Receiving mail addressed to former tenants

[BigB08822]

For the LONGEST time we received mail at our house for the people who lived here a short while. We bought our house from the builder but he had some friends who moved here from up North and they lived in the house 2-3 months before we bought it. All I know is someone was getting a lot of mail from Child Support Services and it looks like someone else definitely was being tracked down for owing money or something. I never opened anything, not legal, but the amount was very telling. I actually forgot all about it and just realized because of this thread that the mail stopped, probably a year or so ago. Thank goodness, maybe they finally tracked them down at their new address.

[Aussie Willy]

^ That reminds me of the mail I got for a previous resident which were obviously fines of some kind - probably for speeding. Those I sent back with a big "No longer lives here" on them. Didn't want the Sherrif turning up to confiscate stuff thinking it was me who did it.

[Bunny Hop]

The funniest mail from a previous resident I ever got was a video catalogue for a sex shop. I noticed it came from Canberra (which funny enough at the time was probably the only place in Australia that sold sex videos by mail) and thought it was a bit strange. So decided to open it and have a look. Gave my boyfriend at the time and myself a good laugh going through the titles.

A similar thing happened to us the first year we were in the UK. I opened a plain brown envelope addressed to the previous tenant in order to look for a return address. Soon found out why there wasn't a 'If undelivered return to...' on the outside, as it was a catalogue for naughty videos. I don't think I found the return address either - there was just a phone number. I chucked those in the bin after that.

With mail for previous occupants I usually just cross out the address, write 'Not known at this address: Return to Sender' on the envelope, and stick them in a post box next time I'm posting anything. I cross out the address so they don't come back to me (this has happened). I tend not to throw away anything except obvious bulk, as returning to sender does eventually stop the wrongly addressed stuff arriving.

[misskarne]

The funniest mail from a previous resident I ever got was a video catalogue for a sex shop. I noticed it came from Canberra (which funny enough at the time was probably the only place in Australia that sold sex videos by mail) and thought it was a bit strange. So decided to open it and have a look. Gave my boyfriend at the time and myself a good laugh going through the titles.

I live in Canberra I don't like that we were the only place legal to buy sex stuff, (I think at the time marajuana was legal too) and banned fireworks completely.

I just had a crappy thing happen, with regard to the mail. My mother passed away 3 weeks ago which, in and of itself, was devastating. I am executor of her will. I probated the will 2 weeks ago, the Letters of Testamentary were sent to me at the correct address. Somehow they were delivered to the wrong place. The 9 X 12 envelope was opened along the long side (sliced, not torn). Whoever opened it must have realized it wasn't their mail, shoved the Surrogate Certificates back in and threw it back in the mail. Never resealed or taped the envelope closed. They arrived at my home at least a week late, holding up my ability to handle some urgent affairs. The Certificates were half out of the envelope and could have fallen out completely. Can you imagine opening something that important, regarding the loss of a family member and not even having the decency to re-close the envelope? What kind of person is that callous?

Probably the same type of callous people that continued to send letters to my grandmother addressed to my grandfather. This went on for months after my grandpa died. The worst were the ones sent from the mesothelioma compensation people. They were addressing them to HIM when they knew full well he was dead.

*

I've had similar experiences with a PO Box, believe it or not. I got the box so I could get letters from my overseas friends and other things without them getting mixed up in the family mail, and for ages I kept getting letters addressed to some Yang guy, from a place in Queensland! I kept stepping into the post office and returning them. On the fourth attempt I told them baldly I was not "Yang" and I never would be and I would appreciate not getting his mail. After that they put a post-it on the slot of my PO Box saying "No Yang!"

[Karina1974]

With mail for previous occupants I usually just cross out the address, write 'Not known at this address: Return to Sender' on the envelope, and stick them in a post box next time I'm posting anything. I cross out the address so they don't come back to me (this has happened). I tend not to throw away anything except obvious bulk, as returning to sender does eventually stop the wrongly addressed stuff arriving.

The best way to stop mail coming to you that is meant for the previous tenant is to give it directly to the carrier and inform them that the tenant is no longer at that address (this is what my 30-year USPS vet buddy told me last night when I asked him about this subject). They will make a note of that. If you just throw the mail in a random mail box, the carrier will still think that tenant lives at your address.

