opening someone elses mail addressed to my house...?
Discussion
I've been googling if you can open mail addressed to someone else's name, and im getting a mixed bag of responses.
The situation is that I'm dealing with a scammer who illegally made himself president of my company in the US and is attempting to sell my house. The letter is addressed to 'his name' president 'my company' to my london address and is from the escrow company. Obviously I rather urgently need to know whats in this letter!
Can I legally open this letter?
Postal Services Act 2000
A person commits an offence if, intending to act to a person's detriment and without reasonable excuse, they open a postal packet which they know or reasonably suspects has been incorrectly delivered to them.
I would say that I have 'reasonable excuse'?
The situation is that I'm dealing with a scammer who illegally made himself president of my company in the US and is attempting to sell my house. The letter is addressed to 'his name' president 'my company' to my london address and is from the escrow company. Obviously I rather urgently need to know whats in this letter!
Can I legally open this letter?
Postal Services Act 2000
A person commits an offence if, intending to act to a person's detriment and without reasonable excuse, they open a postal packet which they know or reasonably suspects has been incorrectly delivered to them.
I would say that I have 'reasonable excuse'?
Some years ago I had the same in a rented flat - The name on the envelope wasn't any of the previous tenants etc and it was clearly a significant letter from a Bank.
It turned out to be notice of the date the property would be repossessed (Landlord hadn't been paying the mortgage) - I was able to apply to the Court to become Party to the proceedings, which ultimately served to delay repossession by 2 months and allowed me to move out without their assistance!!
More recently, a house we have lived in for 15+ years had similar and it turned out to be a debt collection agency for someone who had joined a Gym and given our address - We were able to deal with it immediately without any Court or Credit reference Agency issues.
It turned out to be notice of the date the property would be repossessed (Landlord hadn't been paying the mortgage) - I was able to apply to the Court to become Party to the proceedings, which ultimately served to delay repossession by 2 months and allowed me to move out without their assistance!!
More recently, a house we have lived in for 15+ years had similar and it turned out to be a debt collection agency for someone who had joined a Gym and given our address - We were able to deal with it immediately without any Court or Credit reference Agency issues.
BrettMRC said:
You answered your own question there, you have a reasonable excuse.
Given what is going on, have you already got legal support?
yup, opened everything and sent to lawyers. Unbelievable, he's taken a loan out against the property. Police and lawyers looking at it all now. Given what is going on, have you already got legal support?
Just crazy how easy all this is to do...
The Gauge said:
I still get mail for the previous occupant of my house which I bought 17yrs ago. I open every letter and then bin them.
That reminds me of our last house, where the previous owners used to get a contact magazine ( 
) delivered every month, but obviously forgot to change the address when they moved. There must have been a forwarding service set up for the mail for the first couple of months, but then we started getting the mag every month until I assume they realised and changed the address. It was eye opening to say the least !There is a UK.gov Land Registry service where one can set an alert if anyone tries to file anything against your owned abode, change ownership, file claims, etc.
I came across it a couple years ago and registered our property. About once a quarter I get an email no change.
Seems as it is a free service more should do so. It at least would alert you if someone's trying it on!
I came across it a couple years ago and registered our property. About once a quarter I get an email no change.
Seems as it is a free service more should do so. It at least would alert you if someone's trying it on!
HotJambalaya said:
I've been googling if you can open mail addressed to someone else's name, and im getting a mixed bag of responses.
The situation is that I'm dealing with a scammer who illegally made himself president of my company in the US and is attempting to sell my house. The letter is addressed to 'his name' president 'my company' to my london address and is from the escrow company. Obviously I rather urgently need to know whats in this letter!
Can I legally open this letter?
Postal Services Act 2000
A person commits an offence if, intending to act to a person's detriment and without reasonable excuse, they open a postal packet which they know or reasonably suspects has been incorrectly delivered to them.
I would say that I have 'reasonable excuse'?
Ask your neighbour to open a dispute with you about the boundary fence or a tree, that will mean he cannot sell your house til it is resolved.... The situation is that I'm dealing with a scammer who illegally made himself president of my company in the US and is attempting to sell my house. The letter is addressed to 'his name' president 'my company' to my london address and is from the escrow company. Obviously I rather urgently need to know whats in this letter!
Can I legally open this letter?
Postal Services Act 2000
A person commits an offence if, intending to act to a person's detriment and without reasonable excuse, they open a postal packet which they know or reasonably suspects has been incorrectly delivered to them.
I would say that I have 'reasonable excuse'?
I opened mail from banks etc that arrived at my last address, addressed to someone who had been repossessed ( I bought the house off the bank).
I felt sorry for them at first because they had clearly had to leave without the kids bunk beds etc.
I later found out that the post was debt chasing letters addressed to a woman who was in jail for defrauding a charity she worked for, and another employer before that. The joys of the countryside network, people know each other's business.
At the end of the day, everyone can pay to have their mail forwarded.
But your credit record can be affected by negative happenings connected to your address, so you need to find out and deal with anything negative.
I felt sorry for them at first because they had clearly had to leave without the kids bunk beds etc.
I later found out that the post was debt chasing letters addressed to a woman who was in jail for defrauding a charity she worked for, and another employer before that. The joys of the countryside network, people know each other's business.
At the end of the day, everyone can pay to have their mail forwarded.
But your credit record can be affected by negative happenings connected to your address, so you need to find out and deal with anything negative.
Quite simply if it’s addressed to your company, then, as an officer of that company, you can open the letter.
The Royal Mail rule, AFAIK, is that Mail is delivered to an address, not a person. There may be other limitations such as ‘to be opened by addressee’ or similar, this would apply to HMRC stuff, for instance.
