Neighbour has my parcels - what can I do??

user1977

Carrot007 said:

user1977 said:

Carrot007 said:

The other repluies seem to miss the impoprtant point here IMO.

They were delivered to the correct address, the name does not form part of the address, you are allowed to open any mail delivered to your address

It's not an offence to open the items, but that doesn't mean you're allowed to steal the contents!

I think that was covered in the harm/detriment point.

No, you're getting confused with the law about opening mail which isn't addressed to your address (which is only an offence if you do so while "intending to act to a person's detriment and without reasonable excuse"). None of that affects the normal offences of theft, fraud etc which you might commit with the mail received. So it is a criminal offence to keep the stuff and deny all knowledge when the owner pops round (albeit, as above, not one the cops are likely to get very excited about).

The OP does also have a civil claim.

pinkshoes

The courier has done their job so no issues with their service.

The problem is between the OP and the neighbour.

@AdaF if you have proof that the parcels were indeed delivered to your neighbour (photo evidence from courier?), and the neighbour is refusing to hand them over, then personally I would write a letter to the neighbour, giving evidence that the parcels were delivered in error to their address, and asking them nicely to bring them by your house in the next 4 days. Say that as they were Christmas gifts and the sender does not have the means to replace them, then if they do not return them, you will be reporting the matter to the police as theft, and taking them to court for the sum of £XXX which is the cost to replace the goods inside the parcels.

When you say you contacted the neighbour, have you actually spoken to them in person, as you only mention a note? I would be round their house until I spoke to them in person, recording the conversation discretely just in case that could be useful. 

theoretica

Have the couriers actually got proof of delivery that shows they were delivered to the right house? A picture of the door or whatever? If it were only one parcel it could very easily have been delivered wrongly - or left on the doorstep and stolen or otherwise gone astray.  Do both houses have the same post code?  If they don't and post code and number don't match then misdelivery becomes even more likely.

SaverRate

Is there a chance the neighbour has returned the parcels to sender, therefore no longer has them?

Sandtree

pinkshoes said:

The courier has done their job so no issues with their service. 

Well, according to the occupant the courier hasnt done their job as the neighbour says they've not received the parcels. If they'd support putting a claim in for non-delivery is a separate matter.

Jenni_D

And any claim would have to be made by the person who arranged the delivery/ordered the goods, not the OP.

@AdaF really does need to come back and address the point as to whether this was a single delivery, or several deliveries all with the same issue.

pinkshoes

Sandtree said:

pinkshoes said:

The courier has done their job so no issues with their service. 

Well, according to the occupant the courier hasnt done their job as the neighbour says they've not received the parcels. If they'd support putting a claim in for non-delivery is a separate matter.

That's true... but what are the odds of 4 different couriers with 4 parcels all claiming to have delivered and the neighbour claims he hasn't received any.

It would have said on the tracking if they had been returned due to wrong address.

If there is any photo evidence of an open door and the parcel inside... Our Hermes driver takes photos. I have to remember to wear my best socks when I open the door!

Jenni_D

pinkshoes said:
That's true... but what are the odds of 4 different couriers with 4 parcels all claiming to have delivered and the neighbour claims he hasn't received any.

Do we know that for a fact? I'm not sure we do, hence why I have tagged the OP in my previous reply.

user1977

Jenni_D said:

pinkshoes said:
That's true... but what are the odds of 4 different couriers with 4 parcels all claiming to have delivered and the neighbour claims he hasn't received any.

Do we know that for a fact? I'm not sure we do, hence why I have tagged the OP in my previous reply.

The OP has already edited their post to clarify that was in fact the case.

Jenni_D

Thanks - I hadn't spotted the edit.  

In which case this does seem like suspicious behaviour by the neighbour.