Previous owner still using our address for banking

Section62

steven141 said:

HobgoblinBT said:

If you really are annoyed and wish them to sort this out soon then you could always try the nuclear option.  Bank “gone away” process can be a bit slow to block a bank account. This method might prove quicker.

Use their bank details from their bank statements to call their telephone banking service and fail the security. Three times should be sufficient for their telephone and possibly mobile phone access to be blocked.  This might prompt them to update their details including their address.  

It might also make them realise that not updating their address does not protect their data.

I'm sure it is illegal to open mail that isn't addressed to you. It's best to return anything as 'gone away' in the post box.

It isn't illegal to open mail correctly delivered to your address, but it probably would be illegal to use information you've obtained from that mail to actually attempt to gain access to their banking services.

If the customer contacts their bank to report the blocked access (assuming this method had worked) the bank may investigate how the account came to be blocked and potentially trace the calls back to you.  It would be difficult to explain how you, as someone in possession of someone else's banking details, had made multiple attempts to unlawfully access their telephone banking service, and you may struggle to convince them that you only did so with altruistic intent.

In short, it would be a really bad idea to do that, rather than just returning the mail to sender (or properly disposing of it).

pochisoldi

As far as opening mail or chucking it away is concerned:
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/26/section/84 seems to cover this.

Section 84(1) says that it is an offence to open or delay an item in the course of transmission by post.
Once the item has been delivered to your house, it is no longer in transmission, so this section doesn't apply.

Section 84 (3) says
"A person commits an offence if, intending to act to a person’s detriment and without reasonable excuse, he opens a postal packet which he knows or reasonably suspects has been incorrectly delivered to him."

Opening a letter without looking at the front of it is a reasonable excuse in my house, because as the sole occupant, it is reasonable to assume that the vast majority of letters delivered to me are actually addressed to me.

Opening a letter to find out who sent it is (a) not acting to anyone's detriment, and (b) is a reasonable excuse for opening the packet, since it is better for a packet to be forwarded to the intended recipient, or returned to the sender, than chucked in the bin.

Back in the mists of time, I received a misaddressed item (right address, completely unknown name) - I opened it, and it related to a court matter, where (a) "time was of the essence", and (b) absolute discretion was required (family court stuff - nuff said). A phone call to the sender resulted in a senior member of staff rushing to my door to collect the document, with a look of relief when the envelope and contents were handed over.

HobgoblinBT

I see that there is a law that in some instances makes it illegal to open someone else’s mail.  However, a defence is that you have a good reason, in this case the reason being to attempt to trace the addressee in order to prompt them to update their address with various correspondents.  It seems from my limited research that the Police are reluctant to prosecute cases of wrongful opening of mail.  A private prosecution could always be attempted but  that is likely to be costly so unlikely unless a substantial loss is incurred as a result,  so the risk of being prosecuted are almost non existent.

Is there actually any instances of anyone being prosecuted for opening someone else’s mail?  Asking for a friend…….

Yorkie1

HobgoblinBT said:

I see that there is a law that in some instances makes it illegal to open someone else’s mail.  However, a defence is that you have a good reason, in this case the reason being to attempt to trace the addressee in order to prompt them to update their address with various correspondents.  

You missed the second part of the defence, which is the intent to do something to the addressee's detriment.

It seems from my limited research that the Police are reluctant to prosecute cases of wrongful opening of mail.

Because the evidence is not there in most cases.

A private prosecution could always be attempted but  that is likely to be costly so unlikely unless a substantial loss is incurred as a result,  so the risk of being prosecuted are almost non existent.

Also likely to be taken over and dropped on the grounds of insufficient evidence.

Is there actually any instances of anyone being prosecuted for opening someone else’s mail?  Asking for a friend…….

There has been the occasional case of interception s.83(1) but cannot recall any of s.83(3).

See above.

cannugec5

24 years ago we bought our current property. We still get mail for the previous occupier! 

Actually we see the previous owner socially and she is not interested in any mail, nor has been for years. Specifically the persistent mail is addressed to one of her stepsons who was still a child when he lived here. It comes from a bank and we have always returned to sender. It doesn’t bother me, it’s no real effort to mark it and pop it in the post box. However those saying returned mail starts some sort of system that eventually stops it are wrong in this instance. 

subjecttocontract

In  that situation, I might save up all the mail, place it in one large envelope and mail it back to the sender without a stamp.
Just for the hell of it !

Hoenir

subjecttocontract said:

In  that situation, I might save up all the mail, place it in one large envelope and mail it back to the sender without a stamp.
Just for the hell of it !

Doesn't require a stamp to simply return a piece of mail to sender. Mail sent without a stamp probably won't be delivered as the receipient will decline acceptance. 

robatwork

I had 2 black bagfuls of mail to deal with when I moved in 6 years ago. After a few months I got fed up with the "Return to Sender" game with banks and other institutions who didn't get the message. Court documents, the works. 

I still get them from some persistent offenders - Halifax sent Mr Wentaway Withnoforwardingaddress a notification of change of interest last week. Barclaycard are another who didn't get the (dozens of) message/s. I don't add to the Post Office's work by returning now. 

subjecttocontract

Hoenir said:

subjecttocontract said:

In  that situation, I might save up all the mail, place it in one large envelope and mail it back to the sender without a stamp.
Just for the hell of it !

Doesn't require a stamp to simply return a piece of mail to sender. Mail sent without a stamp probably won't be delivered as the receipient will decline acceptance. 

I'm aware that return to sender doesn't require a stamp but......, if you have a situation where you are receiving a large amount of post for previous owner, it can get rather monotonous writing return to sender on every envelope. I've had this situation many times as a landlord when tenants have moved out and not set up a redirect with the post.

Section62

subjecttocontract said:

Hoenir said:

subjecttocontract said:

In  that situation, I might save up all the mail, place it in one large envelope and mail it back to the sender without a stamp.
Just for the hell of it !

Doesn't require a stamp to simply return a piece of mail to sender. Mail sent without a stamp probably won't be delivered as the receipient will decline acceptance. 

I'm aware that return to sender doesn't require a stamp but......, if you have a situation where you are receiving a large amount of post for previous owner, it can get rather monotonous writing return to sender on every envelope. I've had this situation many times as a landlord when tenants have moved out and not set up a redirect with the post.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/156110970327

Also works on enveloped junk mail and TV licence threat-o-grams.

(similar stamps available from other retailers)