Postman just put a summons to magistrate court through my door

[BennyAndJoon]

I know this because it says "SUMMONS (M.C. Act 1980 s.1: M.C. Rules 1981....)" in the window above the name and address along with the name of the court.

The address is mine, but the name is not. We have only been here since March and still get quite a lot of mail for the previous occupants (we are in Married Quarters for HM armed forces).

There is no return address.

I really want to open it and find out what they are being summoned for

WWYD? (I have already decided what I am going to do btw)

it is illegal to open another persons post, return to to the post office

I would open it up and call them to say that this person is not at this address and you don't have a forwarding address and don't want any more mail sent to the address.

Of course, if you are pregnant you can always play the 'hormones card' to make sure they do!

Return to sender, addressee not known

Is it illegal... oops. But what if you suspect that some naughty person is merrily giving out your address and, say, running up bills at a casino or on a mobile phone?

It is illegal, but I must admit I did it when I saw a lot of 'debt management / bailiffs' stuff come for the previous occupier to my house. I was worried that I might be liable for something they had done at this address, or that bailiffs would appear at the door!! (although that never happened and I think it was likely to, tbh).

I just resealed the envelopes, crossed out the address and wrote the return address that was on the letter inside (like yours, there was no return on the envelope), and wrote 'opened in error' on the outside !

Yes it's pointless opening it - I sued to as Kirsty says because I was worried I'd get bailiffs round...I rang the number inside several times and they still kept sending me stuff, it was crap - so I just binned it all in the end. Nobody came round.

be sure and let the Magistrate's Court know as if it's debt, and they have wrong address, you absolutely do not want baliffs coming to your door to enforce the judgement as they tend not to believe the 'not my name...'

Gawd - you lot are all so practical

I was feeling nosey

What I have done is called the Mag court for advice, they have given me the address for returning the mail (different from the main court address). I am going to put it (unopened and re-addressed) in the post box on my way to Tesco.

The man who answered the phone was quite amused by DD yelling "I speak Granny on phone" in the background (that is who she had decided I was talking to)

I bet you steamed it open. Oops, gosh, darn... it just slipped past the kettle as I was boiling it and the letter just fell out...

So come on - what had they done??

It is only illegal if you plan to do something untoward once you have opened it, it is not illegal to open a letter to get the contact details from it etc.

Wish I had known that before I put it back in the post box

Message withdrawn

i had same when we moved here, letters no return address, blaiff leters. I called explained doesnt live here, that was it. I still get letters for them 7 years on!

are you technically not meant to sign for a summons?