Vendor has left a load of stuff in my friend's new house!

AnotherJoe

dunroving wrote: »

Sometimes the law is an !!! (hoofed mammal of the horse family). But it's still the law.

Just as the law is that the previous occupants are liable but try getting payment from them. Taking the initiative is best.

It can hardly be valuable if they first of all left it and second just went away with no effort to remove.

Norman_Castle

TheBanker wrote: »

Unfortunately it appears that the wardrobe has sustained some accidental damage on its way down the stairs...

If you hadn't had to move it that wouldn't of happened. Compensate them to a sum equal to your labour and storage costs.
With a bit more damage it'll fit in the car easier for its journey to the tip.

kazwookie

I'd be putting it in the front garden.

Phone the seller / 'dad' up and tell them/ him that, send an email to the solicitor and tell them the same.

Then get on with life and decorating

TheBanker

dunroving wrote: »

Which your friend now is legally liable for. Be careful not to be too cavalier about the vendor's property.

Who's to say how the damage occurred? Who's to say that it wasn't always damaged? In any case I doubt the cost of a second hand wardrobe will exceed the charge for storage of this junk my friend will levy.

moneyistooshorttomention

dunroving wrote: »

You can arrange to remove it to storage
You are legally liable for any damage caused in transit

You then get reimbursement of costs from them.

I'd do that personally - ie have a firm come and remove it to storage and make sure they covered the cost of said storage.

I'd probably "cover myself" by telling them (in writing - copy kept) that, if they didn't remove their stuff by, say, 6pm today then that is exactly what I would do. Concluding my message to them with words to the effect of "....and because this is now Bank Holiday, then I would expect the firm that removes your possessions to charge extra accordingly for that fact".

That should shift 'em into doing so. If I got to 6.05pm today and they still hadn't done so - then I would get that firm in.

Right now - I'd be ringing up firms to see just how much they would charge for this.

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The other possibility (ie if one can't find a firm to do this at such short notice etc) would be to send text (kept of course) saying "By 6pm tonight or I'll be giving a couple of my hefty mates a case of beer each to come and help me put it in my garden and charging you also for the waterproof cover + my time to buy said cover at rate of £20 per hour that I will put over your goods to protect them in case of rain. BTW - you can keep the cover I'll be buying - as you will have paid for it".

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Either way - I'd be taking photos of those possessions (as proof that they owed me for storage of their goods).

moneyistooshorttomention

dunroving wrote: »

Which your friend now is legally liable for. Be careful not to be too cavalier about the vendor's property.

The vendor would have to prove the wardrobe hadnt got that damage in the first place - bet they can't.

AnotherJoe

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

I'd do that personally - ie have a firm come and remove it to storage and make sure they covered the cost of said storage.

I'd probably "cover myself" by telling them (in writing - copy kept) that, if they didn't remove their stuff by, say, 6pm today then that is exactly what I would do. Concluding my message to them with words to the effect of "....and because this is now Bank Holiday, then I would expect the firm that removes your possessions to charge extra accordingly for that fact".

That should shift 'em into doing so. If I got to 6.05pm today and they still hadn't done so - then I would get that firm in.

Great in theory, in practice the OP's friend ends up with a whacking big bill and the hassle of trying to reclaim from people who cant be ***** about leaving their junky furniture in someone else's house.

glentoran99

Personally (and I did this) but not legally recommended


"What Stuff? nothing here when I moved in"

bouicca21

Tell them it's the top or they pay storage fees to the new owner.

TheBanker

OK, Dad just called back. I actually feel a bit sorry for him as this isn't his fault but he's been left to sort this out while his daughter enjoys her weekend in Wales.

Dad has nowhere to store the stuff, and no van to transport it. He's ringing round trying to find somewhere to store it. We've got a hired van so my friend has said we'll transport the furniture for him locally, if he arranges for someone to load and unload the van.

The van's due back tomorrow afternoon, so if the furniture hasn't been moved it will be taken to the tip before the van has to be returned. I think this is reasonable.