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New House - what to do with previous occupants mail?
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Alibi_2
Posts: 103 Forumite
Hi,
This is my first post after a couple of weeks lurking and getting lots of great info!
We completed on our first house on Friday and went there this morning to start work on it. The house was reposessed and the previous owner has left a fair amount of their stuff there. The EA have tried to contact them but the previous owner hasn't replied. Its really sad as there are photos of the kids, kids toys & clothes, etc. What do we do with that sort of stuff? I don't want to just bin it.
Also there was a stack of mail behind the door, I opened a few of them and they were all from debt collection agencies - would it be best to write to them and tell them that the person they are after no longer lives there? or do I just bin them? I don't want anyone knocking on our door demanding money!
Thanks x
This is my first post after a couple of weeks lurking and getting lots of great info!
We completed on our first house on Friday and went there this morning to start work on it. The house was reposessed and the previous owner has left a fair amount of their stuff there. The EA have tried to contact them but the previous owner hasn't replied. Its really sad as there are photos of the kids, kids toys & clothes, etc. What do we do with that sort of stuff? I don't want to just bin it.

Also there was a stack of mail behind the door, I opened a few of them and they were all from debt collection agencies - would it be best to write to them and tell them that the person they are after no longer lives there? or do I just bin them? I don't want anyone knocking on our door demanding money!
Thanks x
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Return all the post to sender marked 'no longer at this address'. Expect bailiff letters too. If it's obviously a bailiffs letter (I've seen a few in my time) I admit to opening them and calling the agency to inform them of the situation. They don't stop until they get a straight answer, but they stop straight away once they do.
Just get rid off all their stuff. Charity anything that's half decent. It's sad work getting rid of it, but they won't be back for it and I doubt they really wanted it.
Ooh! Welcome, by the way :wave:Everything that is supposed to be in heaven is already here on earth.
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Thanks for the advice & the welcome!0
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i think it used to be a crime but has since changed and now if it comes to your house you can open it.0
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Al_Mac wrote:Royal mail says they have to deliver it to the address marked on it, nothing else that I could see. But to open another persons post?
I agree, but if they got to the point that they were reposessed? I guarantee there's nothing that doesn't have a 'minus' balance attached to it. Which the new owner has to deal with
Difficult one.Everything that is supposed to be in heaven is already here on earth.
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i recently had this and i did open some letters so i could tell those concerned they didn't live hear any more. they were very glad i did and the letters stopped. except the tv license people!0
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Thanks for all the replies.
The ones that I have opened I will phone or write to, and anything that is left will be binned or returned to sender.
But I have decided to put the photos in a shoe box for a short while, just in case they want them back.
Thanks again x0 -
To be honest, no-one is going to take notice if you return them to sender. The most likely upshot is that they will issue proceedings. That is the oldest trick in the book and one creditors are wise to.
You only have to search these forums to see what has happened where people have simply returned them to the sender. This doesn't just go away. As you bought from a creditor, it would be pointless sending them to the seller's solicitor which is what I would normally suggest. I suppose in the first instance you could send them back marked that the property has been repossessed and sold and hope some of them make the effort to check the land registry in a few weeks time to see if registration of ownership has changed.
As for all the other stuff left, the seller (presumably the mortgagee) should have cleared it before you moved in. You were entitled to buy the property free from the chattels of the previous owner. You should tell your solicitor the house wasn't empty and that you want the seller to collect everything that was left.0
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