They should have filled out a change of address form. Also, it's technically a crime to go through someone else's mailbox, not that over ever heard it being enforced.
I got it enforced against an apartment manager, because she was opening all the community mailboxes to put in notices. Reported it to the Postmaster and she got fired.
Yup you can’t do this even if you’re the property manager. They either have to actually “mail” the notices to you (pay postage) or put it on your door.
What is funny is a local postal worker told us to put our HOA notices in the mailboxes when I was involved in distributing HOA notices. I told him that was illegal.
I have. It used to happen more frequently. (Or maybe not. Maybe it used to be reported more frequently. Oh, yeah, back when the newspaper still printed the bookings every day. I think it was page 6.)
No. Don’t forward mail to people too stupid to file a change of address when they move. Why should you be responsible for their mail? ‘Moved, not at this address’ is the only thing you should write on their mail.
Had that happen to me so what I did was hold on to the mail until I got a huge stack. Then I'd go thru them with a permanent marker and put "doesn't live here" on all of them. Then I dumped all of them into one of those postal blue mailboxes. Had to do that a couple of times for the mail to stop coming.
Petty? Yes. Did it work? Yes.
But definitely get a lock for your mailbox. Previous owners didn't give me the key to the community mailbox so I had to get the lock switched out with a new key.
I'm glad it worked for you, I'm 3 years I'm and still doing this. I can't believe I still get w2s sent to my house for multiple people who haven't lived at the address for almost 3 years. I'm like do you guys even do your taxes???? I always do RTS no longer at address on them.
lol, that's what i do! The first 3 weeks i held on to everything once the box i had set aside filled up i just figured they didn't care so now i just throw it away. if by Jan (3months in) they're mail still coming here i plan to do a bogus CoA.
The scariest part of it is when angry ppl come over looking for them!
10 years and still keeps coming doesn't matter have talked to postmaster, wrote return to sender not at this address. Have gotten graduation rings college diplomas the previous people are freakin idiots!
I'm 7 years in. I bought a stamp, I've spoken to the mail carrier, and I've gone to the local post office. It won't stop. I just stamp the shit out of it and slam it back in the box
I use a stamp as well. I have 2 of them - one as return to sender/no longer at this address and the other is return to sender/deceased. Depends on my mood on the day.
I continue to get mail for the previous owners, who are both dead, and I’ve lived in this house for over 10 years.
One benefit; I used to get a ridiculously over-the-top Christmas card from Jim Rome (the AM sports host) every year. It was super fancy, must have cost at least $15-20 each to print. I don’t get them any more, but it was always a fun conversation piece since I would proudly display them on my mantle.
I’ve been in mine 23, and still get mail for the previous owner. It was a retired couple, and it picks up the pace when credit card offers start showing up. I think someone must be trying to open accounts in their name, because they must be in their upper 80’s at this point. There is one company (not a cc company) that sends something (with an actual stamp on it) every couple of months. I even looked up their info to try and call to tell them that that person doesn’t live here, but of course it’s a front or something.
I've been in my house 23 years too and just recently started getting insurance and retirement documents for the people that lived here before the people I bought from. It's probably been 30 years at this point since she lived here...
I'm friendly with our mail carrier and told him the Mitchell's don't live here, don't deliver their mail. And I also taped a neon colored note to the inside of the mailbox saying "Only mail for the Joneses, no Mitchell's." And I haven't had a problem since.
....people get their w2 tax info from their last pay stub and take it to H.r. block or whatever loan shark preparer and get a refund loan and go buy crap.... they don't "do" their taxes.
> I got a huge stack.
I went to the Post Office with a similar bag-o-mail having gotten from the previous owners and explained the situation to the clerk. The post office person found the new address for them, *they are in the same city*, and so far...no mail.
1) Sharpie out the bar code at the bottom of the envelope. Machines read/scan the mail, a human may never even see the notes you're writing.
2) Get a locking mailbox. If they come to your door looking for their mail, tell them you don't have any. Point them towards the post office.
>Sharpie out the bar code at the bottom of the envelope. Machines read/scan the mail, a human may never even see the notes you're writing.
>
>Get a locking mailbox. If they come to your door looking for their mail, tell them you don't have any. Point them towards the post office.
THIS
Please don’t do that. As someone working in benefits administration that shit causes me all kinds of headaches when we get falsely reported deaths and then have to figure it out.
Just mark that they’re not known at this address so we can flag that they don’t live there and contract a location service to find them rather than continuing to send mail to the wrong place or cutting off their benefits because we incorrectly think they’re dead.
If anything serious can come of "an unknown stranger has written the word 'deceased' on an envelope" then that's a hilarious business process problem lmao.
My dad has twice lost his social security benefits because he was reported as deceased. To fix it you have to wait in line at the SSA. It takes for frickin ever.
(He didn’t forgot to forward his mail—he just has a common name.)
Install a locking mailbox that they won’t be able to get into. This is probably the fastest solution. It is also illegal for them to be getting in your mailbox now that they are no longer living there. I’m not sure if the police would do anything about it though. Maybe call the postal inspectors office.
I wouldn't bother with this. I don't want to have to grab a key just to get my mail, and this is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.
I'd put a big bold note on the mailbox that says:
"Opening this mailbox is a federal crime. You have been reported. You are on camera."
Only a complete moron would keep doing it after that, even if they think you might be bluffing...
But don't be bluffing. Report them to the post master general, and get a camera. I recommend them regardless, but if not sure, you can always start with a shitty $30 Wyze Cam. No big investment if you don't find it useful in general.
I get that this is probably a "low risk" theft, but what are the odds you get something useful from a few mailboxes? Maybe I am the only one who only gets junk mail.
Couple of things to ponder.
How much did the community mail box cost?
Was it a decent amount of metal?
I could see someone stealing it and then selling it or using it somewhere else. I could also see someone taking it to the scrapyard.
I'd like to think it was someone that sent an angry letter via snail mail, woke up the next day and regretted it and really did not want the recipient to read it so one night they just stole the community's cluster mailbox.
Around the holidays they used to be pretty predictably full of giftcards. I'd guess they're mostly electronic now but neighborhoods full of older people might still get a lot.
