Post for Previous Owner

BargainJunky

My mum is getting post for the previous owner of her bungalow - believe they died approx six months ago and she bought the bungalow in December. The majority of it is obviously junk mail apart from a HM Customs and Excise letter and BT bill which I dropped off at the estate agent for them to forward to the previous owners relatives.

Today she has received a Solicitors letter (name is on the back of the envelope) addressed to the previous owner and I was about to drop it into the estate agents when I noticed that you can clearly see through the envelope. It is a final notice of BT intending to take the previous owner to court - what should I do. Will it be best if I drop it into the estate agent and also write to the solicitor saying that the person is deceased? Dont fancy a debt collection agency banging on her door.

I wont be opening any of the previous owners mail as I know its illegal!

Happy_frank

I would open the letter and call the company writing to them explaining the situation. They will usually just thank you for informing them and ask you to destroy the letter.

Ishtar

It might be worth giving the solicitor a call to explain the situation. If it were me, I'd also have a chat with the estate agents to see if there's anything that could be done to divert the mail.

Obvious question, but have you registered with the Mail Preference Service for the junk mail? I think there's an option for deceased former occupants - if not, there's one for previous occupiers.

Hope this helps.
D.

thesaint

Happy_frank wrote:

I would open the letter and call the company writing to them explaining the situation. They will usually just thank you for informing them and ask you to destroy the letter.

It is a criminal offence to open someone else's mail.

Send the letter back to the original sender. Simple.

Nenen

It's definitely illegal to open post addressed to someone else so do NOT do that!
In your position, I'd ring BT and also draft a letter to them (so they have it in writing) explaining the previous owner died and when your mum bought the property and enclose the unopened letter from them to the original owner (that way they can match up all the account details etc).

On normal junk mail, or anything else not for you, you can just put a cross through the person's name and write 'NOT KNOWN AT THIS ADDRESS - return to sender' on the front of the letter and put it back in the post box (you don't need another stamp). If you know the address of her relatives you can cross out your address and insert theirs and put it back in the post box to forward it to them (again no further stamps needed). This would save taking it to the EA!

HugoSP

I assume your mum has give her details to BT as being the customer at that address?

So why are BT still writing to the deceased threatening to cut off your mum's phone?

I would contact BT and sort it out with them. The letter should go signed for - cost around £1. Ask BT to confirm receipt of the letter in writing, and to confirm that your mum will not be troubled by them again over this matter.

zzzLazyDaisy

Happy_frank wrote:

I would open the letter and call the company writing to them explaining the situation. They will usually just thank you for informing them and ask you to destroy the letter.

It is a criminal offence to open mail not addressed to you.

Write 'Please return to sender - No longer at this address - DECEASED' in big red letters and drop it in the letter box.

If your mother has a BT line, presumably it has been changed over to her name? In which case she may wish to telephone BT and explain the situation. They will cross match the address to her name, and should put a note on the file

prudryden

Saint
Found the regulation in the Postal Code:

Section 84: Interfering with the mail: general

</B>
127. Section 84(1) provides for it to be an offence if persons intentionally delay or open postal packets without reasonable excuse. It amalgamates the content of offences previously included in the Post Office Act 1953. 128. Subsection (3) makes it an offence for a person, intending to act to a person's detriment and without reasonable excuse, to open a postal packet which he knows or suspects has been incorrectly delivered to him.

Reading this, it would be OK to open any mail in order to get a return address in order to send it back. That would be a reasonable excuse. Also, accidently opening mail would pass the test as it would be next to impossible to prove otherwise unless you caused some intentional harm by doing so.

clutton_2

if the person is dead, s/he is hardly likely to object !

prudryden

clutton wrote:

if the person is dead, s/he is hardly likely to object !

Are you sure about that?

clutton_2

at this time of night ? no i ain't !!!!!

the spirit of the red grape has me under its spell ~!!