One of the places he used to deliver to was an apartment complex (he now is a leasing consultant for a sister complex), and he used to keep a list at his mail casing station of who was living where, who had added or lost a roommate, etc. He used to do the rest of the route first (as it was mostly businesses), and then go back and do the complex last, even though the complex wasn't the last stop. I could always tell when he had a sub because we would get our mail so much later in the day than normal (because the sub would do the complex when they came to it).

[numbers123]

Probably the same type of callous people that continued to send letters to my grandmother addressed to my grandfather. This went on for months after my grandpa died. The worst were the ones sent from the mesothelioma compensation people. They were addressing them to HIM when they knew full well he was dead.

One faction of the organization probably did know that your grandpa died, but another department didn't. They may have just been sending things from the mailing list that hadn't been updated.
I am sorry that happened to you. It happened to my husband when his mom died too.

[Moto Guzzi]

I've lived in my house since 1986, and we still get mail addressed to previous owners. We throw out the junk mail but write "Not at this address; return to sender" on anything that isn't junk.

Several years ago, somebody with the same last name moved into the townhouse two doors down from mine. I met her several months after she moved in. When she learned my name, she told me that she'd been getting mail addressed to me, including bills and personal stuff, and had been throwing it away. I asked her why she didn't just return it to the mail carrier or drop it through my mail slot which is what I had been doing with her mail I had mistakenly received, and she said it hadn't occurred to her.

[cruisin]

I would like to say thank you to everyone who has expressed condolences, on the loss of my mother. It was very unexpected and happened very fast. I suppose that it was a blessing, for her, that she did not suffer and it was quick. But, it has been very hard for my brother, my family, and myself to process. I'm still not sure I have accepted it. It was an aortic dissection. My mother had had a 10" stent put in her aorta 7 years ago, to treat a thoracic, aortic aneurism. The surgery went well, but 3 years ago it started to leak at the bottom end. Because it would have occluded the arteries going into her legs, they could not extend the stent. A year ago, they saw that it had stopped leaking, we were very happy. In December, of this year, Mom went to the hospital with a UTI that went systemic. She exhibited some fibrillation (probably because she hadn't taken her blood pressure meds for 3 days), so they put her on coumadin. Both my mother and I expressed concern about coumadin with a history of her aortic stent leak. The doctors insisted. After the hospital, she went into rehab for several weeks, and was in better shape than she'd been for 2 years. More energy, happier, etc., we had "Mom" back. Two months on coumadin later, the leak opened up and she bled out. I'm very angry, but coumadin is protocol for fibrillation and that's that.

****Something I found out during this horrible experience: an infection, a cold, the flu, med changes - all can cause the body to metabolize coumadin differently. Even if the level has been stable for a long time. No one told us that. No one was checking my mother's white count, to see if the UTI had come back (she had it for 4 weeks). So, for anyone who is on, or has a loved one on coumadin - talk to your/their doctor about that. What do I do in the event that I/loved one gets sick and I/they are on coumadin.****

As distressing as it is to you, they probably just looked at who it was addressed to, realised it wasn't for them and put the stuff back in the envelope without knowing what it was even about. It wasn't their fault they got your mail. They could have just tossed it in the rubbish. Unfortunately the emotional weight of the situation on your part doesn't necessarily mean that people are going deal with things in an any more special way than what they probably would normally do.

I appreciate what you are saying. But, the documents have a raised seal and are quite official looking. I also realize that it is emotional for me. However, if I accidentally opened someone else's mail and put it out to be re-delivered, I would re-seal the envelope. at least tape it closed. Regardless of what was in it. The fact that these were clearly legal documents, with a very specific and brief cover letter, just makes that more glaring to me.

Probably the same type of callous people that continued to send letters to my grandmother addressed to my grandfather. This went on for months after my grandpa died. The worst were the ones sent from the mesothelioma compensation people. They were addressing them to HIM when they knew full well he was dead.

I still get mail addressed to my father, he passed away almost 3 years ago. Most of it is "junk" mail. But, recently, I actually got a bill from a doctor from 4 years ago. I called the office and said I would not pay it. That my father had been deceased for 2 years, the estate was settled, and that I had no way of even knowing if they'd treated my father for that service. They didn't argue, they knew that 4 years was a bit too long to wait to send a bill . It makes me sad when I get mail for him, but much of it is computer generated, they just don't update their lists efficiently. They should be more considerate, though.