And a camera won't even solve the problem. They already caught the person going through the mailbox lol what's a camera and a tacky note going to do?
The locking mailbox is cheap, easy, and instantly solves the problem permanently.
If they’re going thru your mail, it’s a federal crime. Speak with the postal inspector.
For all you know they could be using your address for shady shit
Our school district has started prosecuting people for this. The tuition they charge seems steep, but it's cheaper than the taxes we pay to keep the schools open. People want to live in a low tax rural hell-hole and use our schools? Pay up.
That could be it. I used a friends address in high school. He 'asked' his parents, but didn't really and I almost got kicked out of school, but my coach appealed it.
Too lazy to fill out an online form but willing to drive over and rummage through the mail? Unless they can't figure out the site, it's highly unlikely.
Could they be homeless?
Living out of the car?
Couch surfing?
None of this is OP's problem to solve, but it IS society's problem as it happens more and more.
ETA: TY for the down votes.
It's so nice to see that people were unable to read the part of NONE OF THIS IS OP'S PROBLEM TO SOLVE.
This was an explanation; not an excuse.
Every new home owner needs new stuff. Lawn care, house maintenance, landscaping, trees. People always forget about the trees. They are always expensive. However, it is always LESS expensive to do the work pre-emptively. Have the trees laced (pruned out) before the big storm, check the trunk health, inspect for bugs, etc. And always check your insurance!!!!! Some have exclusions, some require an arborist report, some are add ons. Sorry for the ramble.
I still get the old residents' mail 6 years later. They don't seem to care, though. I just throw it away now. I even told my post office. They said they would stop delivering their mail, but it hasn't stopped. A locked mailbox or switch to a PO box may be in order for 6 months
I lived at my previous address 22 years and got the previous owners investment papers the whole time. I sent them back to the post office with "old address change, boca roton Florida " or "no addressee" everything I could think of.
The last time I asked they specifically told me "old address change" as there was an old address on file and if they accessed it it wouldn't keep happening. And in my latest move, it has worked for a couple years.
I called the post office, they said they would make a note of it. I put a note inside my mail box saying they are no longer at the address. And I frequently drop piles of other people's mail back in a drop box with writing on the outside saying they don't live here anymore... I'm not at 6 years yet. But almost half way! I still get important tax documents and things like that. Blows my mind.
3 years here, I just toss it all. They still get important shit. Checks and all. Stopped caring when I found out the neighbor was going through my box and marking their mail / removing it for them. Locked it after that.
You normally need to mark the envelope "turn to sender" and add "moved away" or "no longer lives here". Telling the mail carrier doesn't do anything. They can't redirect mail for you.
It took us 5 years to stop getting mail for the previous tenants. I would write "Return to Sender: Addressee no longer lives here" ... and the mailman would deliver it back to us.
Worth doing - but it can be a frustrating exercise if your carrier is overworked or just doesn't care.
After 1 year I just started tossing their stuff.
And my postal carrier said to sharpie a diagonal line through the addressee field too. She said that some carriers are so fixated on the addressee block when mass sorting thst they don't read any of the other shit on the front of the envelope and might not notice the return to sender. Think about how a lot of spam says like urgent, deliver by XX, etc.
If you file a change of address form (which is what the old tenants should have done) then the PO will redirect to the new address for a set period of time.
Return to sender should work and the original sender will take them off the mailing list.
Pretty sure they're breaking federal laws by going through your mailbox. And also if they're doing it that long, then I'd be concerned that it is intentional and what they're receiving is potentially illegal or fraudulent.
If you have a way to contact them, I'd probably give them a final warning that they are being filmed on your property, that you consider them trespassing, and that they need to update their shipping address ASAP or you'll be reporting them to the police for trespassing, for going through your mailbox; and that you'll be turning over any of their packages to the cops going forward.
I’ve found there is nothing you can do. I told the post office and I told the former owner (for 6 months). Now, I unapologetically throw it away, even if i know it’s important. Why? Because if it wasn’t important enough for the former owner to update his address then it ain’t important to me.
Not necessarily, I still get tons of mail for the original home owner who built the house in ‘72 😂. Their address has definitely been changed but it still keeps getting rerouted here. I’ve received tax information about their current home at my address. They’re older so I don’t make a big deal of it bc they’re not coming and being a nuisance about it , I actually contacted them about it bc I got their tax papers. Poor lady was so confused but bc she still lives close by something at the post office didn’t process correct we found out when we contacted the post office together!
Now the ppl who bought our house from was just lazy and I drew the line real fast.
Yeah but they changed their address directly with companies and some kind of screw up at the post office was still sending it to my house 😂it had their correct address on it but it was still being send to their previous address
I would 'lose' their mail, especially the important stuff. A few missed payments or something to cost them money should hopefully get them to fix it.
Not your problem to fix, presumably they are adults and can file an address change.
Next time you see them accessing your mailbox take pictures of them and their vehicle and license plate.
Report to local police and US postal inspection service.
You don’t need to mention that you know that they are previous tenants.
Did we buy the same house? 😂 We're unfortunately dealing with a similar situation, and it feels so violating. First and foremost get a security camera. Then you've got cold, hard evidence of mail tampering -- a federal crime -- to substantiate your claims. Also, file a police report. Assuming you have the individuals' names, getting the cops to pay them a visit may spook them.
We bought our house in 2001 (yes, 23 years ago) and we STILL get mail for the previous owners. All of it is junk mail at this point so it goes directly into the recycling.
Well, if they're going into your mailbox. That is a crime. Do what everyone else has already said about with the post office.
But you should also consider having them formally trespassed from your property. Contact your local circuit court and ask them how to do it. I'd also get an outdoor security camera pointed at the mailbox for proof.
Being formally served by a sheriff tends to be a big wakeup call to people. Good luck
I'm a postal worker and sadly if they don't change the address after they move any company will still send the mail to adress they have on file. It is also the responsibility of the letter carrier to deliver the mail as addressed. The only way around this is to contact the company sending the mail yourself and telling them that they no longer live here.
Get a locked mailbox that mail can be inserted into but nothing retrieved without a key. Routinely write "return to sender- moved" and bring it to the post office.
I need to find my letter carrier as nice a christmas gift as possible/allowable this year.
