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Obligations with former owners mail

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Xplosivgas
Xplosivgas Posts: 30 Forumite
in House buying, renting & selling
Hi all,

Can anyone tell me what the legal obligation is of a new home owner as regards post addressed to the former owner?

I believe the previous owner of my house had set up a forwarding service which has long expired. I'm now getting a fair bit of mail through - some junk mail and other mail that looks more important like bank stuff.

When I moved in let's just say the former owners weren't my favourite people (boiler broke from the start and various hidden issues - generally not pleasant people). I'd like to know if I'm obliged to do something with the mail or can I shred / bin it? I'm not in the mood for doing them favours if I can help it!

Thanks
«13

Comments

  • Yellow78
    Yellow78 Posts: 16 Forumite
    Just scribble out the address and write 'not at this address' on the mail and post it back in the letter box - that's what I always do for the mail that comes to my rental house. It amazes me how many previous tenants still haven't sorted out things like bank statements and NHS records years after leaving...
  • SG27
    SG27 Posts: 2,773 Forumite
    I would just bin it personally. They should have changed their address by now. I suppose the right thing to do is post it back saying not known at this address on the envelope
  • anselld
    anselld Posts: 8,646 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    No legal obligations, you can just bin it.
  • Lorian
    Lorian Posts: 6,254 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Bin it and it will just keep coming. Return it to sender.
  • sal_III
    sal_III Posts: 1,953 Forumite
    Fifth Anniversary 1,000 Posts
    What I do is to to scribble "Recipient not at this address, return to sender" and drop it in a mail box. After a while the senders update their records and the mail stops.

    If you keep binning it, as some suggested it might go on forever and you are doing you both a disservice.
  • gozaimasu
    gozaimasu Posts: 860 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Name Dropper
    I would also recommend writing the post code of the return address on the front of the mail. Makes it easier for the sorting office to deal with.
  • ThePants999
    ThePants999 Posts: 1,748 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    sal_III wrote: »
    What I do is to to scribble "Recipient not at this address, return to sender" and drop it in a mail box.
    What a lot of writing! I write "RTS: moved" :)
  • gozaimasu
    gozaimasu Posts: 860 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Name Dropper
    ThePants999 wrote: »
    What a lot of writing! I write "RTS: moved" :)


    Or just print out a sheet of labels with all that writing and stick it over? That's what I did.
  • theartfullodger
    theartfullodger Posts: 15,707 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 4 July 2018 at 9:06PM
    Price of b*g r*ll these days, I know of a good use for the mail...
  • davidmcn
    davidmcn Posts: 23,596 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    ThePants999 wrote: »
    What a lot of writing! I write "RTS: moved" :)
    "Gone away" has even fewer letters (and what the Royal Mail put on their own label).
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