is it a criminal offence to open someone elses post?

[zookeeper]

(zookeeper longingly eyes ex dp's bank statement whilst heading for the kettle)

Isn't it 'interfering with Her Majesty's mail' or some such ancient treasonable law?

If he's your ex, why's it going to your house?

You're very naughty to think about it Zookeeper, iirc you're a divorce lawyer! Don't you remember the SFLA guidelines on telling your clients not to open their exes post???

The ancient treasonable law also states "Unless said balance is £20k or over" ......

unglue the bit on the side and glue it up again

I read in the paper today about a bank letter being delivered by mistake to a feuding next door neighbour. Who opened the letter, then photocopied it and posted it to the whole village.
Think he got 200 hours community service.
Severity due to having distributed the letter, but the conviction was for interfering with the mail.
I think.

hmmm, i always open a letter or two of dh's. just randomly.
is that treason then?

lol at you lot

ex dp won't redirect his post because, wait for it, he doesn't see why he should pay money to prevent me from committing a criminal offence.

Tosser.

You are quite right IrisesI think I am not feeling very SFLAish at the moment, to say the least...

I suppose I couldn't stop the kids from opening it by mistake could I ?

Here we go -

Postal Services Act 2000

84 Interfering with the mail: general
(1) A person commits an offence if, without reasonable excuse, he?
(a) intentionally delays or opens a postal packet in the course of its transmission by post, or
(b) intentionally opens a mail-bag.

(2) Subsections (2) to (5) of section 83 apply to subsection (1) above as they apply to subsection (1) of that section.

(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.

(4) Subsections (2) and (3) of section 83 (so far as they relate to the opening of postal packets) apply to subsection (3) above as they apply to subsection (1) of that section.

(5) A person who commits an offence under subsection (1) or (3) shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to both.

-----

Loving all the talk of subsections, WTF?!

bugger.

sorry zookeeper just saw you are a lawyer so I'm sure you know all that!

WTF??! You can go to prison for 6 months for opening someone else's post?! No wonder all the fecking jails are full!!

No I didn't know Flowery.

Murder is a criminal offence too

Might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb

steady on now.

Open it, after all he doesn't live there and you would expect all post to be for you, then call the bank and say, "Sorry, I just opened a letter which wasn't for me, but I presumed it was. Can you please ensure that no more mail for ex-DP is delivered here."

I had a similar situation with the people we had bought our house from - we received their bank statement THREE years after they sold us the house.

You go Zookeeper! (does it say anything in the post office regulations doodah about inciting others to commit post interfering law breaking thingy?!)

I would open it by mistake if I were you
I open all DHs post as a matter of course

That would be the sensible thing to do lilblood

but then I wouldn't get to see just how much he is spending on new dp at flash restaurants whilst paying me nothing for this three dcs

Mrsarchie maybe we will end up as cellmates

How come he isn't paying mtce? What are the CSA doing -(dumb question, prob.)

Zookeeper - I heard it's like a holiday camp in there! Sky TV, swimming pools, jacuzzis, gyms, 4 post beds with Egyptian cotton sheets...

I am not even bothering with the CSA he has stopped wotrking and is gaily spending the thousands he has in his account.

I am not married to him and am trying to summon up reserves of energy to make an application under Schedule 1 of the Children's Act although it's one of those sections that I quote often but have little experience of. It also seems such a declaration of war.

And don't get me started on the property in his sole name acquired during the relationship that he now says is all his

I can advise others in my situation but cannot see the wood from the tree at the moment

It sounds like he's already started the war by not supporting his children.

I quite often threaten Schedule 1 but haven't issued one yet. Often the threat is enough to get negotiations under way so you can do a sep. deed (sorry, grandmas, eggs, will shut up now.)

He's a family lawyer too so not much good making threats via solicitor's letters.

'twould be funny were it not my life