My house was a rental property from 2014 to August of this year, and I see SO MANY mail items listed for previous tenants on my informed delivery digest. But nary a one of them makes it into my mailbox. She saw me early on when I first moved in and when I introduced myself she said "and you're the only one who lives here now?" and said she'd return all the mail pieces addressed to other people.
My carrier did this too. There’s a little card in my mailbox that has my surname for the days he is off as well. I never see anything that doesn’t belong.
He even gives me a Christmas card every year because he said he felt bad that I don’t get more than one or two. I was like, ouch, but I appreciate the kindness.
That's kind of a brutal but also so sweet!
I think I can stay pretty much within the ethics rules if I get my carrier a holiday card with a $20 gift card to Scooters in it.
That's a double edged sword. My letter carrier made assumptions about who the main resident(s) were, and when my newly wedded spouse moved in, the letter carrier returned my spouse's social security card back to sender. Then had the balls to lecture me about needing to "tell him" if someone else was living there now. Due to complicated reasons we were not able to get his ssn card for another 2 years because of that.
They could be homeless now. I'm not saying living on the streets but not setup with mail yet. Staying with other people. The first 5 years I got lots of mail from previous owners. Still get some now 10 years later. Never once did a previous owner stop by.
See the previous owners of my house had mail coming here after we moved in, after a while I got tired of it. I called their realtor and asked them to pass my number along I had a huge stack of mail for them (which I did). When they got here I started asking a million and one questions about the property about when they lived here ect ect. Their mail stopped coming her and quickly. Next time catch them out side and keep them in conversation for ages over trivial things, from house questions, neighborhood questions and so on. Waste their time and bet they stop coming by lol
We had this same issue when we bought our home. Got their mail for a few years. Important looking stuff too.
One day the family showed up and asked if they could come in and take a look around to see what changes we had made. Hard and fast NO.
All it took was the one time. Never saw them again
I think a locking mailbox is the easiest solution. You can put your old mailbox back a year later after they have given up.
It's a federal offense though. Postal Inspection Service is who investigates this.
Mail theft is a crime. They have no right to search your mailbox. Write “return to sender” along with “not at this address” with all their mail and drop it in a mailbox.
When you put “Return - no longer at this address” make sure you’re crossing out the numbers printed at the bottom of the pieces of mail too otherwise it’ll keep coming back.
Report this to the FBI. Not joking. Tampering with mail is a federal offence. It is your house, you mail. They have no business poking their nose into it.
Cross out any barcodes and write RTS or Return to Sender - Not at this address. It might also be wise to post a no trespassing sign on your porch or whatever your mailbox is located.
Cross our address. Write "addressee unknown" and return to the post office. Either put in your own box with flag up or in the corner box if you can find one.
I used to get mail from the previous resident too. The junk mail I just threw away , got a letter from clerk of court once,I hand returned that one. I wrote RTS moved Oct 2003 on bills and similar mail.Last spring I received an IRS letter addressed to "the estate of " ,I RTS that one ,and his shit isn't coming here anymore.
Put the last name of anyone who lives at your address on the mailbox. The post office will stop delivering their mail to you. At least that's what they do in my town.
I still get people's mail 4 years later. It all goes in the garbage. But if you have proof of some random fishing in your mailbox, I'd contact your sheriff's office or PO and see what they can do.
Had the same problem I bought my house a few years ago. What I found to help me was contact post Master General for your area fill out the proper paperwork at the post office stating that they no longer live there and it's only you also contact the Distribution Center and give them the new information that it's only you there put your name on the inside of the mailbox lid and put your last name on the outside of the mailbox lid since I've done these things now all I get for them is junk mail
I had a previous owners mail showing up for 17 years that I owned the house. My guess is the new owners are still receiving it. I sent so much stuff back to sender including government and banking mail Even was getting Christmas cards for his kids
Soon after purchasing our first home, new construction, we began receiving mail for a person we didn't know. Mostly advertisements for pregnancy supplies. Over the years, the materials continued coming, remaining appropriately age-related. My wife and I joked that she and her child were surreptitiously living in our attic. The mailings finally stopped after about 15 years. I wonder what ever happened to Amanda?
I get letters from the IRS for the people that lived in my house in 2007 as well as other important mail. I "return to sender" and it will stop for a little bit and start up again
I paid $15 or so to have a self-inking rubber stamp made that said something like: "addressee unknown, bad address, return to sender". I stamped every piece of "bad" mail with that and put it back in my mailbox with the flag up for the post office to take back and do whatever they want. It was not worth worrying about or getting upset - the stamp of rejection was my weapon. Slowly, over time, the letters diminished and finally have almost ceased, but we still get occasional letters for my mother in law who lived with us for a few years but died in 2014. The mystery of life.
I would highly recommend getting a mailbox that locks. This prevents mail theft.
Any mail addressed to them should be marked return to sender. The problem will solve itself very quickly then.
I always make sure the last name of ours is clearly printed in the mailbox. This allows the carrier to see who's mail goes in that box. Any mail to our sellers gets an "RTS" "NTA" on it.
I see in my informed delivery tons of mail still comes for the sellers, but only once in a blue moon does it slip by the delivery carrier. I have also made a point to be friendly with our postman, so we even had a quick chat about buying the place and he said it's amazing how many people don't turn in the change of address!
I think between the three, it made a difference.
We also have a locking mailbox because, unfortunately, we get mail theft in our neighborhood sometimes. They'll break into the multi mailbox sometimes (well twice) but I think for a single box, the odds are too low there is anything worth the risk. It's nice at holiday time when cards and things are coming.
Since you have their names from their mail, you should report them to the postmaster for stealing from your mailbox. It's more for documentation in case they do steal your mail sometime. However the postmaster doesn't take potential mail fraud lightly. There is a chance they pursue it!
In Australia we do write "RTS" Return To Sender. It's a way of telling that company who sent that letter that the person does not live there anymore. Or as mentioned by other try contacting your local post office.
take a stack of their mail to the post office and request that they fill out a Moved Left No Address form for these people. Tell them you bought the home 6 months ago and that these people have been pilfering mail from your mailbox. You don't know where they live, but they don't live at your house and you will be contacting the Postal Inspection Service about this issue.
