Whats the Law on opening post?

Question

Ive moved into my new house, ive bought it and theres tons of post coming, what if i open them? even like accidently or sumit?
I KNOW that some of these are important paperwork, theres one here ive managed to read thru by putting on a spotlight and its summoning the previous home owner to court, I dont want the police knocking on my door when she doesnt turn up.

Is there a law on this matter?

Answer 1

Find the address of the previous occupant if possible, bag all the post as it comes and then pass it on. I think you will find it is illegal to open post not addressed to you. I has similar problem when the previous owners had court letters. Police were on my doorstep and I didnt have a forwarding address at that time so I gave the police the address of the estate agent who we bought the house through. They will put any official body in touch with previous owner for you.

Answer 2

As far as I am aware you must not open other peoples post it is against the law. I always cross through the address window and write beside no longer at this address.

If there is a contact address on the back and it is an official letter. I either write a brief note/letter stating that I live at that address now and when I moved in and any details of forwarding address for previous owner/ estate agent etc and then send letter and note back at that address.

Or I contact directory enquiries for the address and ring the company direct.

I hope that helps...

Answer 3

Most letters etc will have the sender's address on the envelope somewhere, even plain envelopes with franked postage on can be identified by the post office. Just put "gone away" through the previous occupiers name and put it back in the post. This will save you the hassle of disposing of all the mail and tell the sender that the previous occupier has moved on.

Answer 4

If a letter is marker "private", "Confidential" or "addressee only" no one but the intended recipetent can open the letter. The best thing to do is write on them "not known at this address" and put them back in the post box. They will then be returned to the company who sent them.

Answer 5

It's a offence to tamper with someone else's mail. Mark all envelopes, "moved from this address" and put them back into the post. If you did know where this person had moved to, re address them, and post them on.

Answer 6

It is illegal to open someone Else's mail, just write return to sender on the envelope and pop them into the post box.
I think the law is "interfering with H.M mail"

Answer 7

in case you have ability of Attornay over some one elses criminal & financial affairs, then it is not any longer unlawful to open that man or woman's mail, in case you do not have a PA rfile drawn up then that's. establishing yet another persons mail is an infringement of their civil liberties, their human rights & a gross invasion of their privateness, purely like telephone tapping, laptop hacking etc.

Answer 8

if you open one by mistake , just re/seal ::::: those and all the others ,cross out the address on the front ::::and write on the front "not known at this address" then post in the normal way !!!!!!! the post office will then redirect back !!!!!!
you could also tell your postman those addresssed with that name are not for you , he may then take back himself (mine did when i had the same prob)

Answer 9

file it in the bin, if it's that important the previous owner should have informed the sender of a change of address and/or had their mail redirected.

don't worry about any court summons, debt recovery etc. that aren't addressed to you, as they are not your legal responsibility. even if the bailiffs did turn up looking for the previous occupent (unlikely), you'd just have to show some ID proving who your were, and they'd leave you and your property alone.

Answer 10

its against the law to open someones post. stick them back in the postbox with "unknown at this address" written on the envelope