[antmanb]

One faction of the organization probably did know that your grandpa died, but another department didn't. They may have just been sending things from the mailing list that hadn't been updated.
I am sorry that happened to you. It happened to my husband when his mom died too.

At the last place I worked (law firm)there was a huge furore and heads rolled because the client database was never updated properly. As a consequence the trusts and estates department who had handled the probate of a couple of directors of corporations who were corporate clients had updated the database for the individuals but not the corporations. As a result newsletters were sent to the home addresses of the directors in their names some 6 months after their deaths. Needless to say the widows phoned up in floods of tears at the upset it caused and also astounded that the firm which handled all of the probate could send out letters personally addressed to their husbands.

[Gypsy]

I would like to say thank you to everyone who has expressed condolences, on the loss of my mother. It was very unexpected and happened very fast. I suppose that it was a blessing, for her, that she did not suffer and it was quick. But, it has been very hard for my brother, my family, and myself to process. I'm still not sure I have accepted it. It was an aortic dissection. My mother had had a 10" stent put in her aorta 7 years ago, to treat a thoracic, aortic aneurism. The surgery went well, but 3 years ago it started to leak at the bottom end. Because it would have occluded the arteries going into her legs, they could not extend the stent. A year ago, they saw that it had stopped leaking, we were very happy. In December, of this year, Mom went to the hospital with a UTI that went systemic. She exhibited some fibrillation (probably because she hadn't taken her blood pressure meds for 3 days), so they put her on coumadin. Both my mother and I expressed concern about coumadin with a history of her aortic stent leak. The doctors insisted. After the hospital, she went into rehab for several weeks, and was in better shape than she'd been for 2 years. More energy, happier, etc., we had "Mom" back. Two months on coumadin later, the leak opened up and she bled out. I'm very angry, but coumadin is protocol for fibrillation and that's that.

****Something I found out during this horrible experience: an infection, a cold, the flu, med changes - all can cause the body to metabolize coumadin differently. Even if the level has been stable for a long time. No one told us that. No one was checking my mother's white count, to see if the UTI had come back (she had it for 4 weeks). So, for anyone who is on, or has a loved one on coumadin - talk to your/their doctor about that. What do I do in the event that I/loved one gets sick and I/they are on coumadin.****

I am so sorry for your loss.

Excellent advice.

Blood thinners are a very serious medication. I am on warfrin (the generic form of coumadin) since my valve replacement in 2009. I have to have my INR monitored monthly or more often if the count is off. I know just how easy it is for many things to change my counts. My heart clinic is adamant about me calling if I am sick, if I see more bruising or there are any changes I notice so that they can get me in right away to make sure I do not need to adjust my dosage.

[Anemone]

I am still getting mail for the previous resident of my apartment and I've been here for almost a year. The same half dozen places send mail every 2-4 weeks. I keep writing "not at this address, return to sender" on it, but I wonder just how many of these do those senders need to get before they update their records and stop sending it here?

[HisWeirness]

In the case of certain catalogs, etc., I've had some success contacting the company on the web or over the phone and telling them that X no longer lives at this address and to please remove the address from their mailing list, stopping all mailings. This stopped a bunch of catalogs (i.e. Victoria's Secret, etc.) that came often and that I was tired of putting in the trash.

https://www.catalogchoice.org/ is also a great resource for stopping unwanted mail.

[JasperBoy]

Isn't it against the law to interfere with the delivery of the mail? To me, that would include discarding mail that is addressed to another person.

Writing "Not at this address" or "Return to Sender" is a pain when it goes on for months. But it is just wrong to toss something that belongs to another person.

We often get a sub postie in February, just about the time when tax receipts are being delivered. I can never be certain that we have received everything, judging by the stuff that gets in our mailbox in error. We get mail for other units and other addresses. At least we don't get stuff for the previous owner....after 7 years.

[numbers123]

I am still getting mail for the previous resident of my apartment and I've been here for almost a year. The same half dozen places send mail every 2-4 weeks. I keep writing "not at this address, return to sender" on it, but I wonder just how many of these do those senders need to get before they update their records and stop sending it here?

Isn't it against the law to interfere with the delivery of the mail? To me, that would include discarding mail that is addressed to another person.

