A previous owner refuses to stop using our address for EVERYTHING!

Emmia

ampersand said:

Grumpy chap- 
The answers to your questions are in op's posts, if you start again and read them thoroughly.  Attempting to play psychotherapist on such a thread as this is not helpful.
#
Op - I have seen your post by chance and read all the comments.
First, I am sorry you are going through this as a family.  Particularly, I am sorry you are bearing the brunt of it at what should feel like home.

I am struck that no-one has suggested you involve your MP.  Please do so ASAP.  Your MP can insist that police and Royal Mail not only ACT but also that they investigate corrupt staff behaviour AND report back.  

If your MP has long represented your constituency, he or she could well be aware of your harrasser.  Word of such people gets round and you write of other victims of her instability and aggression. 

Bin all enveloped mail.
Ask your husband to leave the parcels with charities en route to work, or by a FREE roadside notice outside your gate or boundary verge.  

That could be deemed as fly tipping, and even though her name is on it, it's your address... 

Honestly, reject delivery of her mail, and if any is received just return it to sender. Get all your mail to a PO box, and switch to online where possible...  

theoretica

arghhhh said:

This person, who we have now come to realise may not be mentally well, has stated that this is her address and we can share it with her, but we should consider changing our address. The thing is, if we change our address, the address this person is using will cease to exist, but they don't seem to understand.

That might be a rather clever idea - if your address is a name, rather than a number.  Change your house name and address.  A hassle, and needs to go through the local authority, but possible. Talk to the Royal Mail about what you could do to not get post for old house name if you did this. 

kimwp

It sounds like a nightmare. I think it's worth
- understanding if it could affect you (IE fraud) if she's using your address - my understanding is that the concern would be if your name is being used. 

- making sure the posties continue to be aware of the requirement to post mail through the door and not give it to anyone. Maybe even put up a small sign saying there is a mail thief operating with her vague description, please ensure mail is posted through the door.

- putting a box on your property for her mail and parcel - away from the path so posties etc won't think that's where the mail should go. You can separate out her mail and put it in the box for her to collect. It might be annoying, but at least it should minimise interaction with her and reduce effort of having to write on all the letters and parcels.

- find her address and sign her up to everything and anything that sends out mail.

That last one is just for fun

doodling

Hi,

kimwp said:

[...]
- putting a box on your property for her mail and parcel - away from the path so posties etc won't think that's where the mail should go. You can separate out her mail and put it in the box for her to collect. It might be annoying, but at least it should minimise interaction with her and reduce effort of having to write on all the letters and parcels.
[...]

I wouldn't do anything like this.

I suggest that the OP makes sure that a visit from the previous owner never results in her collecting anything.

I'd return or shred all the post and I would contact organisations that have made deliveries and ask them to collect their mis-addressed parcels. Under no circumstances would I hand them to the previous owner.

Every time the previous owner manages to collect something from their old address, their belief that using that address works is reinforced.

Grumpy_chap

Don't do anything to facilitate the incorrect post reaching the recipient.

The only thing that can reduce the volume of post is "unknown at this address - return to sender"

rachel6188

When I moved in here within the 1sr month we had over 50 letters for the previous tenant and her daughter including prescription charges. I did not known at this address and with the prescription charges phoned them and informed them she doesn't live here. I would look at getting a injunction. X

doodling

Hi,

Another thought this morning - what do the police say when you tell them that she is harassing you?

Harassment is a criminal offence so they ought to be able to do something, but you need to keep good records of when she has come round.

It is a pain for the police to deal with though so they probably won't do anything unless you become more annoying than her - make sure that you report every single occurrence and that the police issue have recorded every complaint.

arghhhh

She lives in a house, the police has told me they've spoken to her at her address in the past, but obviously they won't tell me where.

Thank you for suggesting our MP. My husband is going to talk to royal mail today, but regardless of what they say, I think I still need to contact them and hopefully they'll be listened to.

The police had told my husband that we should keep returning it and didn't seem to understand what he was trying to say. He told them that this person had lied on a legal document (DBS) and to have one issued, they will have had to lie by using our address on at least two other forms of ID. This is a criminal matter and potentially putting others in her care at risk, but they just kept telling him to return the mail. He took the mail to them as evidence, but they wouldn't even look at it.

I know the financial issues would start for us if she was using our names and so far I've seen no evidence of that, but she has managed to get hold of our financial post in the past and may well have details wrote down. I am constantly checking our credit reports and she is not on the electoral register at our address. Thank you for all your help. I will be messaging our MP.

Emmia

arghhhh said:

She lives in a house, the police has told me they've spoken to her at her address in the past, but obviously they won't tell me where.

Thank you for suggesting our MP. My husband is going to talk to royal mail today, but regardless of what they say, I think I still need to contact them and hopefully they'll be listened to.

The police had told my husband that we should keep returning it and didn't seem to understand what he was trying to say. He told them that this person had lied on a legal document (DBS) and to have one issued, they will have had to lie by using our address on at least two other forms of ID. This is a criminal matter and potentially putting others in her care at risk, but they just kept telling him to return the mail. He took the mail to them as evidence, but they wouldn't even look at it.

I know the financial issues would start for us if she was using our names and so far I've seen no evidence of that, but she has managed to get hold of our financial post in the past and may well have details wrote down. I am constantly checking our credit reports and she is not on the electoral register at our address. Thank you for all your help. I will be messaging our MP.

What exactly is your MP going to do? If the police won't act based on what you've told them, then other than a "sorry to hear about your difficulties" letter/email then it will change nothing... 

MPs don't have enforcement powers, and (depending on where they're living now) they're possibly the ex owners MP too. 

Have you spoken to a solicitor about getting an injunction, as someone suggested? If you get it, and she breaks it, then the police would have a basis to act.

NBLondon

This sounds like a terrible situation - not of your making.  Clearly the other individual has some mental health situation and this is harming the OP.

Definitely make a formal complaint to RM that post to your address is being handed to an unauthorised individual.  Maybe the postie thinks they are being helpful because they know who it is but not after several years.

The DBS issue is worrying - perhaps your husband (and/or adult child) needs to escalate this with the police.  Not just the local station but write to headquarters.

Log every visit as harassment and make the police do their job.