal to have dogs that bite. Speak to your neighbours about controlling them. And then the police.