I am guessing from what anemone posted, those are the bulk mailing things that my postman was talking about. General mail that does not get forward to the original sender and that it is not considered against the law. My ex-dil lived with us for a while and we get generic stuff from babies r us, photo studios, furniture stores. I did a rts for them until the postman said that they are bulk general mail and they do not get returned.

My mil died about 12 years ago. I have the same first name initial that she did. I graduated from my diploma nursing school from the hospital that she volunteered at. Last week I got a "we've missed you as a volunteer. During this week of recognition of volunteers, we invite you to join our team once again" letter.

[Rob]

****Something I found out during this horrible experience: an infection, a cold, the flu, med changes - all can cause the body to metabolize coumadin differently. Even if the level has been stable for a long time. No one told us that. No one was checking my mother's white count, to see if the UTI had come back (she had it for 4 weeks). So, for anyone who is on, or has a loved one on coumadin - talk to your/their doctor about that. What do I do in the event that I/loved one gets sick and I/they are on coumadin.****

Thank you for this - my brother is on coumadin, and my mother is on plavix. I think my brother knows about the hazards of coumadin because there are a number of things he can't eat. But I will ask him.

Re the mail, when I get mail misdelivered, I either deliver it (if it is a neighbor) or I write "RTS - not at this address" or "delivered to wrong address" (as applicable) on it and put it back in the mail slot (except for catalogs and other bulk junk). We get mail a few times a year for a woman who lives at the same number on Allen Road - the name of my road starts with "Al", but we are not anywhere near this address on Allen Road. If the handwriting is unclear, I write ALLEN on it so cannot be confused with the name of my road. Once I got mail for this lady that was clearly a check so I found her phone number in the book and called her to tell her I was putting it back in the mail to her. She was grateful she didn't have to try to get it reissued. Not so hard really - just takes a second.

Postman told me they will not redeliver or return catalogs, magazines, bulk mail.

[Karina1974]

Writing "Not at this address" or "Return to Sender" is a pain when it goes on for months. But it is just wrong to toss something that belongs to another person.

The best way to stop that (and if you've been reading the entire thread you'll see that I've said this already) is to let the carrier know directly that the previous tenant is no longer living at that address. That advice came from a USPS retiree with 30 years experience as a City Carrier.

[Stormy]

The best way to stop that (and if you've been reading the entire thread you'll see that I've said this already) is to let the carrier know directly that the previous tenant is no longer living at that address. That advice came from a USPS retiree with 30 years experience as a City Carrier.

Maybe some people just skip your posts because you come off like a pompous ass know it all?

[mkats]

Thirding (or fourthing?) all the requests to please, please, please be careful with coumadin. Also, if the doctor changes your dosage, you should be able to easily get a prescription for a different dosage (they come in every mg from 1 to 10 with some 0.5s in between). Please don't do what this one lady at my workplace did and try to break 10 mg pills into 10 equal pieces

Re: mail... I used to have a PO box in college. About every other week my key would stop working. The guy at the post office would come out, check it out, agree that the key didn't work, and change the lock for me... and there would be my mail in it, mixed with some other guy's. Next week this would repeat. We eventually figured out the post office screwed up, gave us the same PO box, and we were just changing the locks on each other all the time

[overedge]

The best way to stop that (and if you've been reading the entire thread you'll see that I've said this already) is to let the carrier know directly that the previous tenant is no longer living at that address. That advice came from a USPS retiree with 30 years experience as a City Carrier.

What if you're at work at the time when the carrier arrives every day?

[JasperBoy]

The best way to stop that (and if you've been reading the entire thread you'll see that I've said this already) is to let the carrier know directly that the previous tenant is no longer living at that address. That advice came from a USPS retiree with 30 years experience as a City Carrier.

Oops! I didn't realize that you had the last word on this subject. I thought I could state my own opinions, even if they were similar to yours.

Yes, I have read the entire thread. And I have dealt successfully with mis-delivered mail for many years. Sometimes I even hand-deliver the envelopes to my neighbours if I see that it is something important or time sensitive.

Here in Canada it used to be called Royal Mail. That meant the mail "belonged" to the monarch from the time it went into the mailbox until it reached the intended recipient. We have dropped the "Royal", but I think the concept is still the same.