Ladies Clothes left in uncles house.

[MaryJayne99]

My father had a lady friend and the relationship ended nearly a year ago.
We were helping him clear out some junk last week and I opened a wardrobe door and found some skirts and dresses.
They do not belong to my late mother as they were the wrong size and I know the shop they were purchased from did not exist when my mother was alive.
We tried to phone her on her house and mobile phone and the numbers are unobtainable.
I visited the house yesterday and found new residents there and they did not know where she was.
I also spoke to a neighbour and they informed me she moved out very suddenly and they had no forwarding address.
The clothes have price tags on which total £480.
We really want to return these clothes but if we can not find this lady how long are we obliged to keep these clothes for before disposing of them.

Mary

[cathfromsaron]

put a small ad in paper giving HER 30 days to contact you!

if she does not, then give to charity?

cath x

[Mosaic]

They will sell like blazes on ebay with the price tags on. Go for it. I'd suggest that having been left there , she doesn't even know she's got them, and your dad happen paid for them anyway.

[MaryJayne99]

Sorry I should have said father's house.
We also helped my uncle to clear some of his house last week.

Mary

[cathfromsaron]

or ebay them to 'defray costs'!

[ummmm]

Cath, would you really pay to put an ad in the paper?

I don't think you are obliged to keep them. You've tried everything reasonably possible to contact her.

[joggerjayne]

Clearly they are abandoned.

I agree with Mosaic ... eBay them.

Put out of your mind the possibility that these were clothes that your father bought for himself.

[cathfromsaron]

certainly, legally she may have done enough already!

but if she is that worried i would, just cheaply in local paper of course!

but the woman also has an obligation to keep track of her own possessions, and if she has never asked about them ...

[HannaJayne52]

A similar thing happened to my mother although the items were only worth about £200 (new) but they had the price tags on them.
It was not worth getting legal advice but she was advised by the Citizen's Advice Bureau to put a small advert in the local paper which cost £10 and she then sold them on Ebay and got £70 for them after costs.
She has just put the £70 aside in case the person comes back but it has never happened.
As this was nearly 4 years ago the clothes would not be worth £70 now and I could not see the owner taking her to court for the amount involved if they think the clothes were worth more.

Hanna

[mrs_overall]

You have made efforts to trace her and given the length of time, I would say she has abandoned them.
Sell them on Ebay

[boxtops]

...and MaryJayne, do it today - it's free listing on eBay today!

[Kiki-frog]

If they've been in the house for a year, then chances are she's forgotten about them. And you've tried to trace her and she hasn't left a forwarding address, so I think you'd be perfectly justified in selling them.

[tamborine]

Sell them, if she claims, charge her storage !

[boxtops]

If you don't want to sell them, give them to a charity shop, they'd be thrilled to have them.

[tonywiltshire]

This would be covered by the Interference with goods act 1977, if you wish to be squeaky clean write to the person who left the goods, to the last known address, keeping a copy saying you will store them for 30 days (in law it is important to be shown to be reasonable) after which they will be disposed of and give a contact telephone number to arrange collection. After the period has expired dispose of the goods, but if you sell them the money does not belong to you so keep it ready to return if requested. You should not charge for the storage of the goods.

[HannaJayne52]

Tony's route is slightly different to what the Citizens Advice Bureau advised us to do but it is a good one.
I think you should send the letter recorded. Perhaps she has had her mail diverted to her new address.
This address may or may not be local.
I would be interested to know what is happening to the mail sent to her at her old address.
I queried a letter we received with a neighbour a little while ago.
She said the addressee lived in our house over 40 years ago and passed away at least 5 years ago.

Hanna

[tonywiltshire]

Hanna the CAB is an excellent organisation with good people who are usually trained volunteers and use a computer legal system that can be updated on a daily basis.
The court system does not use recorded delivery but usually first class post and will normally treat a letter as being served on the second day after posting, so something posted on a Monday first class will be served on Wednesday, and they will use the last known address. The problem with recorded delivery is that someone has to sign to say it has been received and there is not always someone who is prepared to sign.