Need advice - opened piece of mail I shouldn't have

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

We live in a two unit apt. house. The tenants on the 2nd floor moved last fall and today I received a piece of mail for them. I opened it, thinking it was "junk mail" or advertisement from the local college. It is not uncommon to receive mail addressed to past tenants, we've seen probably half a dozen other names come through, other than ours.

I didn't pay attention to it when DD opened it, thinking it was unimportant since it was delivered here. I only looked at it hours later and realized that it was something that should have been forwarded by the post office. In the very least it should have been stamped as confidential.

What do I do now? I was going to mail it back to the college with a note, but keep thinking I shouldn't. I don't want to get in to any legal trouble for opening mail not addressed to me. I don't have their forwarding address, as we only moved here at the end of June and they moved out just a few months later. We never got to know each other personally.

 

[Pam]

Personally, I would just tape the envelope shut - and write "Occupant Moved" and stick it in the mail box for the carrier to pick up on Monday.

 

[ReneeQ]

Just tape the envelope shut, as best you can. Cross out your address on the envelope and write "not at this address" on the outside of the envelope. (If you don't cross out your address, it will come right back to you if they don't notice you wrote "not at this address.")

Drop it in the mailbox, no extra postage necessary. It will go back to the college that sent it. Then the college will know it was never received by the intended recipient and no one will have your name.

This happens to us at work all the time.

 

[Disney Doll]

I would seal it back up, write "return to sender, no longer at this address" and put it back in the mailbox. If you can't seal it, I would still write "return to sender, no longer at this address" on the envelope it came in, stick the whole thing into a bigger envelope, and send it back to the return address printed on the first envelope you received.

 

[DonnaS]

I'd do what the others have said and I've also added "opened in error" to the envelope. Mistakes happen.

 

[SuiteDisney]

Throw it away. If it's important the sender will send it again.

I don't know what to do, I've never opened anyone's mail before.

 

[LuvTigger]

It was an honest mistake. I've done it at work before, and I agree with those who say tape it up with a note saying "opened in error" and on the front note that it was delivered to the wrong address, or no longer at the address, etc. I don't think it's a problem since it was unintentional and you're trying to recitify the situation.

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

Thanks everyone. I just felt weird about returning it after it had been opened.

 

[Sal]

Longtime USPS employee here. As the others have said, tape it shut if you can and write on a separate piece of paper, something like "opened in error" "no longer at this address" and put it back in your box, or wherever you leave your outgoing mail.
It is best not to write on the actual mailpiece. The Post Office has the new address for those people and they will see that it gets forwarded as it should have been the first time.

It is not your fault for opening mail you got in your own mailbox, it is an error by your carrier. Not casting blame, it happens to the best of carriers. If it happens more often that just this once, I would call your Post Office and let them know about it.

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

Thanks Sal. My cousin's DH works for the USPS and I only thought to send him an email after I posted (duh!). The letter awaits the postman's return on Monday. I thought it would be difficult to tape with the ragged edge, but it was an easy job. Hopefully it finds it's way back to the college. I had not thought about the automated systems that might send it back to this address.

 

[mom2of2]

USPS worker here too! I just wanted to add that you really shouldn't ever write on a letter for any reason. Simply put it back in your mailbox with a note attached that states why you are returning it. Here's an example.....your neighbor gets your letter and instead of walking over to your box he/she writes in big letters WRONG HOUSE ...DOESN'T LIVE HERE....NOT MINE or something equal to that. I pick it up and instead of me simply sticking it in your box I now have to take it back to the PO and using scotch tape remove whatever it is that was written and deliver it the next day. You get your letter at least 2 days after you should have gotten it...even longer if it's a Saturday. I really hate to leave a letter with writting on it and my Postmaster won't allow it anyway. We postal workers deal with 1000's of pieces of mail a day. We all make mistakes and I personnally have 443 mailboxes that I deliver to a day. As my fellow USPS worker said, we all from time to time open other people's mail, it happens all the time. Don't worry about making a mistake.....we're all human after all.