What can be done? Neighbor opening my US mail...

[HipChick]

Every now and again, my mailman puts the wrong mail into the wrong mailbox. It's pretty obvious, that it's my mail, it has my name,address on the front...and my neighbor still opens it! and leaves it on my doorstep with a "Sorry, opened by mistake" message on it. This last letter was from my out of state bank, so its highly unlikely she would be getting her financial statement from same bank. So why the fuck open it? This is like the 3rd time now, needless to say, she is a full blown Trump humper, Evangelistic nut, and I basically try to ignore her, if I happen to see her.
I thought as a start, I would write to the US postmaster, and see if she would draft a letter to the neighbor. This is pissing me off no end..

[Renew Deal]

1. Get a door buzzard

[Ptah]

4. Look out for that doormat

[Kaleva]

5. Whatever happened to him?

[Orrex]

22. Vanished mid-July 2016

A fair number of visible DUers disappeared around that time.

Perhaps coincidentally, Sanders formally endorsed Clinton on 7/12/2016, and a minor DU exodus followed. I'm sure that everyone who left didn't leave specifically for that reason, but the timing is conspicuous.

We lost another heap of posters on election night, for whatever reason. Some, in retrospect, appear to have been trolls, while others may simply have declined to re-up after the hack. Who knows?


We may never learn what happened to the Christmas-wishing neighbor...

[Phentex]

31. or the illegal cat

[marylandblue]

2. Call the local postmaster and say the mailman is not delivering the mail correctly

The mailman will be more careful after you complain.

You can also mention that your neighbor is opening the misdelivered mail, but that would be more to emphasis why it's important to do it right, rather than they will do anything to your neighbor.

[HipChick]

7. I like that idea..

18 U.S.C. § 1708 - U.S. Code - Unannotated Title 18. Crimes and Criminal Procedure § 1708. Theft or receipt of stolen mail matter generally

[WinkyDink]

34. Illegal to open another's mailbox if one is not a postal employee.

[Kaleva]

39. I did not know that. I'll delete my post

Apparently I myself have been on a 40+ year crime spree.

[cyclonefence]

6. I think you should speak to your carrier

instead of complaining to his/her boss. I bet if you tell him/her that your neighbor is actually opening your mail when it is misdelivered, you'll get a better result than if the complaint comes from a higher-up. I've found that if I make person-to-person contact with service people, they feel more like being careful with my stuff.

I have to confess that I have opened mail not addressed to me by mistake. I don't open the mail every day, so I go through a pile of envelopes and assume that they are all for me since they were in my mailbox, but occasionally they are for a neighbor. I'm a coward; I tape the envelope shut, write "not this address" on the outside and put it back in the mailbox. It disappears, and I assume the carrier delivers it where it belongs.

[HipChick]

8. Exactly...that is what a normal person would do

why open it, and on top of that let me know you opened my mail..

[NotASurfer]

9. Could get a P.O. Box and change mailing address for statements etc

I was on the road a lot at one point, was easier to stop at the Post Office once a week than have my mail held. That would reduce her opportunity at least.

Otherwise, tampering with the mail is probably some kind of federal offense. Trick is proving it.

[safeinOhio]

10. That's what I do.

Only get junk mail in my home box. That way I get double the coupons too.

[WinkyDink]

35. Um, no. The OP doesn't need the extra hassle.

[WinkyDink]

36. Opening mail that IS DELIVERED TO ONE is not "tampering." Neighbor isn't looking for an

"opportunity."

[Doreen]

11. Once can be a mistake.

Twice or more it is not. Opening other peoples mail is a felony. Gently remind her of that. If done again after that let the post office and police know. If you want to get "extremely technical" about it spouses are not even supposed to open each others mail.

[Fla Dem]

21. Not necessarily. I've probbaly done it a least of couple of times.

Lived at the same address for about 20 years, so roughly 4200 mail deliveries to my home. Mail person makes a mistake. I bring the mail in and put it down. Maybe right away, maybe later I look at it. Mostly junk. Identifiable junk, I tear in half. Several times, I've noticed after the fact whoops, wrong address.

