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Clearing chattels / contents left in a repossession house

For the last month or more, I've been liaising with the ex-owners of a repossession house that I have recently acquired in Bedfordshire as they say they wish to take the contents / chattels that they left in the house when they were evicted. I want the stuff moved and am happy for it all to be collected.

Having agreed a collection date, the previous owners are no longer responding to emails and I don't have their phone number. They have received my written notice providing them with more than 14 days notice that i would dispose of the items if they do not collect them by that time.

Does anyone know where I can read the relevant legal requirements to see if there is anything else that I must do before I dispose of the contents?
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Comments

  • antrobus
    antrobus Posts: 17,386 Forumite
    MSuser wrote: »
    ....Does anyone know where I can read the relevant legal requirements to see if there is anything else that I must do before I dispose of the contents?

    Torts (Interference with Goods) Act 1977
    http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1977/32

    Particularly Schedule 2. For example, notice needs to be "sent by post in a registered letter, or by the recorded delivery service".
  • Thrugelmir
    Thrugelmir Posts: 89,546 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    MSuser wrote: »
    Having agreed a collection date,

    When was that?
  • Thrugelmir wrote: »
    When was that?

    Its just passed, and they didn't show up
  • Thrugelmir
    Thrugelmir Posts: 89,546 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    MSuser wrote: »
    Its just passed, and they didn't show up

    I'd start plans to dispose of the items. Onus isn't on you to chase matters.
  • LittleMax
    LittleMax Posts: 1,408 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    For me it would depend on the value of the items. If not much and I had sent letter recorded delivery I would then dispose of items and photograph before doing so. Worst case is that they will sue you for their loss.

    If there is anything of significant value I would seek legal advice and pay for solicitor to send letters and deal with it.

    For me it's a balance of how much I may be liable if I mess it up and they do take legal action.
  • davidmcn
    davidmcn Posts: 23,596 Forumite
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    Bear in mind they'll previously have been given ample opportunity by the lender to sort this out. I can't see a court deciding that you're acting unreasonably in disposing of the goods (assuming the stuff is even worth suing over).
  • silvercar
    silvercar Posts: 49,674 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Academoney Grad Name Dropper
    You bought off the lender in repossession. It was their obligation (or not) to return items to the mortgagee.
    I'm a Forum Ambassador on the housing, mortgages & student money saving boards. I volunteer to help get your forum questions answered and keep the forum running smoothly. Forum Ambassadors are not moderators and don't read every post. If you spot an illegal or inappropriate post then please report it to forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com (it's not part of my role to deal with this). Any views are mine and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.com.
  • DaftyDuck
    DaftyDuck Posts: 4,609 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    silvercar wrote: »
    You bought off the lender in repossession. It was their obligation (or not) to return items to the mortgagee.

    They bought the house from the lender.... they didn't buy the contents, as the lender didn't have any rightful ownership to sell...
  • CathA
    CathA Posts: 1,207 Forumite
    Seventh Anniversary 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    We bought two repossessions and the first one was as if they had walked out one morning as normal and never came back. Everything was there and I mean everything. It took two days just to empty the attic!

    The estate agent said that the owners had had plenty of time to get stuff out and we'd found paperwork inside telling them when the house was being repossessed and telling them to get their stuff out.

    We skipped the lot but we found some important stuff like A level certificates and birth certificates. Anything like that we bagged up and as we knew the youngest child was at the local senior school we took it all to the school and asked them to pass it on to her. If we hadn't known that we'd have taken it back to the estate agent and given it to them.

    It's difficult because basically you're picking over the remains of someone's life but if you don't get rid of it then when will they do it?
  • silvercar
    silvercar Posts: 49,674 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Academoney Grad Name Dropper
    DaftyDuck wrote: »
    They bought the house from the lender.... they didn't buy the contents, as the lender didn't have any rightful ownership to sell...

    They bought with vacant possession, so the lender should have disposed of everything.
    I'm a Forum Ambassador on the housing, mortgages & student money saving boards. I volunteer to help get your forum questions answered and keep the forum running smoothly. Forum Ambassadors are not moderators and don't read every post. If you spot an illegal or inappropriate post then please report it to forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com (it's not part of my role to deal with this). Any views are mine and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.com.
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