? for USPS worker about forwarding addresses

[Twende]

Maybe someone can help me figure this out. When you put in a forwarding address to USPS, either permanent or temporary, who can get your new address?

To make a long story short we have a family member who is a bit off and angry. We live more comfortably when this person is far away and does not know where we are.

I suspect this person has been given our forwarding address by our old post office. I really thought that no one could get it from the post office.

Does anyone know how this really works?

 

[marlynnp]

I haven't done it for a while but you could in the past.

You just send an enveloped to the person's old address and below the address you put "ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED" the post office the sends the envelope back to you with the yellow label with the forwarding address on it - postage due. (so it's basically the cost of 2 stamps)

 

[Twende]

I haven't done it for a while but you could in the past.

You just send an enveloped to the person's old address and below the address you put "ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED" the post office the sends the envelope back to you with the yellow label with the forwarding address on it - postage due. (so it's basically the cost of 2 stamps)

Wow that is interesting. Thanks for the quick reply.

What I got in the mail today is an empty envelope addressed to my old address. It has "Return Service Requested" under the senders address and a yellow forwarding sticker on the bottom with my new forwarding address on it.

Does this mean that the USPS sent it to me instead of family member?

I will calling the old home post office on Monday and see what they remember doing and I guess cancel the forward. I guess we will have to get a PO Box in order to keep this "crazy" off our doorstep.

 

[marlynnp]

Wow that is interesting. Thanks for the quick reply.

What I got in the mail today is an empty envelope addressed to my old address. It has "Return Service Requested" under the senders address and a yellow forwarding sticker on the bottom with my new forwarding address on it.

Does this mean that the USPS sent it to me instead of family member?

I will calling the old home post office on Monday and see what they remember doing and I guess cancel the forward. I guess we will have to get a PO Box in order to keep this "crazy" off our doorstep.

Yep, they used the wrong language and placement. You also should be aware that after the forwarding time on your mail (I believe it's 3 months now) runs out, mail will be returned to sender with the yellow label containing your new address for an additional 3 months.

In the future you should make sure you keep a master list of everyone that needs to be notified of an address change and personally change it with each company/individual and DO NOT leave a forwarding address with the postal service.

 

[Twende]

Yep, they used the wrong language and placement. You also should be aware that after the forwarding time on your mail (I believe it's 3 months now) runs out, mail will be returned to sender with the yellow label containing your new address for an additional 3 months.

In the future you should make sure you keep a master list of everyone that needs to be notified of an address change and personally change it with each company/individual and DO NOT leave a forwarding address with the postal service.

Thanks so much for the good info and advice.

 

[tvguy]

In the internet age, if they want to find you, a few minutes on a computer is all they need to find you.

 

[SandrA9810]

The last change of address I did lasted one year to date it started.

 

[Twende]

In the internet age, if they want to find you, a few minutes on a computer is all they need to find you.

I basically agree with you but so far internet searches must not have worked because he is trying to get the info from the USPS. We are trying very hard not to be located and we want to keep our family safe. We have gone the restraining order route also but they really do not stop someone from coming after you.

We went to the post office this morning and got a PO Box. We showed them the envelope and they said he used the wrong wording, it was in the wrong location on the envelope, and he did not pay the extra fee to have it returned to him.

We just finished changing the forwards to the PO Box. We did changes directly with as many people and companies as we could but this whole thing involves the death of my parents, their home, and estate executor papers. These kinds of mailings are very hard to anticipate thus hard to change addresses.

Thanks again for all your input. Hopefully this works!

 

[LuvN~Travel]

Even though the mailer used the wrong wording on the envelope, we actually try to comply with their wishes by making an educated guess as to what they wanted.

When you get the letter like that it just means they sent him a postage due card with the new address on it. You will get the letter but the mailer gets the info if they pay for the return card.

You did well though in getting the PO box. It will be more secure for your family. And, even if you moved across town, it would keep the mailer from knowing your new street address.

However, in renting a PO box you probably realized that you had to provide two forms of ID. There are too many people who use them for scams, so in this day and age we definitely try to cover our 'rumps' so to speak as well as providing more security for you.