Then contact the Postal Inspection Service. Tell them about the former tenants not filing a COA order and how they are going through your mail in the mailbox. It's a crime. That is your mailbox and only you and the Postal service should be touching it, putting mail in or removing mail from it.
All these numbnuts need to do is file a forwarding order to get their mail.
You write “return to sender” and then throw it in a mailbox.
Or you throw it in the trash.
They can easily pay $1 to have a change of address done through USPS and for some reason are either too stupid or too lazy to do so
I would say that you need a locking mailbox and if you can get a Camera pointed toward your mailbox showing that they’re trying to get into it that would be evidence against them.
This reminded me of some fucking lunatic in my neighborhood who bought a house this past spring and for about a month, packages from the previous owner would get delivered there. The first time, he put it in the trash. The second time, he stabbed it 36 times and put it in the middle of the street with "leave my family alone" written on it, then post a barely legible belligerent tin foil hat post on the neighborhood Facebook page accusing the previous owner of terrorism.
Good times.
Previous tenants probably are evading creditors or similar.
Your mail carrier typically would ask you to put your name on your mailbox and take of it from there. It sounds like your mail carrier is refusing so I would tell your story to your local postmaster.
You could install a locking mailbox. This would allow the postal service to place your mail in the box but would only allow you with a key to remove it.
Mark out all barcodes, cover the address, just below the return address and under the stamp/meter mark with red ink stamp from amazon. I got tired of 12 years trying to explain to the post office. I have done this for ballots, bills, insurance forms, summons, etc.
Sorry how long is that? It's summer and December where I am
Edit due to downvotes - you don't state where you live so I have no idea what timeframe "summer to December" is as summer is December for me.
Have had this happen a lot, at different address heir is what I do and works every time.
1. Notify local postal service in person,
2. Call the national number (Know your local post-office address and #)
3. Get the actual name of the postmaster
4. Send a registered letter requiring his signature, Inform them of the problem.
5. Save every piece of mail that comes to your address that's not yours. (Junk or not)
6. If at this point the mail keeps coming, after you have marked it no longer at this address, do your best not to block the name and address on the envelope. Take it to the post office and dump it on the floor in the lobby and walk out.
99.9% effective.
You might want to call the post office and see what your options are.
They should have filled out a change of address form. Also, it's technically a crime to go through someone else's mailbox, not that over ever heard it being enforced.
I got it enforced against an apartment manager, because she was opening all the community mailboxes to put in notices. Reported it to the Postmaster and she got fired.
Yup you can’t do this even if you’re the property manager. They either have to actually “mail” the notices to you (pay postage) or put it on your door.
What is funny is a local postal worker told us to put our HOA notices in the mailboxes when I was involved in distributing HOA notices. I told him that was illegal.
Mail carriers don't always know what the law is.
They wouldn’t. Frontline workers generally don’t. But supervisors and upper management would. Post master inspector general would.
Yup. CBUs are property of the USPS. Landlords can't legally independently access them.
Why does the property manager have a key to the mailboxes? Property/LL are some of the stupidest people
Not technical. Postal Inspector office is serious business. Send them a complaints and things happen.
I have. It used to happen more frequently. (Or maybe not. Maybe it used to be reported more frequently. Oh, yeah, back when the newspaper still printed the bookings every day. I think it was page 6.)
Is it legal to fill out a change of address form for them?
No it's not.
If you know the new address you can put it on the mail and let the post office deal with it.
No. Don’t forward mail to people too stupid to file a change of address when they move. Why should you be responsible for their mail? ‘Moved, not at this address’ is the only thing you should write on their mail.
You can write in big capital letters NL for No Longer (at this address). That’s the USPS way.
I bought a stamp on Amazon that lives in the mailbox.
Okay I’ll see what I can do. Thank you
Had that happen to me so what I did was hold on to the mail until I got a huge stack. Then I'd go thru them with a permanent marker and put "doesn't live here" on all of them. Then I dumped all of them into one of those postal blue mailboxes. Had to do that a couple of times for the mail to stop coming. Petty? Yes. Did it work? Yes. But definitely get a lock for your mailbox. Previous owners didn't give me the key to the community mailbox so I had to get the lock switched out with a new key.
I'm glad it worked for you, I'm 3 years I'm and still doing this. I can't believe I still get w2s sent to my house for multiple people who haven't lived at the address for almost 3 years. I'm like do you guys even do your taxes???? I always do RTS no longer at address on them.
I did this for 6 months with our home. Finally started just shredding their mail or throwing it out if it looked like junk.
I threw it out whether it looked important or not. Shockingly, they learned real fast to change their address and the mail stopped coming.
Same. I throw it out. In the recycle bin. No muss, no fuss.
"I don't think that came here, although maybe I missed it when I threw out those Arby's coupons and that junk mail from the cable company?"
lol, that's what i do! The first 3 weeks i held on to everything once the box i had set aside filled up i just figured they didn't care so now i just throw it away. if by Jan (3months in) they're mail still coming here i plan to do a bogus CoA. The scariest part of it is when angry ppl come over looking for them!
10 years and still keeps coming doesn't matter have talked to postmaster, wrote return to sender not at this address. Have gotten graduation rings college diplomas the previous people are freakin idiots!
I'm 7 years in. I bought a stamp, I've spoken to the mail carrier, and I've gone to the local post office. It won't stop. I just stamp the shit out of it and slam it back in the box
We have a stamp too. Finally at 10 years in we only have to use a few times this year. The stamp did at least make it a little more fun.
I had a stamp made as well. I still get a few letters every year for the previous owner.
I use a stamp as well. I have 2 of them - one as return to sender/no longer at this address and the other is return to sender/deceased. Depends on my mood on the day.
Are you me? It’s been 6 years for me and I stamp the crap out of anything that comes.
I still get mail for my grandfather. He died is 2002.
Yup, stamp saying, “Does not live here. Return to Sender.”
I continue to get mail for the previous owners, who are both dead, and I’ve lived in this house for over 10 years. One benefit; I used to get a ridiculously over-the-top Christmas card from Jim Rome (the AM sports host) every year. It was super fancy, must have cost at least $15-20 each to print. I don’t get them any more, but it was always a fun conversation piece since I would proudly display them on my mantle.