But probably have opened a few pieces of mail that were mis-delivered because the return address was a business or service I get mail from and didn't even look at the addressee. In those cases I've walked the mail to my neighbors and apologized for opening. But it happens, they've done it to my mail as well.

For the past few years we've had a super mail carrier and had few, if any instances of mis-delivered mail.

Not enough of an issue for me when so many other things going on.

If it was a common occurrence, then I would speak to the mail carrier.

[WinkyDink]

37. You're wrong. I have opened mail not mine (but in my mailbox) because it's an automatic reflex.

I am really, really angry when I then realize it isn't mine. Sometimes it's for an immediate neighbor; sometimes it's for one a block away but with the same number.

And it isn't a felony in this scenario.


Here are a few common scenarios when you receive someone else's mail:

1. You Accidentally Open a Letter Addressed to Someone Else.

Since most of us grab our mail from our mailboxes and open letters without a second thought, it is entirely possible to open someone else's mail by mistake.

Mistakes like this are not illegal. But what you do after you realize your mistake is important.

Under federal law, it is illegal to intentionally stop a letter from being delivered to its intended recipient, and that may include not informing the U.S. Postal Service that you have another person's mail. While U.S. Postal Inspectors aren't likely to hunt you down for throwing away mail addressed to a previous tenant -- especially if it's spam -- you should keep in mind that it is a federal crime to intentionally destroy another person's mail.

Simply write "Return to Sender" or "Wrong Address" on the mail not addressed to you and put it in your nearest mailbox.

http://blogs.findlaw.com/blotter/2014/01/is-it-illegal-to-open-someone-elses-mail.html

[lunasun]

12. Could be innocent . I have done it in a hurry. Then I start to read it and say wtf and then realize

it's not for me or anyone at this address. Oops . One time it was something very personal ooh la la for a neighbor I don't even like because they are not friendly and the situation was not good so I returned it to the usps box nearby with a delivered to wrong address written on the outside after I taped it up so they didn't see me dropping it in thier box and it had to be redelivered.
All of this is a US mail delivery problem not your neighbors imo

[HipChick]

13. Not innocent...3rd time in a row..

[tblue37]

29. Could be innocent. I am always rushed, so I open my mail quickly when I bring it in,

because if I don't I tend to put it down and forget to open it. Frankly, I don't even look at the address or return address before opening a piece of mail.

Only after I begin reading and realize it can't be for me do I then check the address. Then I take it to whomever it was supposed to go to and apologize in person for accidentally opening it.

We have one carrier who screws up a few times every year. I always make sure the mail gets to the proper recipient after I discover I've opened mail meant for someone else, but I know some people don't bother to.

Often the proper recipient is blocks away, not next door.

So, yeah, it could be quite unintentional. Maybe not, but quite possible.

[jmowreader]

14. There's a good (but a bit on the time-consuming side) way to deal with the problem

Join the Communist Party, the Satanic Temple, the John Dillinger Died for You Society, the American Homebrewers Association, and a swingers' club. Have all that mail sent to your house. Then have all your bills, bank statements and other important documents, and all of your parcel post, sent to a PO Box at the post office.

Somehow, I have the feeling that one glance at "The Satanic Children's Big Book of Activities" will end her desire to read your mail.

[HipChick]

15. I stopped speaking to her..becuase she is always chasing me down,inviting me to her church..

I hate folks that want to force their beliefs on you...but the Satanic aspect just might work

[jmowreader]

16. The big question is, are you sure the mailman is misdelivering it?

I live in an apartment too, and the mailboxes we have don't lock. It wouldn't be any trouble at all for an overly-nosy neighbor to take mail from your box and open it.

[HipChick]

17. Mailboxes are locked, you need a key to open it..

I had to get a new lock on my mailbox a few years ago, I had to go through this long convoluted processes to prove I was me, and I was the owner of the residence..

