Could be illegal but wwyd?

[Mollychristmas]

This might sound awful (and illegal although I can’t see how anyone would know!) but what would you do in this situation?

We’ve had some Christmas cards delivered to our house addressed to the old owners. This is the first year we have got them so I imagine the old owners redirect has ended. (We have lived here just over 2 years)
From feeling the weight and how flexible the cards aren’t I think a couple might have money/gifts cards/letters in them.
Now for the AIBU, would you open them and hope for a return address?
Or would you just chuck?

I am of the mind to open and see if there is a return address, if not I would donate any money and chuck the cards, DH thinks that’s awful not to mention illegal and we should just chuck them even if there is money etc in them.

We don’t know the old owners new address but I suppose the estate agents might do something although having been over two years now I don’t know if they would or even could help (data protection et al) and it seems a huge amount of hassle for a few Christmas cards. The cards don’t have a return address.

What would you do?

I still get the odd card EIGHT years after old owners left. I open them.
Either take the cards to the estate agents and let them deal with it or open and if no return address do as you suggest.
I think it's more likely to have a round robin letter than cash - surely if close enough to give money gift you know your friends have moved.

Ask a neighbour if they have their new address?

Open them and see if there is an address, if there isn't and there's money inside, contact estate agents and explain.

It is illegal - however very unlucky that there would be any addresses in there - estate agents should have new address / phone number however they shouldn’t give it to you because of data protection - were they friendly with any of the neighbours who might have a telephone number for them?

Contact estate agents.

Have a quick look to see if there's a return address. Yeah, there's going to be a load of people telling you it's illegal. Because the letters are the property of the addressee, I think.

However, if you are going to throw it away anyway does it matter whether or not you open it ?

The previous owners of your house can't be that bothered about who ever sent it or they would have given them their new address.

You could try a local Facebook group. Someone might know their whereabouts on there.

I'd open. It's bonkers to just bin them.

Easy - ask the estate agents to let the previous owners know that you have some post for them. Set a deadline for them to contact you to collect. If they don't then "not at this address" and drop them back in the post box.

Return to sender and let the post office deal with it.I once got a letter with £50 in it that my dad had sent to a really old address.God knows how but the postal service got in contact and asked me to collect it with proof of identity.

Chuck them.
OR you could write “not known at this address” and stick them in a post box for Royal Mail to dispose of.

I’d open them & see if there’s anything important enough in them to warrant bothering the Estate Agent and all the hassle of that.

Technically it’s illegal, but I don’t think you’re about to do time for opening a few Christmas cards!

It is NOT ILLEGAL to open post not addressed to you, unless you then go on to commit fraud or theft etc.

Open it op.

Just open it and if you need to return it just say you opened it without noticing the name on the envelope wasn’t yours. It’s Christmas, you get loads of cards, you just open on autopilot. Nobody’s going to send you to prison for it

Opening other peoples mail delivered to your house is NOT illegal unless you’re doing so for the detriment of the addressee (think that’s how it’s worded).

So intercepting a credit card- illegal.
Looking for return address or clues as to who sent it- not illegal.
Keeping money or whatever inside a card- illegal
Trying to trace whoever the money belongs to- not illegal

The neighbours don’t have a new address, don’t think they got on terribly well tbh.

I probably should have said in my OP (although it was already really long and rambling) that the old owner was a bit of an arse and I think he would be really put out if he knew we opened his post although I’m not sure if it would change things should we find money 🙄 he seemed very much money driven and full of his own self importance, also the type that complained about everything just because he could.

I would rather try and send them back to the senders if at all possible, forward them on without opening them or open them and then chuck.

It is not illegal to open them, it's an urban myth that just won't die. It would be illegal to open them with the intention of acting to the detriment of the intended recipient - so arguably intending to open them to nick the money might just about qualify, opening them to look for a return address will not.

Why not speak to your so,icitir, who should have details of his? His solicitors May have a new address for him and help by sending the cards on if they won’t give you the address direct?

Our solicitor wouldn’t do anything unless we were paying them a lot of money! They were very good but absolutely would not do anything out of the kindness of their hearts!

I think I’m going to open and see if there is a return address, if not depending on what is inside I’ll either bin or give to estate agents.

Should I open all of them or just one?

Ask the estate agent, we had this and they did help.

But make it clear that this is the last time. We STILL get stuff 17 years later and I don’t mean junk mail.

write 'Not at this address' and put back in post box - simple! Royal Mail's problem then.

Our local fb group has had several misdelivered cards on to see if anyone can find the owner, maybe worth a try before throwing away

Hand in to the police?

If it's christmas cards it's unlikely they'll have return addresses inside. I'd just write - return to sender and shove them in post box.

Just open them. It's not illegal. Drama over nothing