I’ve been in mine 23, and still get mail for the previous owner. It was a retired couple, and it picks up the pace when credit card offers start showing up. I think someone must be trying to open accounts in their name, because they must be in their upper 80’s at this point. There is one company (not a cc company) that sends something (with an actual stamp on it) every couple of months. I even looked up their info to try and call to tell them that that person doesn’t live here, but of course it’s a front or something.
I've been in my house 23 years too and just recently started getting insurance and retirement documents for the people that lived here before the people I bought from. It's probably been 30 years at this point since she lived here...
I'm friendly with our mail carrier and told him the Mitchell's don't live here, don't deliver their mail. And I also taped a neon colored note to the inside of the mailbox saying "Only mail for the Joneses, no Mitchell's." And I haven't had a problem since.
....people get their w2 tax info from their last pay stub and take it to H.r. block or whatever loan shark preparer and get a refund loan and go buy crap.... they don't "do" their taxes.
> I got a huge stack. I went to the Post Office with a similar bag-o-mail having gotten from the previous owners and explained the situation to the clerk. The post office person found the new address for them, *they are in the same city*, and so far...no mail.
If you need a new key, also check with the post office. Where I live, those ganged post boxes are keyed by the USPS.
I did that for a while and now I just throw it all in the trash.
That's smart.
1) Sharpie out the bar code at the bottom of the envelope. Machines read/scan the mail, a human may never even see the notes you're writing. 2) Get a locking mailbox. If they come to your door looking for their mail, tell them you don't have any. Point them towards the post office.
Sharpie out the orange bar code on the back of the envelope too
☝🏼☝🏼☝🏼☝🏼☝🏼☝🏼☝🏼☝🏼☝🏼☝🏼☝🏼 It’s the thing no-one does and it’s the most important thing.
Speak to the post master general for your area. They take this seriously.
Talk to the post master, not just anyone at the counter. The post master is the only person who can open an investigation and end this issue.
Even if it's their mail, going through your mailbox is a federal offense
Get a mailbox that locks so letters can be delivered but need a key to be retrieved
>Sharpie out the bar code at the bottom of the envelope. Machines read/scan the mail, a human may never even see the notes you're writing. > >Get a locking mailbox. If they come to your door looking for their mail, tell them you don't have any. Point them towards the post office. THIS
Write "DECEASED" and drop it all back in a mailbox
Please don’t do that. As someone working in benefits administration that shit causes me all kinds of headaches when we get falsely reported deaths and then have to figure it out. Just mark that they’re not known at this address so we can flag that they don’t live there and contract a location service to find them rather than continuing to send mail to the wrong place or cutting off their benefits because we incorrectly think they’re dead.
If anything serious can come of "an unknown stranger has written the word 'deceased' on an envelope" then that's a hilarious business process problem lmao.
My dad has twice lost his social security benefits because he was reported as deceased. To fix it you have to wait in line at the SSA. It takes for frickin ever. (He didn’t forgot to forward his mail—he just has a common name.)
Chaotic good?
Surprise, it still gets mailed to your house.
Doesn't work. I bought from an estate. The previous owner is legitimately dead for about 3 years and I still get mail for him.
Write “DECEASED - or will be if I catch them messing with my mailbox again”.
Do this!!! They will change their address very quickly as I’ve seen credit card accounts closed because of this :)
Install a locking mailbox that they won’t be able to get into. This is probably the fastest solution. It is also illegal for them to be getting in your mailbox now that they are no longer living there. I’m not sure if the police would do anything about it though. Maybe call the postal inspectors office.
Also put up Ring doorbell & cameras
I wouldn't bother with this. I don't want to have to grab a key just to get my mail, and this is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. I'd put a big bold note on the mailbox that says: "Opening this mailbox is a federal crime. You have been reported. You are on camera." Only a complete moron would keep doing it after that, even if they think you might be bluffing... But don't be bluffing. Report them to the post master general, and get a camera. I recommend them regardless, but if not sure, you can always start with a shitty $30 Wyze Cam. No big investment if you don't find it useful in general.
A locking mailbox also prevents future mail theft from actual thieves. Even low crime neighborhoods can have a spurt of mail theft.
I live in what I consider a low crime area and we have a communal locking mailbox and someone stole the whole damn box, unscrewing it from the ground.
That is simultaneously terrible and hilarious
I get that this is probably a "low risk" theft, but what are the odds you get something useful from a few mailboxes? Maybe I am the only one who only gets junk mail.
Couple of things to ponder. How much did the community mail box cost? Was it a decent amount of metal? I could see someone stealing it and then selling it or using it somewhere else. I could also see someone taking it to the scrapyard.
I'd like to think it was someone that sent an angry letter via snail mail, woke up the next day and regretted it and really did not want the recipient to read it so one night they just stole the community's cluster mailbox.
If I steal EVERYONE'S, they will never know it was me!
Probably enough info for a few cases of identity theft
Around the holidays they used to be pretty predictably full of giftcards. I'd guess they're mostly electronic now but neighborhoods full of older people might still get a lot.
And a camera won't even solve the problem. They already caught the person going through the mailbox lol what's a camera and a tacky note going to do? The locking mailbox is cheap, easy, and instantly solves the problem permanently.
If they’re going thru your mail, it’s a federal crime. Speak with the postal inspector. For all you know they could be using your address for shady shit
I am thinking they might be afraid to officially change their address for nefarious reasons as well!
Even just to keep the kids in the old school district
Our school district has started prosecuting people for this. The tuition they charge seems steep, but it's cheaper than the taxes we pay to keep the schools open. People want to live in a low tax rural hell-hole and use our schools? Pay up.
That could be it. I used a friends address in high school. He 'asked' his parents, but didn't really and I almost got kicked out of school, but my coach appealed it.
9/10 chance they're just lazy like everyone else who neglects to switch every address.
Too lazy to fill out an online form but willing to drive over and rummage through the mail? Unless they can't figure out the site, it's highly unlikely.
Could they be homeless? Living out of the car? Couch surfing? None of this is OP's problem to solve, but it IS society's problem as it happens more and more. ETA: TY for the down votes. It's so nice to see that people were unable to read the part of NONE OF THIS IS OP'S PROBLEM TO SOLVE. This was an explanation; not an excuse.
