Tampering with mail

tbourner

Didn't really know where else to put this.

Are you allowed to open mail sent to your address with a previous owners name on it? What about if it has no return address and you wanted to find out who to return it to and tell them they're not at the address any more?

Swan_2

it is legal to open mail addressed other people, provided that your intent is not to defraud, so if you want to open it to find a return address you'll be ok

I used to get a lot of mail for the previous occupants of this flat, I used to return it, but now the few that still turn up just get binned

gordikin

Personally I'd mark the envelope as 'Not known at this address' and stick it in a post box and let the Royal Mail deal with it.

tbourner

Me too, this is a mate at work though he said he opened it being nosy as it didn't have any return address on it, and it's a debt collection agency saying the usual. He was worried that baillifts would come round and take stuff off him, but also that he'd broken the law by opening it in the first place so his knowledge of the letter would come back to bite him.

I've told him he's done nothing wrong, and if he's worried to write to them and say he's been living there a couple of months only. I'm sure they'll ignore it and if anyone does come round just make sure you have ID available and can say unless they prove the debt is in his name then bu*ger off!

Evilm

I have rang a company that was sending the previous tenant mail before (they had identifiers on the outside of the envelope) and they asked me to open it to give them the details.

I think its ok to open it and ring the company sending it (if they are ignoring returned mail) to inform them the person has moved on.

rsykes2000

Evilm wrote: »

I think its ok to open it and ring the company sending it (if they are ignoring returned mail) to inform them the person has moved on.

It is entirely legal to open letters to former occupants that have been correctly delivered, no matter what name is on them. It becomes illegal if you use any information contained in them to the detriment of the addressee.