Tenant vacated property with MY white goods, what now?

macman

You didn't take a deposit. OK. Did you take an inventory on entry or exit? Presumably not either. So, if push comes to shove, you can't even prove that these goods were ever present in the property. Only that you purchased them.
A  budget washing machine is near to worthless after 2.5 years, their life expectancy is 4 years if you're lucky.
If you can track down her address without expenditure (no forwarding address left for post after 20 years?) and send her an LBA, then you may get some response. Otherwise, you just need to let this one go...

greatcrested

macman said:

You didn't take a deposit. OK. Did you take an inventory on entry or exit? Presumably not either. So, if push comes to shove, you can't even prove that these goods were ever present in the property. Only that you purchased them.
A  budget washing machine is near to worthless after 2.5 years, their life expectancy is 4 years if you're lucky.
If you can track down her address without expenditure (no forwarding address left for post after 20 years?) and send her an LBA, then you may get some response. Otherwise, you just need to let this one go...

I bought my 'budget washing machine' when I moved in here. 22 years ago......

moneysavinghero

newsgroupmonkey_ said:

Are we forgetting the brand new lino? I'm not sure what the value is on this, but it seems a bit odd to take brand new lino.

Maybe the tenant was a breakdancer.

AdrianC

greatcrested said:

macman said:

A  budget washing machine is near to worthless after 2.5 years, their life expectancy is 4 years if you're lucky.

I bought my 'budget washing machine' when I moved in here. 22 years ago......

Great. Where can we buy new 1990s-tech washing machines in 2020?

oldbikebloke

Poster_586329 said:

20 years of continuous rent, for at most £500 of white goods.  Sounds like you got a pretty good deal there!

so you consider theft to be acceptable on the basis it is in partial exchange for rent?
Did your parents teach you right from wrong?

macman

AdrianC said:

greatcrested said:

macman said:

A  budget washing machine is near to worthless after 2.5 years, their life expectancy is 4 years if you're lucky.

I bought my 'budget washing machine' when I moved in here. 22 years ago......

Great. Where can we buy new 1990s-tech washing machines in 2020?

Dunno, but to buy one in 2020 will cost a fraction (in real terms) of what it would have cost in 1998. 

HampshireH

Have you considered that she had someone pack the place up and forgot to tell them.

 It could be a genuine mistake. 

Surely first step is to contact her and ask her. You said she isn't answering the phone. Have you text/WhatsApps/emailed or just tried calling. Might sound daft but has she redirected her mail? If so you could write to her at your address and it will be redirected 

Point out the part of the inventory where it is documented that these belong to you and that the flat came with white goods.

Did you ever have a secondary contact? 

Could this just be a mistake? The lino is odd 

[Deleted User]

Andrea15 said:

Hi,
my tenant of 20+ years left my property to go into sheltered accommodation. The property was left in OK condition and with next to no stuff left over. However, in her wisdom she took My washing machine, MY cooker and MY electrical fire, all fairly new - she left the fridge, though... I thought it wasn't working, but it seems OK. Clearly I have all the invoices for when I purchased/repaired the stuff.
Should I call the police or just content myself with "what goes around comes around"?
In case it makes a difference, I am in Scotland.

The police aren’t going to be interested. You could use the simple procedure and take your former tenant to the Sheriff Court for the deprecated value of the white goods and Lino. The receipts might be enough evidence to win but how likely is it that your former tenant can afford to pay you back? You could win and then receive £1 a week for however many years. Only you can decide if it’s work the hassle. 
https://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/taking-action/simple-procedure

lookstraightahead

What a hassle for so little return. 

macman

Unless the OP traces her address, then no form of legal action is possible anyway. Really not worth the cost of employing a tracing agent for this, with minimal prospect of recovery.