I've opened someone else's mail and it's serious....

[Pepperwand]

Just after a bit of advice. A letter came through the door today, right address but the name wasn't us our the previous owners of the house. It was however, sort of similar to my maiden name but a male. So for example if my name was Michelle Henderson this was for Malcolm Hutchinson (just a made up example).

I occasionally enter an alias name if I'm signing myself up to something to avoid junk mail so thought it could be something I'd called myself to a random company in the past and opened the letter.

It is a serious letter detailing a fine in relation to "Sex offenders register failure to comply with notification requirements". It mentions bailiffs/enforcement if this isn't paid.

Obviously this is really bad and now I have the name of the person. I don't want to get in shit for opening such a letter but I don't want bailiffs turning up at my door thinking he lives here!

Do I call them and fess up? Do I put it back in the post marked as wrong address? Help!

Thou dost protest too much OP 😂. Just ring them and say you opened the letter because you didn't read the name on the front and that person doesn't live at that address anymore.

SO's and their registry are dealt with via the magistrates court and the National Offender Manager.

Don't panic about having opened it, many people just simply open the post that comes through their door without checking the name. It's not like you've been fishing in other people's letter boxes.

Ring the local magistrates court and tell the Clark what you have received. The Clark will report to the court and take it from there.

Honestly don't worry about it.

*clerk

Sorry autocorrect 😂

I open all mail as I’m the only person who has lived here from
New. I did have year where kept getting debt letters about non child support payments so I spoke to them many times to explain no X hasn’t ever lived here. I dint dnt want just wait for them to turn up and demand goods.

I also once had a DVLA letter about a driving test which I opened as had DVLA on the front and again if someone was using my address for fraudulent reasons I want to sort it out. Given i then could have been done for benefit fraud if “the system” shows multiple people living here.

Sounds like a scam to me - don't phone any numbers on the letter, as a pp said google the details for the court and use that. You could check with mr Google as well re the procedures re non notification, see if this is even a thing

It's only illegal to open someone else's mail if you're doing it with malicious intent basically. Opening something that could actually have been for you and turns out not to be isn't illegal.

*@BIWitch as if anybody is going to be bothered that you’ve opened a letter that was addressed to your house .

Not known at this address” does work with bailiffs.

No it doesn't. We did that with a couple of letters - and then a court letter came. I Googled the court and the contact number matched that on the letter. I rang and explained and they were very understanding. We have never had any more summons / debt collectors letters for this person since. I wouldn't leave it.

“because it's illegal to open someone else's post”

It is NOT ILLEGAL.

Google it for yourself.

It’s illegal if you intend to scam and profit from opening someone else’s mail - ie stealing a credit card via post.

I think it sounds like a scam (?)

I've had the bailiffs around for someone else (not even from my rented flat, a person living in a separate basement flat of that house). Not pleasant, they were big, angry men.
If things don't get sorted out, make sure you have your ID and proof of dwelling (ie your council tax statement if they live in the UK) to hand and whatever you do, don't let them in.

If it's any comfort, I live in a road with a very similar name to two other local streets (something like Station Terrace, Station Lane and Station Close) and have several times, particularly when I've come back from holiday and there's a stack of mail to open and I've been ripping through it, found myself holding someone else's letter or bill. I wouldn't feel too bad about it. If you think of all the mail you get in a lifetime it's inevitably going to happen sometimes.

If it's clearly serious I would tape the letter back up, write 'not known at this address, opened in error' and bung it back in the postbox.

There's angst, @Floralnomad, because it's illegal to open someone else's post!

Not exactly.

It sounds like a scam, is this the normal procedure?

^
This

Just be careful ringing, you don't want to be ringing any 'premium rate' numbers.

Don't give out your address to other people unnecessarily. I have even e-mailed a LA before to inform them about a person not living there getting a parking ticket and they didn't want to forward it to the relevant department in their LA

We have sent so many letter back with NOT KNOWN AT THIS ADDRESS / DOES NOT LIVE AT THIS ADDRESS etc but we STILL have always had bailiffs at our door requesting proof that we are a different person. I had to produce my DL or our house deeds because that's what satisfied them. Don't let them enter your house.

It's only illegal to open it if you do so with the intention of permanently depriving the intending recipient of it. Opening it in the hope of correct redirection is most definitely NOT illegal.

In any other circumstance I would pop a note on the local Facebook page to try to find the recipient- obviously not a good idea in this case! So I would look up the phone number for wherever it is from (not use the number on the letter) and tell them the situation. If I had a named police station nearby, I'd actually drop it off there with my ID to prove it's my address.

It sounds like a scam to me too as I've had a similar letter in the past. Ignore it or put it back in the post box as others have suggested. Worst case scenario is it's legit, bailiffs turn up, you prove you are you and he doesn't live there, they leave and never return. It's not your problem.

Did you get any luck with Google?

Bailiffs execute court orders and warrants. They're not all debt collectors.

It's the most unlikely scam, unless OP also happens to be on the SOR there's no way she's going to be scammed into paying a fine for not notifying.

You aren’t going to be charged with mail tampering for mindlessly opening a letter that is mixed in with your other mail.

Either call or just write not at this address and send it back.

Why on earth are sex offenders who don't comply with the register being fined and having bailiffs sent?

That's just mad. Are you sure this isn't a scam/joke letter?

I think it sounds very dubious and could well be a scam.

I'd be inclined to pop in to a police station and ask them to look at the letter.

Surely if a sex offender breaks their conditions they are visited by the police, not bailiffs.

I had bailiffs round at a former house for someone who had previously lived there. There was no fuss when I said I had no forwarding address, and never heard anything more about it. (He was a git. I absolutely would have handed over any details if I had had any.)

A couple of weeks ago, I received a letter here for someone who must have moved out about 20 years ago. I assume some companies are crap at updating their details, though GDPR should have cut down on some of that. But I would think most organisations which deal with the public will be used to having to deal with out of date details, so I'd just double check the contact details online and then call them.

Can someone please explain how this could be a scam?