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Original poster

Opened letter by mistake, previous owner

84 replies

BingoBastards · 24/08/2023 05:36

I'm not sure what to do now, previous owner had a letter through. I wasn't looking properly to see it's not addressed to me and opened it. It's a cheque.

I've emailed him about it but what the fuck do I do? Tear it up and put it in the bin? I don't exactly want to get sued for opening a letter by mistake.

He had some life crisis and disappeared so I don't think he's going to respond to email

OP posts:
Northernsouloldies · 24/08/2023 05:42

Re seal with sellotape and Mark not known at this address.

OverwhelmingSituation · 24/08/2023 05:43

It was a genuine mistake. It was posted to your own address, you didn't exactly intercept someone else's mail- that's completely different.
Can you send it back to the sender saying "addressee has moved" ?

Original poster
BingoBastards · 24/08/2023 05:49

You have just made me all laugh as I put it back in the envelope but incorrectly so the cheque was showing in the window pane!

Hastily put it back in a different way. I'm out soon so I'll repost. Can't think of what else I can do.

OP posts:
calmcoco · 24/08/2023 05:49

https://personal.help.royalmail.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5156/~/ive-received-someone-elses-mail

You won't get sued. It's an offence to intercept someone's mail deliberately but no one has a case for one letter opened in error.

ArcticBells · 24/08/2023 05:52

It happened to me a few times when I moved into my house. Just reseal and write opened in error, return to sender as no forwarding address snd put it back in the mail box.

pilates · 24/08/2023 05:54

Give him a couple of weeks to respond. You can only apologise for opening the mail but it’s to his advantage if it’s money due back to him.

Original poster
BingoBastards · 24/08/2023 06:01

It's just under a grand, but I'd want that back if that was me.

I'm off in about 10 minutes so I've sellotaped that back up, wrote return to sender on the envelope and emailed him 🤷‍♀️

If this is a fledgling criminal career then so be it!

OP posts:
Bettyboobaloo · 24/08/2023 06:12

Relax, it's not the end of the world. Tape it back up and mark, not at this address. Then repost.

Original poster
BingoBastards · 24/08/2023 06:31

@Bettyboobaloo thanks Betty, it's gone (into the postbox) now, so hope there's never anything through for him again. Still a bit perplexed why he hasn't sorted out new address though, he didn't seem the type not to deal with paperwork

OP posts:
weathervane1 · 24/08/2023 06:39

It's too late now but if you emailed him about t, why didn't you ask for a forwarding address and send it onto that?

Original poster
BingoBastards · 24/08/2023 06:42

weathervane1 · 24/08/2023 06:39

It's too late now but if you emailed him about t, why didn't you ask for a forwarding address and send it onto that?

I've tried over months to let him know about paperwork and never had a response.

Thought it had stopped now which is why I opened letter by mistake.

OP posts:
Spookyseasonmum · 24/08/2023 06:44

I wouldn’t worry about it, we regularly get mail from the previous owners, I open them and read it because I’m nosey then bin them.

ReeseWitherfork · 24/08/2023 06:45

OP descending into criminal behaviour, and making it back again, before I’m even out of bed in the morning!

Glad it’s sorted OP.

Snoopsnoggysnog · 24/08/2023 06:48

This is not a big deal OP. I’ve done the same but I have a new address for them so I just resealed it, wrote “opened in error” and re addressed it.

@Spookyseasonmum on the other hand… if that’s true, you are definitely breaking the law!

Original poster
BingoBastards · 24/08/2023 06:51

@ReeseWitherfork yeah I know 🤣

I was contemplating my prison sentence. Well faff over, letter is in postbox now instead of shredded in the bin. I wasn't expecting a cheque and felt guilty.

If you get up early without a coffee and do something silly you can be a bit unsure at first how to right it.

OP posts:
NeverDropYourMooncup · 24/08/2023 07:04

Now go and do something away from MN, as the 'YOU CAN GO TO PRISON FOR THIS' crowd haven't got up yet and will need to post dire warnings when it's all already sorted.

Aslockton · 24/08/2023 07:07

I open anything that has our address on.

One year, after returning from holiday, I opened a letter that had our address on but not our name. It was from a solicitor with a cheque for 17k in it. I did not recognise the name, so spent the next half hour going through the phone book to find out who this person is and where they lived.

We live at No 1 and they were at 21. I went round, apologised for opening it but wanted to make sure they got it safely. The next night, he brought round 2 bottles of wine and we receive a Christmas card every year from the family.

Original poster
BingoBastards · 24/08/2023 07:08

Hey @NeverDropYourMooncup don't say that!

I heed your warning, I am stepping away from MN and all mail for the remainder of today. And specs on firmly in place when I next look at anything ☕️

OP posts:
Fuzzyblank · 24/08/2023 07:09

I open all of of my previous tenants mail. That way I can tell the debt collectors they don’t live here. I didn’t at the start, then they started to pile up and the envelopes looked more threatening! Now I rarely get anything for them.

Poivresel · 24/08/2023 07:09

NeverDropYourMooncup · 24/08/2023 07:04

Now go and do something away from MN, as the 'YOU CAN GO TO PRISON FOR THIS' crowd haven't got up yet and will need to post dire warnings when it's all already sorted.

Too right.
They'd have a fit if they knew how much mail I opened for my previous tenant, (who smashed my kitchen and stopped paying rent) one letter informed me that he owed £4k in energy. Pleased I opened that as the energy company tried to stick the bill on me!

Boysnme · 24/08/2023 07:10

Be grateful it’s only one! Our old owners get so much sent to us! I have a big stack to get round to putting back in the mail. I could tell you when all their kids birthdays were by the cards that arrive! Contemplating sending it on to them in new individual envelopes with no stamp to see if they get the message to change their bloody address!

Viviennemary · 24/08/2023 07:10

NeverDropYourMooncup · 24/08/2023 07:04

Now go and do something away from MN, as the 'YOU CAN GO TO PRISON FOR THIS' crowd haven't got up yet and will need to post dire warnings when it's all already sorted.

I'm awake early today and might be in the crowd you describe. But even I don't think OP will be going to prison.

GRex · 24/08/2023 07:23

It's really weird to email him them put it straight in the postbox. Just do one or the other. You could ask his solicitors used at the sale for a forwarding address, then send that to the senders.

DadDadDad · 24/08/2023 07:40

It's not unlawful to open post addressed to someone else. An offence is only committed under Section 84 of the Postal Services Act if you are doing something malicious - "acting to someone's detriment" and "without reasonable excuse". If you send it on to the correct person, you're fine.

PlayedCatsEyeMarbles · 24/08/2023 07:44

Spookyseasonmum · 24/08/2023 06:44

I wouldn’t worry about it, we regularly get mail from the previous owners, I open them and read it because I’m nosey then bin them.

Rather rotten behaviour, return to sender