A bunch of letters to a church but my P.O. Box number. I opened it anyway and found out there were checks equalling to the amount of $45,325.00 but to the churchs name. What you do if you found all those checks?
2007-02-25 03:23:24 · 9 answers · asked by DrPepper 6 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
First of all, what can you do with a check not written to you........
you can't cash it. Well, some people might be able to, but they would have to commit fraud, which is a federal crime.
Then that leaves three other choices:
1. Since they weren't really sent to you, ignore them and discard them.
2. You could refuse to accept them, meaning "return to sender" and send them back to the post office.
3. Or you can be a Good Samaritan and see if you can find the churches phone number or address and let them know you have some of their mail and make sure to mention if they haven't done it yet, they need to put in a change of address.
No one can tell you what is right thing to do for YOU. You actually know the answer, look into and listen to your heart. The answer is there.
If the shoe was on the other foot, what would you hope the recipient of your mail would do?
2007-02-25 04:20:24 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you were to open mail that is not addressed to you, you could go to jail for mail fraud/ theft, depending on the circumstance.
Considering that you found more than what would classify as petty larceny, you could end up getting slapped with federal grand theft, mail theft and fraud. That is not to say that it will happen, just that it could if you were to somehow keep the money illegally.
Of course, it's up to you to decide if the risks outweigh the reward, but I am very confident that if you were to attempt to keep the money that the good times wouldn't last very long.
Perhaps the church would give you a reward of some kind for returning the money to them? Just a thought.
2007-02-25 11:34:31 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If the checks were not made out to you and you attempted to cash them you would be guilty of one or more species of fraud. If the checks came to your P.O. box via regular mail (United States Postal Service) contact the postal authorities and turn the mail over to them. Keep records of who you talked to and when.
Do not attempt to forward the checks to the party to whom they were made. If you do, it is possible that party will sue you claming that you only turned in part of the money and kept the rest.
2007-02-25 11:32:37 · answer #3 · answered by fredrick z 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Give them to the church, it is a federal offense to open someone else's mail
2007-02-25 11:31:29 · answer #4 · answered by winteraires 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well give them to the church of course. How could you even consider the question?
2007-02-25 11:31:36 · answer #5 · answered by Tracy 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Contact the Church and give them back. If you can't contact them, turn them into the Police Dept.
2007-02-25 11:29:04 · answer #6 · answered by Matt 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Take them back to the post office, tell them there was a mistake, and they can forward to the right place, or back to the sender.
2007-02-25 11:31:30 · answer #7 · answered by srena 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
hand them over to the post office and tell them what happened because if you cash them you can go to jail for forgery!case closed it's a federal offense!
2007-02-25 11:27:55 · answer #8 · answered by merychillsman2001 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
KEEP THEM!!! JK. WELL HOPEFULLY YOU DO THE RIGHT THING. GIVE THEM BACK. REMEMBER GOD WORKS IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS, IT COULD BE ONE OF YOUR TEST OF FAITH OR TRUST. DO WHAT YOU THINK IS RIGHT
2007-02-25 11:28:35 · answer #9 · answered by becca_042002 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