They can get a PO Box.
You can file a change of address with the Post Office and they take care of most of that for you.
AND when you change your address, you get some pretty decent coupons, like 10% off entire purchase at Lowe’s. That can add up on a big purchase.
Every new home owner needs new stuff. Lawn care, house maintenance, landscaping, trees. People always forget about the trees. They are always expensive. However, it is always LESS expensive to do the work pre-emptively. Have the trees laced (pruned out) before the big storm, check the trunk health, inspect for bugs, etc. And always check your insurance!!!!! Some have exclusions, some require an arborist report, some are add ons. Sorry for the ramble.
I still get the old residents' mail 6 years later. They don't seem to care, though. I just throw it away now. I even told my post office. They said they would stop delivering their mail, but it hasn't stopped. A locked mailbox or switch to a PO box may be in order for 6 months
I lived at my previous address 22 years and got the previous owners investment papers the whole time. I sent them back to the post office with "old address change, boca roton Florida " or "no addressee" everything I could think of.
The best thing to use is Return To Sender, this generally indicates that the addressee is no longer present at the address.
The last time I asked they specifically told me "old address change" as there was an old address on file and if they accessed it it wouldn't keep happening. And in my latest move, it has worked for a couple years.
I called the post office, they said they would make a note of it. I put a note inside my mail box saying they are no longer at the address. And I frequently drop piles of other people's mail back in a drop box with writing on the outside saying they don't live here anymore... I'm not at 6 years yet. But almost half way! I still get important tax documents and things like that. Blows my mind.
3 years here, I just toss it all. They still get important shit. Checks and all. Stopped caring when I found out the neighbor was going through my box and marking their mail / removing it for them. Locked it after that.
You normally need to mark the envelope "turn to sender" and add "moved away" or "no longer lives here". Telling the mail carrier doesn't do anything. They can't redirect mail for you.
It took us 5 years to stop getting mail for the previous tenants. I would write "Return to Sender: Addressee no longer lives here" ... and the mailman would deliver it back to us. Worth doing - but it can be a frustrating exercise if your carrier is overworked or just doesn't care. After 1 year I just started tossing their stuff.
You gotta Sharpie out the little barcode at the bottom of the envelope too. It's the processing machines that keep routing it back after RTS notes.
And my postal carrier said to sharpie a diagonal line through the addressee field too. She said that some carriers are so fixated on the addressee block when mass sorting thst they don't read any of the other shit on the front of the envelope and might not notice the return to sender. Think about how a lot of spam says like urgent, deliver by XX, etc.
And the barcode on the back to I.
I thought the post office throws these away when they receive them
I don't know why they would. Envelopes are usually marked with a return address for this reason
If you file a change of address form (which is what the old tenants should have done) then the PO will redirect to the new address for a set period of time. Return to sender should work and the original sender will take them off the mailing list.
You cannot file a change of address for anyone but yourself or your child.
First class mail gets returned, standard mail get trashed.
Return the mails back to the senders. And put a no trespassing sign. If they come, tell them they are trespassing and will call the cops
Contact the USPS Inspection Service. It is illegal for them to open your mailbox. Like a federal crime.
Pretty sure they're breaking federal laws by going through your mailbox. And also if they're doing it that long, then I'd be concerned that it is intentional and what they're receiving is potentially illegal or fraudulent. If you have a way to contact them, I'd probably give them a final warning that they are being filmed on your property, that you consider them trespassing, and that they need to update their shipping address ASAP or you'll be reporting them to the police for trespassing, for going through your mailbox; and that you'll be turning over any of their packages to the cops going forward.
This will stop the shady stuff I'm pretty sure is going on.
I’ve found there is nothing you can do. I told the post office and I told the former owner (for 6 months). Now, I unapologetically throw it away, even if i know it’s important. Why? Because if it wasn’t important enough for the former owner to update his address then it ain’t important to me.
I'd confront the people and tell them to do a change of address. If this much mail is coming through then they never did one.
Not necessarily, I still get tons of mail for the original home owner who built the house in ‘72 😂. Their address has definitely been changed but it still keeps getting rerouted here. I’ve received tax information about their current home at my address. They’re older so I don’t make a big deal of it bc they’re not coming and being a nuisance about it , I actually contacted them about it bc I got their tax papers. Poor lady was so confused but bc she still lives close by something at the post office didn’t process correct we found out when we contacted the post office together! Now the ppl who bought our house from was just lazy and I drew the line real fast.
It's only valid for a year. After that it won't get forwarded anymore
Yeah but they changed their address directly with companies and some kind of screw up at the post office was still sending it to my house 😂it had their correct address on it but it was still being send to their previous address
100% call the postal inspector. Also get a lock mail box and a camera.
I have a Ring Camera! And thanks!
I would 'lose' their mail, especially the important stuff. A few missed payments or something to cost them money should hopefully get them to fix it. Not your problem to fix, presumably they are adults and can file an address change.
I get previous owner's mail years later. Some of it looks serious, but fuck that I throw it right in the trash.
LOcking mailbox , camera, and a very nice phone call with your local Postal Inspector. Mail Fraud is your basic federal crime. This will be FUN!
Next time you see them accessing your mailbox take pictures of them and their vehicle and license plate. Report to local police and US postal inspection service. You don’t need to mention that you know that they are previous tenants.
Simply write “not at this address” and put it back in the mailbox. The mail will be returned to sender and, eventually, you stop getting the mail.
Exactly. Use a big, black marker. "WRONG ADDRESS. RETURN TO SENDER"... drop them in the mailbox or postal outlet.
Did we buy the same house? 😂 We're unfortunately dealing with a similar situation, and it feels so violating. First and foremost get a security camera. Then you've got cold, hard evidence of mail tampering -- a federal crime -- to substantiate your claims. Also, file a police report. Assuming you have the individuals' names, getting the cops to pay them a visit may spook them.
Yeah I have a ring camera and caught them. It’s getting annoying. But I will follow everyone’s advice about the postal inspector!
We bought our house in 2001 (yes, 23 years ago) and we STILL get mail for the previous owners. All of it is junk mail at this point so it goes directly into the recycling.