The Royal Mail rule, AFAIK, is that Mail is delivered to an address, not a person. There may be other limitations such as ‘to be opened by addressee’ or similar, this would apply to HMRC stuff, for instance.
Edited by Pica-Pica on Thursday 30th May 13:47
QBee said:
I opened mail from banks etc that arrived at my last address, addressed to someone who had been repossessed ( I bought the house off the bank).
I felt sorry for them at first because they had clearly had to leave without the kids bunk beds etc.
I later found out that the post was debt chasing letters addressed to a woman who was in jail for defrauding a charity she worked for, and another employer before that. The joys of the countryside network, people know each other's business.
At the end of the day, everyone can pay to have their mail forwarded.
But your credit record can be affected by negative happenings connected to your address, so you need to find out and deal with anything negative.
In amongst the crap we have had delivered to house house courtesy of our neighbours lodgers (she told Air BnB, Spare Room etc that her address was ours, as she didn't want to put ##A) has been bank cards with PIN`s, summons for attempted rape, payslips, cheques. All for people that had long since moved out. Once they realised she was an absolute pyschopath they would all go pretty quickly, normally when she was out. Credit records are more on the person than the address, as we have checked ours numerous times due to the issues already mentioned. I felt sorry for them at first because they had clearly had to leave without the kids bunk beds etc.
I later found out that the post was debt chasing letters addressed to a woman who was in jail for defrauding a charity she worked for, and another employer before that. The joys of the countryside network, people know each other's business.
At the end of the day, everyone can pay to have their mail forwarded.
But your credit record can be affected by negative happenings connected to your address, so you need to find out and deal with anything negative.
Red9zero said:
QBee said:
I opened mail from banks etc that arrived at my last address, addressed to someone who had been repossessed ( I bought the house off the bank).
I felt sorry for them at first because they had clearly had to leave without the kids bunk beds etc.
I later found out that the post was debt chasing letters addressed to a woman who was in jail for defrauding a charity she worked for, and another employer before that. The joys of the countryside network, people know each other's business.
At the end of the day, everyone can pay to have their mail forwarded.
But your credit record can be affected by negative happenings connected to your address, so you need to find out and deal with anything negative.
In amongst the crap we have had delivered to house house courtesy of our neighbours lodgers (she told Air BnB, Spare Room etc that her address was ours, as she didn't want to put ##A) has been bank cards with PIN`s, summons for attempted rape, payslips, cheques. All for people that had long since moved out. Once they realised she was an absolute pyschopath they would all go pretty quickly, normally when she was out. Credit records are more on the person than the address, as we have checked ours numerous times due to the issues already mentioned. I felt sorry for them at first because they had clearly had to leave without the kids bunk beds etc.
I later found out that the post was debt chasing letters addressed to a woman who was in jail for defrauding a charity she worked for, and another employer before that. The joys of the countryside network, people know each other's business.
At the end of the day, everyone can pay to have their mail forwarded.
But your credit record can be affected by negative happenings connected to your address, so you need to find out and deal with anything negative.
Once I was established there, and had my horses there too, I was buying horse feeds etc.
It was the guy delivering my hay and straw who knew the previous owners and told me the saga.
Shortly after that the nasty letters started arriving, clearly from credit card companies etc
I am aware that if those letters go unanswered you will eventually get a county court judgement lodged and bailiffs turning up.
It would have been just my luck if they turned up on the days I was 50 miles away, and my deaf wife had had to understand what was going on and deal with them.
She's by no means weak, but it would have shaken her and spoiled her enjoyment of our new home in the country.
Best to measure the size of the s
t before it hits your fan, and divert it back to sender if possible.QBee said:
Initially most of the mail went in the bin, as I had no forwarding address and it was obviously junk mail.
Once I was established there, and had my horses there too, I was buying horse feeds etc.
It was the guy delivering my hay and straw who knew the previous owners and told me the saga.
Shortly after that the nasty letters started arriving, clearly from credit card companies etc
I am aware that if those letters go unanswered you will eventually get a county court judgement lodged and bailiffs turning up.
It would have been just my luck if they turned up on the days I was 50 miles away, and my deaf wife had had to understand what was going on and deal with them.
She's by no means weak, but it would have shaken her and spoiled her enjoyment of our new home in the country.
Best to measure the size of the st before it hits your fan, and divert it back to sender if possible.
Our postie gave me most of the story in our case. Apparently our neighbour had asked him to deliver all of our post to her, so she could check which of it was for her or her lodgers. He obviously refused, but that gave us the push to start opening letters. As you say, we had some threatening bailiffs, which is not what you need. Once I was established there, and had my horses there too, I was buying horse feeds etc.
It was the guy delivering my hay and straw who knew the previous owners and told me the saga.
Shortly after that the nasty letters started arriving, clearly from credit card companies etc
I am aware that if those letters go unanswered you will eventually get a county court judgement lodged and bailiffs turning up.
It would have been just my luck if they turned up on the days I was 50 miles away, and my deaf wife had had to understand what was going on and deal with them.
She's by no means weak, but it would have shaken her and spoiled her enjoyment of our new home in the country.
Best to measure the size of the s
t before it hits your fan, and divert it back to sender if possible.Steve-B said:
There is a UK.gov Land Registry service where one can set an alert if anyone tries to file anything against your owned abode, change ownership, file claims, etc.
I came across it a couple years ago and registered our property. About once a quarter I get an email no change.
Seems as it is a free service more should do so. It at least would alert you if someone's trying it on!
I have done this on my fathers home as it is unmortgaged now just in case. I came across it a couple years ago and registered our property. About once a quarter I get an email no change.
Seems as it is a free service more should do so. It at least would alert you if someone's trying it on!
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