Is this legal?

[retainertrainer]

If my ex husband receives post addressed to me, is it legal for him to give it to my parents who will then pass it on to me?

Yes.

Yes of course. He could open it as long as he doesn't intend to use it for illegal or fraudulent purposes.

What alternative arrangements could be put in place, can he forward it directly onto you or is there a redirection service set up.

What law do you think that might break?

Yes. Why wouldn't it be legal?

Thankyou. I just wanted it confirming for a friend.

TheGoodEnoughWife

No he can’t! According to the Postal Services Act 2000, it is illegal to open mail that is not addressed to you, unless you can show reasonable excuse.
🙄

Why would it be illegal to hand over some mail?

I stand corrected The Act says: “A person commits an offence if, intending to act to a person’s detriment and without reasonable excuse, he opens a postal packet which he knows or reasonably suspects has been incorrectly delivered to him.”

I would argue reasonable excuse is up for interpretation though ;-)

Actually the Postal Services Act 2000 says:

(3)A person commits an offence if, intending to act to a person’s detriment and without reasonable excuse, he opens a postal packet which he knows or reasonably suspects has been incorrectly delivered to him.

So there has to be the intention to act to a person’s detriment for the offence to be committed; if there wasn’t you don’t have to have a reasonable excuse.

Cross post TheGoodEnoughWife!

TheGoodEnoughWife opened by mistake once, maybe. Multiple times, nope.

An ex doing it, knowing full well his ex wife’s mail is continuing to be delivered to his address, could not keep saying it was an accident and expecting that to be a “reasonable” excuse.

Thanks everyone. He’s trying to say it illegal (basically to draw her in so she has to collect it herself)

Tell her just to get it redirected if she can afford to do so. That eliminates any further stress about mail.

True - the use of 'and' still means it has to be with intent of detriment.

Anyway in regards to the OP. He is trying to be a controlling twat and no it is not illegal for him to pass it on through a third party.

Why have the hassle. Pay for redirection then it goes nowhere near him

He’s talking shit.

TheGoodEnoughWife “intending” is the operative verb. What reason would he have to opening an ex’s mail that was for her benefit if he knew where to forward it unopened? It is at the very least intimidating.

OP Tell your friend to put in writing that he is to forward all mail unopened. He has to comply whether he likes it or not.

If she thinks he is messing her about, she can test the system by sending “signed for” mail herself and logging how long it takes to teach her via her ex.

He may be a twat but he isn't her redirection service. OP - this person really needs to organise change of addresses on everything.

She needs to change address herself or get a redirection service. It may be possible to get mail delivered to a P.O. Box or something if she hasn’t a permanent address yet?

Why should he have to act as postman? Pay for a redirection then the problem is solved. Sounds like the former owners of my house who couldn't be arsed putting a redirection on their mail and left a note when I moved in with their new address (25 minutes away) saying 'if we're not home, just leave it under the doorstep'. I returned to sender for two months, then binned everything after that. I'm still getting mail five years on.