And, btw we forward your mail for one year, and for the next six months we return the mail with your new address listed on it for the mailer.

 

[Twende]

Even though the mailer used the wrong wording on the envelope, we actually try to comply with their wishes by making an educated guess as to what they wanted.

When you get the letter like that it just means they sent him a postage due card with the new address on it. You will get the letter but the mailer gets the info if they pay for the return card.

...........

Oh my. I really hope that they did not send him our address. I will call the post office where it was forwarded from on Monday and talk to them. It is a tiny little town and I think they know the problems he has caused so I hope they just forwarded it to me.

Thanks for the info. This is all such a mess and if he already has the physical home address then getting the PO Box was a waste of time and money.

 

[DebbieB]

I moved at the end of last August but I still got mail at the old address because I was cleaning it out and was over there frequently. I changed directly with any mail I was getting. I put the forwarding order in with the PO around the middle of February when I put it up for sale, I have gotten a few items with the yellow sticker, a reminder from my eye doctor, the property tax bill that I forgot to change. I am still over there at least once a week and nothing is in the mailbox so they must be throwing out the junk mail.

If you own property, they could find the address through tax records.

 

[LuvN~Travel]

Oh my. I really hope that they did not send him our address. I will call the post office where it was forwarded from on Monday and talk to them. It is a tiny little town and I think they know the problems he has caused so I hope they just forwarded it to me.

Thanks for the info. This is all such a mess and if he already has the physical home address then getting the PO Box was a waste of time and money.

It may seem like a waste of money, but in the case of someone who wants to give you grief, even protecting your mail causes one less worry for you. At least he can't steal your mail or cause problems with it. And, he will have no idea of what you get or send. In this day and age of identity theft, it is good to protect yourself as much as possbile with someone like that.
And, hopefully if the ppl at the post office knew about the situation, they were able to not give out your address. Good luck!

 

[Twende]

I talked to the Post Office this morning and they remember the letter and forwarded it to me.

They said the wording was incorrect, in the wrong place on the envelope, and he did not pre-pay the return service fee.

I explained what was going on and they were familiar with things a bit. They assured me that they would not give him my address including if he called for it.

They received the new change of address request we submitted to the PO Box and agreed that it should take care of the problem.

We do not own property in the area where we are staying right now so a property search will not find us, If we do buy property here we are thinking of doing it through an attorney and forming a trust or LLC and that may keep our name and address out of the public eye.

We still have to do some research on this and we still have property in other places to sell before we buy something else. We have not ruled out retiring in Costa Rica. We made a trip there last year to check it out and loved some things and hated others,

Who knew retirement could be so interesting and stressful!

 

[Tiggerish]

Am not sure what is covered in your restraining order/order of protection, but might the effort to locate you be a violation? I understand that further engaging in legal battles can be something the troublemaker wants as it actually provides opportunities for contact. Or may heighten the rage and intensive the desire to locate you. So tread carefully.

 

[bankgirl05]

Am not sure what is covered in your restraining order/order of protection, but might the effort to locate you be a violation? I understand that further engaging in legal battles can be something the troublemaker wants as it actually provides opportunities for contact. Or may heighten the rage and intensive the desire to locate you. So tread carefully.

If you have an active and open restraining order the courts need to know of your move, and they will then notify the subject, because he needs to know WHERE he needs to stay away from.

Restraining orders are jokes to someone who really intends bodily harm. If someone is intent on hurting you, a restaraining order is not going to prevent that, it will only give the cops an additional charge to tack on afterwards. Sorry to say...

 

[Twende]

If you have an active and open restraining order the courts need to know of your move, and they will then notify the subject, because he needs to know WHERE he needs to stay away from.

Restraining orders are jokes to someone who really intends bodily harm. If someone is intent on hurting you, a restraining order is not going to prevent that, it will only give the cops an additional charge to tack on afterwards. Sorry to say...

This is exactly what we found. They are a JOKE! I let the restraining order lapse after a year since it really gave me no protection and like others had said in some ways it allowed him to know more of where I was.

All it did was keep us in court all the time. We are just trying to stay low and not stay in any one place for too long. Right now that works just fine as we are visiting and traveling a lot. It will be more a problem in the future when we decide where we want to live.