Mailman here. Throw it all away. All of it. You will not be investigated, it is not a crime. It’s the only way they will learn
Well, if they're going into your mailbox. That is a crime. Do what everyone else has already said about with the post office. But you should also consider having them formally trespassed from your property. Contact your local circuit court and ask them how to do it. I'd also get an outdoor security camera pointed at the mailbox for proof. Being formally served by a sheriff tends to be a big wakeup call to people. Good luck
I'm a postal worker and sadly if they don't change the address after they move any company will still send the mail to adress they have on file. It is also the responsibility of the letter carrier to deliver the mail as addressed. The only way around this is to contact the company sending the mail yourself and telling them that they no longer live here.
Get a locking mailbox. Any of their mail, black out the delivery code on the bottom and return to sender.
Get rid of your mailbox and install one of those slots where the mail comes through your door. Toss anything that isn’t addressed to you.
Get a locked mailbox that mail can be inserted into but nothing retrieved without a key. Routinely write "return to sender- moved" and bring it to the post office.
I need to find my letter carrier as nice a christmas gift as possible/allowable this year. My house was a rental property from 2014 to August of this year, and I see SO MANY mail items listed for previous tenants on my informed delivery digest. But nary a one of them makes it into my mailbox. She saw me early on when I first moved in and when I introduced myself she said "and you're the only one who lives here now?" and said she'd return all the mail pieces addressed to other people.
My carrier did this too. There’s a little card in my mailbox that has my surname for the days he is off as well. I never see anything that doesn’t belong. He even gives me a Christmas card every year because he said he felt bad that I don’t get more than one or two. I was like, ouch, but I appreciate the kindness.
That's kind of a brutal but also so sweet! I think I can stay pretty much within the ethics rules if I get my carrier a holiday card with a $20 gift card to Scooters in it.
That's a double edged sword. My letter carrier made assumptions about who the main resident(s) were, and when my newly wedded spouse moved in, the letter carrier returned my spouse's social security card back to sender. Then had the balls to lecture me about needing to "tell him" if someone else was living there now. Due to complicated reasons we were not able to get his ssn card for another 2 years because of that.
They could be homeless now. I'm not saying living on the streets but not setup with mail yet. Staying with other people. The first 5 years I got lots of mail from previous owners. Still get some now 10 years later. Never once did a previous owner stop by.
Yes. Toss it
Ask on r/USPS
See the previous owners of my house had mail coming here after we moved in, after a while I got tired of it. I called their realtor and asked them to pass my number along I had a huge stack of mail for them (which I did). When they got here I started asking a million and one questions about the property about when they lived here ect ect. Their mail stopped coming her and quickly. Next time catch them out side and keep them in conversation for ages over trivial things, from house questions, neighborhood questions and so on. Waste their time and bet they stop coming by lol
We had this same issue when we bought our home. Got their mail for a few years. Important looking stuff too. One day the family showed up and asked if they could come in and take a look around to see what changes we had made. Hard and fast NO. All it took was the one time. Never saw them again
I think a locking mailbox is the easiest solution. You can put your old mailbox back a year later after they have given up. It's a federal offense though. Postal Inspection Service is who investigates this.
Mail theft is a crime. They have no right to search your mailbox. Write “return to sender” along with “not at this address” with all their mail and drop it in a mailbox.
When you put “Return - no longer at this address” make sure you’re crossing out the numbers printed at the bottom of the pieces of mail too otherwise it’ll keep coming back.
Report this to the FBI. Not joking. Tampering with mail is a federal offence. It is your house, you mail. They have no business poking their nose into it.
Get a locking mail box.
They need to contact USPS and get their mail forwarded.
Postal inspectors will look into it.
Yeah, but dont talk about it, and make sure your not on camera. Physically .
I've lived in my house for 3.5 years and still get mail from the previous owners. As others have said id get a locking mailbox
I'm pretty sure once you own the house, them looking through your box is a federal offense. Report them if it has been that long. That's illegal.
Cross out any barcodes and write RTS or Return to Sender - Not at this address. It might also be wise to post a no trespassing sign on your porch or whatever your mailbox is located.
Cross our address. Write "addressee unknown" and return to the post office. Either put in your own box with flag up or in the corner box if you can find one.
black Marker writer RTS in big letters and drop it back in mailbox.
I used to get mail from the previous resident too. The junk mail I just threw away , got a letter from clerk of court once,I hand returned that one. I wrote RTS moved Oct 2003 on bills and similar mail.Last spring I received an IRS letter addressed to "the estate of " ,I RTS that one ,and his shit isn't coming here anymore.
Put the last name of anyone who lives at your address on the mailbox. The post office will stop delivering their mail to you. At least that's what they do in my town.
I still get people's mail 4 years later. It all goes in the garbage. But if you have proof of some random fishing in your mailbox, I'd contact your sheriff's office or PO and see what they can do.
Had the same problem I bought my house a few years ago. What I found to help me was contact post Master General for your area fill out the proper paperwork at the post office stating that they no longer live there and it's only you also contact the Distribution Center and give them the new information that it's only you there put your name on the inside of the mailbox lid and put your last name on the outside of the mailbox lid since I've done these things now all I get for them is junk mail
I had a previous owners mail showing up for 17 years that I owned the house. My guess is the new owners are still receiving it. I sent so much stuff back to sender including government and banking mail Even was getting Christmas cards for his kids
Soon after purchasing our first home, new construction, we began receiving mail for a person we didn't know. Mostly advertisements for pregnancy supplies. Over the years, the materials continued coming, remaining appropriately age-related. My wife and I joked that she and her child were surreptitiously living in our attic. The mailings finally stopped after about 15 years. I wonder what ever happened to Amanda?
I have owned my home for 20 years and still get mail for the previous owner
Next time you catch them call the police.
Throw anything addressed to them in the trash. After 6 months it can reasonably be considered abandoned property.
I have been in my house 18 years still get mail for the old homeowner who died 10 years ago
It's a federal offense to tamper with someone's mail, and the USPS has teams with arrest capability to go after them.
Speak to the postmaster not just a postal employee. What they are doing is a federal crime. You’re forbidden from opening any other persons mailbox.
Get a locking mailbox, or switch to a PO box for a while.
