Old Resident Continues to Have Packages Delivered to Old Address

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09-17-2018, 03:55 PM

rugrats2001 3,205 posts, read 2,346,015 times Reputation: 8548

Quote: Originally Posted by redplum33 Despite what someone at Amazon told the OP, it's illegal to open someone else's mail. It's also illegal to throw away someone else's mail. Amazon doesn't send mail. Mail goes through the USPS, and only through the USPS. I've never gotten an Amazon package through the USPS. If a package or even a piece of mail is delivered to your address, and it is MARKED with your address, there is no court in the country that will convict you of a crime for opening it, regardless of the name on the piece. So if I send a piece of mail to everyone in my town with my own name as the recipient, can I sue (and win) against everyone who doesn't return it? Will the postal service fine them? If I send it across state lines will the FBI get involved? The answer to all of these is NO. The laws against misdirecting or opening other people's mail were meant to apply to theft or diversion of packages or mail away from their marked address. Last edited by rugrats2001; 09-17-2018 at 04:04 PM..

09-17-2018, 04:31 PM

chicagoliz Location: East Coast 4,080 posts, read 3,104,433 times Reputation: 6290

Quote: Originally Posted by fleetiebelle I wonder if that's the time for social media. With NextDoor and specific neighborhood Facebook groups, someone could post something about "Does anyone know the X family who used to live on Y street? Packages for them are being sent to their old address." They might have friends or family who know how to get in touch with them. If someone has so much time on their hands that they just don't otherwise know what to do with themselves, then they should have at it. I don't have the time or inclination to bother. If the post office won't take it back, then that's it. Several times I have received packages for the woman who used to live in my house. But I have her email address, so when a package or something that looks important comes here, I email her. She is still friendly with some of the other neighbors and sees some of them occasionally, even though they moved to another state. So, she has asked me to give those items to that neighbor. But, if I had no way to contact the previous resident I wouldn't put much time trying to find them.

09-17-2018, 06:08 PM

Zymer Location: Log "cabin" west of Bangor 7,018 posts, read 8,348,304 times Reputation: 15453

Quote: Originally Posted by rugrats2001 Amazon doesn't send mail. Mail goes through the USPS, and only through the USPS. I've never gotten an Amazon package through the USPS. This is NOT true. Millions of people have gotten Amazon packages delivered by the USPS. There are several delivery options such as SmartPost and SurePost through which Fedex and other carriers deliver bulk loads to a private carrier, who then sorts and trucks the parcels to Post Offices where final delivery is carried out by the Postal carriers. I know this because for six years I worked for a trucking company which did exactly that. I have handled millions and millions of Amazon boxes that were ultimately delivered by USPS carriers. Sometimes, one should not make definitive statements when one doesn't know what one is talking about.

09-17-2018, 06:33 PM

meo92953 Location: Traveling 6,660 posts, read 5,273,264 times Reputation: 13905

TI, also, have gotten small items I ordered through Amazon via the post office. There were two places I lived where mail was sent to the previous tenant. I just wrote moved or no longer here on them & the post office took care of it. I did once receive an incorrectly packaged item from Amazon. It was for some vitamins I ordered but I received someone else's order and I assume they received mine. Amazon told me not to bother sending them back and re-shipped the correct product to me.

09-17-2018, 06:36 PM

Whyrallnamestaken Location: Houston area 791 posts, read 1,002,907 times Reputation: 1794

Have a garage sale to make money for your troubles.

09-18-2018, 04:35 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by redplum33 Despite what someone at Amazon told the OP, it's illegal to open someone else's mail. It's also illegal to throw away someone else's mail. And if it's registered mail they will know\be able to prove you received it....

09-18-2018, 06:02 AM

16,196 posts, read 23,532,971 times Reputation: 26903

Talk to your mail person. There is a form that you fill out that stops delivery of old residents....we had to do it for our rental last year.

