Old Employer Wont Collect Their Property

chris1200

Weird one but here goes...
I left my last job a month ago. I have stock worth close to £1000 in my garage which I have asked them continually to collect. I even offered to deliver it to them for the cost of my time and fuel. Each time I contact them they say they'll get it sorted but never have. I have now started a new job and I won't get home until late evening each day. I dont want anyone calling at my house at night and I don't want them calling at weekends either. Today I told them that I now have no idea when I'm going to be available for them to collect it as I now have a new job and there isn't anyone else at home to deal with it. They have had 4 weeks to get it collected, during which they could have called any time of the day. What on earth should I do?

steampowered

I think you should be prepared to let them collect at an agreed time in the evening or at the weekend.

It is not reasonable to refuse collection at the evenings or weekend, if you are also unable to let them collect during the day.

You don't have to put yourself out but you do have to let them collect once they get their act together.

stuartJo1989

Why don't you take the initiative and drive the stuff down to the office, dumping it inside (or just outside) reception? Then speak to the manager briefly, take some photographs and be on your way.

That's what I'd do if it was cluttering up my garage.

PS, you comment about not wanting them to call late night (reasonable) OR weekends (unreasonable) sort of hints the possibility that you want to be evasive here.... Maybe to punish the company? Some people with this mindset have also been known to want to keep the goods for their own personal use/resale.

You have to be careful about what you do, though, as the company theoretically has up to 6 years to claim for the items (or cost) back by using small claims court (wait for a more experienced poster to rubber-stamp that though).

The alternative to dumping it on their doorstep would be to write them a letter giving them maybe 30 or 60 days to remove said goods + stating your available times (don't be awkward and rule out weekends, and make some effort to try and accommodate weekdays + late evenings - it won't put you in good stead with a third party/small claims if you put up unnecessary blocks just to be awkward).

Derwent

Start invoicing them for storage costs, that’ll get them moving. Some storage places charge between £40 and £50 a week.

trailingspouse

It's only been 4 weeks.

Do you want to get rid of this stuff or don't you?

Either let them come and pick the stuff up at the weekend, or take the stuff back yourself.

You sound to me like you are being deliberately difficult. Why should they pay your time/fuel - you could have taken the stuff in with you on your last day at work.

chris1200

Thanks guys
I'm not really trying to be evasive but I am now totally irritated by the fact that I have done everything to return the items and they can't organise themselves to get it for the last 4 weeks. I certainly DON'T want the stuff for myself or to sell it for financial gain or any gain of any kind but I'm now at the stage where I just feel like being awkward to !!!! them off. I'm certainly not going to put myself out to accommodate them, that's for sure, and if it sits there for another 4 weeks because I'm not here to let them take it then so be it.

stuartJo1989

chris1200 wrote: »

Thanks guys
I'm not really trying to be evasive but I am now totally irritated by the fact that I have done everything to return the items and they can't organise themselves to get it for the last 4 weeks.

*done everything EXCEPT drop the goods off at their reception

I certainly DON'T want the stuff for myself or to sell it for financial gain or any gain of any kind but I'm now at the stage where I just feel like being awkward to !!!! them off.

Yea, you didn't come across as someone who wanted to gain financially hence the deliberate wording of my post, BUT I'm happy to see that my radar was working on the "!!!! them off" point

I'm certainly not going to put myself out to accommodate them, that's for sure, and if it sits there for another 4 weeks because I'm not here to let them take it then so be it.

Yea, but ultimately the company can take you to small claims court to recover the cost.

Do you think that anyone overseeing the case would be impressed to hear that, despite saying that you wanted to accommodate them, you were completely unavailable and unwilling to accommodate? You'll look like a clown.

Just either drive the goods down there, or write a letter giving them 60 days to make suitable arrangements else you'll put them in a skip. Immediately follow the letter up with a recorded call for peace of mind.

chris1200

stuartJo1989 wrote: »

Do you think that anyone overseeing the case would be impressed to hear that, despite saying that you wanted to accommodate them, you were completely unavailable and unwilling to accommodate? You'll look like a clown.

They've had 4 weeks to collect it, I now have a new job that will take me away from home at times (perhaps for a week or more on many occasions) and could mean working very late when I'm here. I don't intend to be available or accommodate them if it means I have to change my own plans or affect my new job to do so. At the end of the day if I'm not here I'm not here and if I'm not available I'm not available.

ScorpiondeRooftrouser

chris1200 wrote: »

They've had 4 weeks to collect it, I now have a new job that will take me away from home at times (perhaps for a week or more on many occasions) and could mean working very late when I'm here. I don't intend to be available or accommodate them if it means I have to change my own plans or affect my new job to do so. At the end of the day if I'm not here I'm not here and if I'm not available I'm not available.

Fine, don't. But if they offer to come round at some point on a weekend or evening when you are there, why refuse?

paddedjohn

Send them an email/letter giving them 14 days to collect or you will start to invoice for storage.

trailingspouse

So what exactly do you want them to do?

Because you don't want them to come and pick it up, and you don't want to take it to them (and even if they agreed to pay your fuel/time/wear and tear/Werther's Originals you don't have the time to do it anyway what with working away all week and late into the evening).