[A HERETIC I AM]

19. Just sign her up on the Scientology mailing list

They’ll NEVER leave her alone

[Rocinante]

18. You might want to consider

sending a couple of these to yourself. Might help a little.

https://www.amazon.com/Shocking-Funny-Shock-Random-Color/dp/B000MLHFCS/ref=pd_sim_21_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B000MLHFCS&pd_rd_r=BFEZPVRC76D5JHC591KP&pd_rd_w=GMSPj&pd_rd_wg=3fxH7&psc=1&refRID=BFEZPVRC76D5JHC591KP

[DFW]

20. If you want to get creative

It wouldn't be difficult to get some imitation White House stationery made up. Then write a letter to yourself, purportedly from Trump, saying, "Dear Ms Hipchick, I usually don't answer individual letters like yours, but your complaint did strike a chord with me. While I always appreciate hearing that I have supporters around the country, if your neighbor is opening your mail, it is a Federal offense, and she is no true supporter of mine. I recommend you bring this to the attention of your local FBI office if it involves interstate mail. It sounds to me like your neighbor deserves a vacation in a federal prison. Yours sincerely,......" and then get someone who can imitate Trump's signature. Put a stamp on it and the put it in your neighbor's mailbox.

A little drastic, but she seems like a not-too-bright busybody who would be just dumb enough to believe it.

[Orrex]

23. Nuke the site from orbit.

It's the only way to be sure.

[FakeNoose]

24. Does your mailbox have a barcode issued by the US Postal Service?

In the Pittsburgh area all residential mailboxes have this barcode to verify that the carrier visited every day. He scans the barcode on my mailbox even when there's no mail for me. (Just to prove that he stopped anyway.)

The USPostal Service is winning big contracts making deliveries for Amazon.com packages and other retail shippers. They can only win these contracts if they can show tracking results, and they do that by scanning the barcodes on our mailboxes. You should be able to make a complaint to the US Postal Service and it will be taken seriously.

If your mailbox doesn't have a barcode, then request one. Good luck!

[HipChick]

25. Better than barcode, I get Informed Delivery

So every morning USPS sends me an email, with a photocopy of the outside of the mail I will be getting that day

I almost have 90% of everything paperless, but there are just some things that still come through the mail

I can compare that list, against what actually shows up in my mailbox, that would be the first sign I have that something went missing..

[Not Ruth]

26. Forward all your mail to a secure address

[vlyons]

27. Why are you afraid to speak to your neighbor?

You can nicely point out to her that mail addressed to you and misdelivered to her should be placed in your mailbox unopened. Point out to her that you would hate to think that she is snooping. That good neighbors don't behave that way.

You should also complain to the postmaster that the delivery guy needs to be more mindful with your mail.

[WinkyDink]

38. WRONG. It is ILLEGAL for a non-postal employee to place items in another's mailbox.

"There are three types of laws pertaining to mailbox access. An unauthorized person can not access a mailbox. An unauthorized individual must not remove mail. A mailbox can be used only to send and receive official U.S. mail.

The primary function if these laws is to protect the integrity of the U.S. Postal Service, to ensure that mail is secure through all points of delivery."

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20111120202337AAHVwyl

[procon]

28. It's probably not done deliberately.

Just two days ago the mail lady delivered several packages containing my prescription meds. I didn't read the addresses -- I never would think to even check -- so I got the scissors and opened them all at the same time. It wasn't until I began taking out the meds that I noticed one package contained unfamiliar bottles. Then I looked at the name, and finally checked the address which was for a house farther up the street.

I've mistakenly opened the wrong mail before, it happens occasionally and it's no big deal. I just stapled the package closed and wrote: "Delivered to wrong address and opened by mistake."

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

30. I have opened my neighbors' mail.

I get a few envelopes every day. The first thing I do is grab a knife and open each envelope, without looking at where it's from or who it's to. I guess I could investigate every piece of mail prior to opening, but I don't.

Usually, if it's to a neighbor, I just walk it down the street and put it in their mailbox. I'm sure that some mail, especially if it's from a bank I don't do business with, might end up on the "recycle" pile without me noticing who it's to.

I'm not trying to piss off my neighbors.

[Coventina]

32. I've done that a lot, I don't look at the addressee when I open mail.

I've opened mis-delivered mail too many times to count.

One time, I opened my husband's birthday card from MY grandmother!

I saw her handwriting on the outside, and assumed it was for me!!!

[HipChick]

33. Hmmpf...