09-18-2018, 11:07 AM

Nov3 12,524 posts, read 6,747,652 times Reputation: 29631

Quote: Originally Posted by rugrats2001 Amazon doesn't send mail. Mail goes through the USPS, and only through the USPS. I've never gotten an Amazon package through the USPS. If a package or even a piece of mail is delivered to your address, and it is MARKED with your address, there is no court in the country that will convict you of a crime for opening it, regardless of the name on the piece. So if I send a piece of mail to everyone in my town with my own name as the recipient, can I sue (and win) against everyone who doesn't return it? Will the postal service fine them? If I send it across state lines will the FBI get involved? The answer to all of these is NO. The laws against misdirecting or opening other people's mail were meant to apply to theft or diversion of packages or mail away from their marked address. Please stop misguiding folks. A federal statute known as 18 USC Section 1702 makes it illegal to open correspondence addressed to someone else. Tampering with mail is a federal offense. So yes a federal court can and has convicted persons. I cannot LEGALLY open private mail addressed to a relative WITHOUT their consent. And yes that person can live at my address. Its put into place to protect privacy rights even within an abode. THe OP is obviously frustrated with this long term dilema of mail/packages from the former residence. His/Her Duty is to mark it return to sender and leave it for the postal carrier or entity of service that delivered it. (FEDEX, UPS?DHL?) . I don't open packages that are not addressed with my name. ALl it takes is one mishap and I am a design on someones walls....

09-18-2018, 12:00 PM

Javacoffee 6,455 posts, read 3,672,134 times Reputation: 29539

Quote: Originally Posted by Nov3 Please stop misguiding folks. A federal statute known as 18 USC Section 1702 makes it illegal to open correspondence addressed to someone else. Tampering with mail is a federal offense. So yes a federal court can and has convicted persons. I cannot LEGALLY open private mail addressed to a relative WITHOUT their consent. And yes that person can live at my address. Its put into place to protect privacy rights even within an abode. THe OP is obviously frustrated with this long term dilema of mail/packages from the former residence. His/Her Duty is to mark it return to sender and leave it for the postal carrier or entity of service that delivered it. (FEDEX, UPS?DHL?) . I don't open packages that are not addressed with my name. ALl it takes is one mishap and I am a design on someones walls.... Did you read the part about this happening to her for more than a year? She's done everything she can think of already. Tampering with the US mail, my foot! The USPS is tampering with her by refusing to correct this problem. There isn't a jury anywhere that would convict this person of a crime. Stop using scare tactics. Enough is enough.

09-18-2018, 12:06 PM

emm74 Location: Denver CO 24,207 posts, read 17,080,400 times Reputation: 38214

Quote: Originally Posted by Nov3 Please stop misguiding folks. A federal statute known as 18 USC Section 1702 makes it illegal to open correspondence addressed to someone else. Tampering with mail is a federal offense. So yes a federal court can and has convicted persons. I cannot LEGALLY open private mail addressed to a relative WITHOUT their consent. And yes that person can live at my address. Its put into place to protect privacy rights even within an abode. THe OP is obviously frustrated with this long term dilema of mail/packages from the former residence. His/Her Duty is to mark it return to sender and leave it for the postal carrier or entity of service that delivered it. (FEDEX, UPS?DHL?) . I don't open packages that are not addressed with my name. ALl it takes is one mishap and I am a design on someones walls.... You really think a delivery company randomly stops by addresses where they've dropped off a package to make sure someone hasn't put it back out with a note to return to sender? Spoiler alert, they don't. OP, I would try contacting your realtor to reach out to the other party's realtor and see if they can sort it out. Maybe even explicitly say that you will be disposing of items if they get delivered to your address and hopefully that will put a stop to it. I really can't see what benefit it is to the prior owner to not update their address, but assuming they actually want these items, maybe that will light a fire? As for the legalities, I'm not sure, but I think you've done what is reasonable and beyond. I can't see where you own an obligation in perpetuity to fix someone else's mess.

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