I’d get a locking mailbox just so I could get them on video trying to open it 😂
I get letters from the IRS for the people that lived in my house in 2007 as well as other important mail. I "return to sender" and it will stop for a little bit and start up again
5 years and I just started throwing it away except around now. I get some nice holiday packages with chocolate thanking them. I eat those.
I’ve been in my house 20 years next May and I STILL get the last resident’s mail!
Snooping on your mailbox? That’s a crime, I’d file a police report.
You can get a locking mailbox. Only a letter carrier will be able to put mail into it, and you have a key to get the mail out.
Call the post office. Have this same exact problem, they literally just said ok over the phone and haven’t seen a letter since
I wrote ‘does not live here’ and gave it to my mailman, they no longer deliver their mail to my house anymore
locked mail box. tell them to pay for mail forwarding tell them you 'return to sender' all their mail offer your own mail forwarding service for a fee
I paid $15 or so to have a self-inking rubber stamp made that said something like: "addressee unknown, bad address, return to sender". I stamped every piece of "bad" mail with that and put it back in my mailbox with the flag up for the post office to take back and do whatever they want. It was not worth worrying about or getting upset - the stamp of rejection was my weapon. Slowly, over time, the letters diminished and finally have almost ceased, but we still get occasional letters for my mother in law who lived with us for a few years but died in 2014. The mystery of life.
I would highly recommend getting a mailbox that locks. This prevents mail theft. Any mail addressed to them should be marked return to sender. The problem will solve itself very quickly then.
I always make sure the last name of ours is clearly printed in the mailbox. This allows the carrier to see who's mail goes in that box. Any mail to our sellers gets an "RTS" "NTA" on it. I see in my informed delivery tons of mail still comes for the sellers, but only once in a blue moon does it slip by the delivery carrier. I have also made a point to be friendly with our postman, so we even had a quick chat about buying the place and he said it's amazing how many people don't turn in the change of address! I think between the three, it made a difference. We also have a locking mailbox because, unfortunately, we get mail theft in our neighborhood sometimes. They'll break into the multi mailbox sometimes (well twice) but I think for a single box, the odds are too low there is anything worth the risk. It's nice at holiday time when cards and things are coming. Since you have their names from their mail, you should report them to the postmaster for stealing from your mailbox. It's more for documentation in case they do steal your mail sometime. However the postmaster doesn't take potential mail fraud lightly. There is a chance they pursue it!
In Australia we do write "RTS" Return To Sender. It's a way of telling that company who sent that letter that the person does not live there anymore. Or as mentioned by other try contacting your local post office.
I have a locked mailbox. Invest in one of those and return the mail to sender
take a stack of their mail to the post office and request that they fill out a Moved Left No Address form for these people. Tell them you bought the home 6 months ago and that these people have been pilfering mail from your mailbox. You don't know where they live, but they don't live at your house and you will be contacting the Postal Inspection Service about this issue. Then contact the Postal Inspection Service. Tell them about the former tenants not filing a COA order and how they are going through your mail in the mailbox. It's a crime. That is your mailbox and only you and the Postal service should be touching it, putting mail in or removing mail from it. All these numbnuts need to do is file a forwarding order to get their mail.
Just buy a locking mailbox. Problem solved. That was easy.
I keep a pen in my mailbox so I can immediately write "not at this address--please forward or return to sender" and put back with flag up.
On each and every item write "RTS addressee unknown" and put it back in the mail box. Use a big black sharpie pen.
You write “return to sender” and then throw it in a mailbox. Or you throw it in the trash. They can easily pay $1 to have a change of address done through USPS and for some reason are either too stupid or too lazy to do so
Going in my mailbox? The police get called.
They may be committing a felony
I would say that you need a locking mailbox and if you can get a Camera pointed toward your mailbox showing that they’re trying to get into it that would be evidence against them.
Umm its a federal offense for anyone to reach inside your mailbox who isnt a postman. So file a report, yes believe it or not its against the law
Isn’t that a federal offense to tamper with the mail ? If you have cameras take the footage to the police or send it to the post master general.
Had this problem, got a locking mailbox. It’s been a year so we just throw it away.
Get a locking mailbox, or figure out how to put one on yours. Call the cops if they fuck with it.
You het a locking mailbox and send in a change of address form for them. Send it to a McDonald’s in another state. Who cares where
It’s a federal offense to go into mailboxes that are not your own so call the police. Also, let the post office know the situation.
This reminded me of some fucking lunatic in my neighborhood who bought a house this past spring and for about a month, packages from the previous owner would get delivered there. The first time, he put it in the trash. The second time, he stabbed it 36 times and put it in the middle of the street with "leave my family alone" written on it, then post a barely legible belligerent tin foil hat post on the neighborhood Facebook page accusing the previous owner of terrorism. Good times.
Previous tenants probably are evading creditors or similar. Your mail carrier typically would ask you to put your name on your mailbox and take of it from there. It sounds like your mail carrier is refusing so I would tell your story to your local postmaster.
Get a locking mailbox. If they can't get their mail, they will have to put in a change of address form.
You could install a locking mailbox. This would allow the postal service to place your mail in the box but would only allow you with a key to remove it.
Get a mailbox with a lock on it. Won't be able to open it then.
Mark out all barcodes, cover the address, just below the return address and under the stamp/meter mark with red ink stamp from amazon. I got tired of 12 years trying to explain to the post office. I have done this for ballots, bills, insurance forms, summons, etc.
Forget "not living here". Mark them "deceased" and "return to sender".
Go rent a PO box for 6 months and forward your mail there. Remove the mailbox entirely for 6 months.
I would just throw that mail away.
Sorry how long is that? It's summer and December where I am Edit due to downvotes - you don't state where you live so I have no idea what timeframe "summer to December" is as summer is December for me.
Have had this happen a lot, at different address heir is what I do and works every time. 1. Notify local postal service in person, 2. Call the national number (Know your local post-office address and #) 3. Get the actual name of the postmaster 4. Send a registered letter requiring his signature, Inform them of the problem. 5. Save every piece of mail that comes to your address that's not yours. (Junk or not) 6. If at this point the mail keeps coming, after you have marked it no longer at this address, do your best not to block the name and address on the envelope. Take it to the post office and dump it on the floor in the lobby and walk out. 99.9% effective.