Previous owner angry visit

mikepoole

We moved into our house at the end of August. The time up to exchanging was fraught with stress all due to the owner of the house were buying (delaying things, changing completion date several times)

Since moving in, we've had lots of post for them, including credit cards etc which we have spent time on the phone dealing with to ensure credit is not being taken out against our property (despite the previous owner assuring the estate agent he had implemented Royal mail redirection!)

When moving, we carefully went through the fixtures and fittings list for what was being left to us. About two weeks after moving in, the estate agent phoned to say that the previous owner "left the hanging baskets for us to enjoy but would like them back when we are finished". After several weeks of getting their post, finding several things he'd dumped in the back garden we had specifically said we did not want (lawn roller anyone?) that were not listed on the F&F list and being generally fed up with the grotty hanging baskets filled with dead flowers, I took them to the tip

He phoned the EA yesterday to "arrange collection" only to be told that I had disposed of them

He turned up outside our house this afternoon and confronted my wife and son saying "how dare we throw away HIS hanging baskets".

Is a quick call to our solicitor to send a letter to his solicitor the correct course of action? Or is that overkill?

We were very reasonable people, did not charge him for disposing of the crap he left and did not take advantage of any of the contactless credit cards that dropped through our door!

bebewoo

I would ignore him if I were you. Don't waste any time or money contacting your solicitor.
What is he going to do, sue you for some hanging baskets?
If he wanted them he should have taken them.

Pixie5740

Why would you waste time opening someone else's post and phoning up companies? Sharing an address does not financially link people. A simple, "Return to Sender, not known at this address," is all that is required. If you don't even want to do that chuck his post in the bin.

If he is going to behave like a twit then I don't see the harm in getting your solicitor a letter telling him to back off. Keep a record of him turning up at your home and harassing you just in case you need it as evidence later. If he shows up and starts shouting at any of you then phone the police.

libf

From what I've heard, Royal Mail re-direction can be pretty crap so that might not be his fault.

I would just ignore the visit, nasty as it was, rather than start further contact. Hopefully he's got it out of his system and that will be an end to it. If he tries anything again, then get the solicitor on it (but check the charges first).

Out,_Vile_Jelly

Note that credit cannot "be taken out against the property"; debts are for individuals not addresses.

Hanging baskets cost ~£3 each. Only a nutter would start a fight over them. As he's clearly an odd individual, avoid all further contact in person and don't answer the door to him. You could ask your solicitor to write a letter, but this may be outside their conveyancing terms. Report any aggressive/threatening behaviour to the police.

marksoton

I wouldn't even dignify it with a letter. Just ignore and if it persisted threaten a police complaint.

Some people are just bat!!!! crazy.

nidO

If he shows up again, call the police. Immediately.

If he contacts you again via the estate agent or solicitor, tell him that if he wants to continue pressing the matter you'll be happy to invoice him for your time spent disposing of the junk he dumped on your property.

Norman_Castle

Buy him some new hanging baskets using his new credit card.

Dan-Dan

Knock some manners into him

princeofpounds

All good replies. If you want a quick legal explanation, basically when someone leaves property in another's care, it is called a bailment.


Google it and you will get all sorts of info, but the basics are:


- You need to make reasonable efforts to let the owner know you have it. Given the owner left it there on moving out, reasonably they know already.


- You have to make reasonable efforts to look after the property while in your care, and allow a reasonable amount of time for collection. This is not defined, but 2 weeks is perfectly fine for something that is not valuable and should have been taken away.


- If you fail to do this, then you have a civil liability for the amount of loss caused. Which as pointed out, for a used hanging basket, is peanuts. Any judge would throw this out as a trifling matter, and if they didn't the court costs would probably not be awarded against you and it would overwhelm any tiny award made.


So in essence, you can just tell them to foxtrot oscar.

macman

You should not be opening their post. As above, just 'return to sender'. And don't waste £30 on a solicitor's letter that you can write yourself (not that one is needed).