So my roommate moved out (not a happy ending), and I haven't spoken to her since (no desire to since she stole from me). She is apparently stupid enough not to change her address to her new apartment, so I am still getting her mails. Mostly junk but some are important. I just want to know if it's OK to just thraw them away. Yes I could be nice to return them, but I am not that nice. I figure since she doesn't care enough to change her address, why should I? Is there a law saying I have to do something with other people's mails?
2006-08-08 11:22:00 · 32 answers · asked by Ann H 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
There is no law that says you have to do something with other people's mail, but there IS a law that says there are some things you can't do, and destroying someone else's mail is on that list.
Just drop them back in the mail box and the post office will return them to sender. Or you could tell your postie that she doesn't live there any more and you don't have a forwarding address. He can have her mail relayed directly to the dead letter office and then the ball is in her court -- she has to call there too pick it up and to provide a new forwarding address.
Sorry things didn't work out for you.
2006-08-08 11:28:03 · answer #1 · answered by old lady 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
As others have posted, I think it may be a federal crime. I know it's a crime to obstruct the mail, but I'm not sure if what you're doing is considered obstruction.
Anyway, be nice. Just write on the envelope something like "return to sender- person no longer lives here". You should talk to the post office, too. Maybe there's a form you can fill out (sort of like a "change of address" form but without filling in a new address).
2006-08-08 11:28:30 · answer #2 · answered by dpfw16 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, you're not really responsible. However, it's illegal to tamper with mail, hence throwing away something that's not yours. If you still have contact information for this person, then I would politely let her know that you are still receiving her mails, and she needs to do a change-of-address. I would give her at most a month to do this.
At the present, I would gather them, and let the local post office know what's happened. Perhaps they can start re-routing the mail and returning them to the sender before they reach your house.
2006-08-08 11:24:45 · answer #3 · answered by webstoragea1 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't mess with her mail. It's a federal offense to tamper with another person's mail, and that includes trashing it. Plus that's just rude. All you have to do is write on the outside of the envelope "Not at this residence" or something to that effect. That way the post office can return it to the sender or check to see if she's got a new address on file yet.
2006-08-08 11:26:57 · answer #4 · answered by Amanda K 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't throw it out. Get a change of address card and put it in your mailbox with her name on it, marked with "Moved - no forwarding address" Put all the old mail back in the box with that card. The Post Office will keep the mail at the local branch until she comes in for it or changes her address.
That way anything that happens is her fault, not yours!
2006-08-08 11:29:31 · answer #5 · answered by merigold00 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well because you lived together for x amount of time I'd say that you are responsible, to some degree, for the stuff still coming to your place.to avoid any legal issues like throwing away all her mail, you should write "please forward" on the important stuff. All of the ads and crap that comes you can throw away with out a second thought. Sounds like your now ex-roommate is an a$$, and that means that you have to be the better of the two and be the grown-up. Good luck with this!
2006-08-08 11:30:10 · answer #6 · answered by Jay D 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are not responsible for the mail but you are also not allowed to throw it away. Write on the outside of it no longer at this address and send it back. Family works for post office.
2006-08-08 11:31:02 · answer #7 · answered by yp_later_kalispell 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes. You don't have to speak to her again if you don't want to. Just give it back to the mail person and tell them that she doesn't live there anymore or bundle it together and attach a note telling them the same thing. If that doesn't work, mark them all "Return to Sender". If she doesn't tell them where to send it, that is her problem. At least, you will stop the mail from coming to you and avoid any drama from the ex-roomy.
2006-08-08 11:35:10 · answer #8 · answered by baby_doll 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's a federal offense to destroy or open her mail. You need to mark the outside "No longer at this address" and put it back in the mail box. If it's just junk mail that says her name or current resident, it can be thrown out.
2006-08-08 11:28:16 · answer #9 · answered by dilligaf 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the ethical answer of course is the answer to the question "what would you want her to do if it were your mail?" The simplest way to get her mail forwarded is to do it for her - set up an automatic forward with the post office for your address to her new address. But if you don't want to do that, you can advise her to pick up her mail and set it up for herself. I am not sure of the legality of someone else's mail- the post office is supposed to deliver to the proper person. You can also write "return to sender" on it and dumping it back for them to search for her.
2006-08-08 11:32:33 · answer #10 · answered by ncmjohns 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