Wwyd?

[simba20]

Since everyone on the DIS has opinions about things, I figure I'd post this situation here and ask my fellow DISsers....WWYD?

We bought our new-to-us home in June (well closed in June). For two weeks we were at the house every day cleaning what the previous residents left behind (they pretty much packed and left and did not clean).

So as we went back and forth from our old house to the new one each day for work, we'd bring a few boxs and misc odds and ends to try and get as much stuff as we could out of our old house before our "big move" day of June 26.

Anyway, during those two weeks, we would get the mail at the new house. Most of the mail was for the previous residents, we set it in a pile to deal with later.....planning to write "return to sender" or "no longer at this address" on the envelopes and put it back in the mail box.

Well, we never did. Today I found the stack (had been moved form place to place as we unpacked) and went through it. Everything that looked "important" I wrote on the outside envelopes "RTS" or "NLATA" but the rest I trashed. Then I saw the card. In the pile was a card -- a birthday card. I thought to myself "Oh man, I should have sent this back sooner so it could have been returned or forwarded to the recipient" I started to trash it, but a voice in my head told me to open it (after all it was very late) in case there was a check in it and I could mail the check back to the sender with a note that the family had moved.

Apparently, the card was for a small child and inside there was a $5 bill.

So I ask......WWYD with the $5.

 

[Handbag Lady]

Since everyone on the DIS has opinions about things, I figure I'd post this situation here and ask my fellow DISsers....WWYD?

We bought our new-to-us home in June (well closed in June). For two weeks we were at the house every day cleaning what the previous residents left behind (they pretty much packed and left and did not clean).

So as we went back and forth from our old house to the new one each day for work, we'd bring a few boxs and misc odds and ends to try and get as much stuff as we could out of our old house before our "big move" day of June 26.

Anyway, during those two weeks, we would get the mail at the new house. Most of the mail was for the previous residents, we set it in a pile to deal with later.....planning to write "return to sender" or "no longer at this address" on the envelopes and put it back in the mail box.

Well, we never did. Today I found the stack (had been moved form place to place as we unpacked) and went through it. Everything that looked "important" I wrote on the outside envelopes "RTS" or "NLATA" but the rest I trashed. Then I saw the card. In the pile was a card -- a birthday card. I thought to myself "Oh man, I should have sent this back sooner so it could have been returned or forwarded to the recipient" I started to trash it, but a voice in my head told me to open it (after all it was very late) in case there was a check in it and I could mail the check back to the sender with a note that the family had moved.

Apparently, the card was for a small child and inside there was a $5 bill.

So I ask......WWYD with the $5.

You should have never opened the birthday card and wrote RETURN TO SENDER right away on it. Or, call your realtor and see if there is a way to contact the other family.

 

[Mimi1965]

Well, we never did. Today I found the stack (had been moved form place to place as we unpacked) and went through it. Everything that looked "important" I wrote on the outside envelopes "RTS" or "NLATA" but the rest I trashed.

Then I saw the card. In the pile was a card -- a birthday card. I thought to myself "Oh man, I should have sent this back sooner so it could have been returned or forwarded to the recipient" I started to trash it, but a voice in my head told me to open it (after all it was very late) in case there was a check in it and I could mail the check back to the sender with a note that the family had moved.

Apparently, the card was for a small child and inside there was a $5 bill.

So I ask......WWYD with the $5.

Holy smokes! I can not imagine trashing other people's mail-YOU dont have that authority-and opening a birthday card? Huh?

There are several things (bills-licenses etc) that come in evevelopes that could be mistaken for junk mail

 

[RunningGirl]

I'm surprised you would intentionally open someone else's mail. Was there not a return address on the envelope? At this point I don't know what you should do. As either the sender or the intended recipient I'd be pretty upset to know someone had opened it up.

 

[Disneyland1084]

If you think that's bad, I received WEDDING GIFTS for the previous owners of the house. Apparantely, there was a lot of people they never told about the move. Luckily, a distant relative of theirs still lived in town and came and got them.

 

[daughter_of_amid_chaos]

isn't it a federal felony to open someone else's mail?

I get a lot of mail from previous residents. I do not even look at what it is or wonder what it could be. All of it is marked return to sender; recipient no longer at this address.

It is none of my business what they get in the mail and it is certainly none of my business to open the mail.

 

[ols386]

If there was a return address on the envelope, I would probably put it in another envelope, and send it back to them telling them that whomever it was addressed to, did not live there anymore.

 

[Buckalew11]

It is against the law to open someone else's mail. While they should have let the P.O. know their new address, what you've done (opening and trashing) with their mail is very wrong. You need to take that mail and put it into the mailbox, marked, tomorrow. Tape that b-day card up and hope for the best, I guess But do not trash it. Any of it.

 

[Liberty Belle]

You should have never opened the birthday card and wrote RETURN TO SENDER right away on it. Or, call your realtor and see if there is a way to contact the other family.

I'd seal it back up and call the realtor.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

Why not just give the mail back to the mail carrier? I wouldn't have thrown out or opened someone else's mail. That child never got their card, I would put it inside a new envelope and send it back to the return address with a note.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

If there was a return address on the envelope, I would probably put it in another envelope, and send it back to them telling them that whomever it was addressed to, did not live there anymore.

You wrote faster than I did, lol. Ditto!

 

[NMAmy]

Wow. I'm shocked that you opened someone else's mail and I can't believe that this even needed to be asked. The $5 belongs to a child. Send it on to the proper recipient or return it to the sender along with all of the other mail.

 

[GJM]

I just don't understand why you didn't write "Return to Sender" on it and why you opened it. Who cares if it was late or not.

When we moved into our house in Oct - around Christmas cards addressed to the previous owners - I wrote "Return to Sender" -

I would seal up the card with the $5 and put it in an envelope to the person that sent it with a note "no longer at this address"

 

[We_Love_Disney]

Get a grip people!!!!

The previous owners had a responsibility to make the change at the post office. That was their error.

Don't worry, OP, you didn't do anything wrong. You broke NO laws. Contact the post office for the mailing address of the previous owner. A quick note explaining what happened with the card money and other mail should more than suffice.

 

[Liberty Belle]

Get a grip people!!!!

The previous owners had a responsibility to make the change at the post office. That was their error.

Don't worry, OP, you didn't do anything wrong. You broke NO laws. Contact the post office for the mailing address of the previous owner. A quick note explaining what happened with the card money and other mail should more than suffice.

Really? I'm not trying to be snarky, but I thought it was a federal offense to open someone else's mail. Is it different when it comes to your house?

 

[GJM]

Trust me making a change at the Post Office doesn't always work like it should.

On our last move, some mail I received, other mail got left at my old house, some mail was sent back to the sender - it was awful trying to get my mail. And this is after I went to the Post Office and put thru a forwarding address.

You still don't open mail that doesn't belong to you -

 

[Handbag Lady]

Get a grip people!!!!

The previous owners had a responsibility to make the change at the post office. That was their error.

Don't worry, OP, you didn't do anything wrong. You broke NO laws. Contact the post office for the mailing address of the previous owner. A quick note explaining what happened with the card money and other mail should more than suffice.

When we moved last, we did fill out all of the forms well in advance and the Post Office didn't do the forwarding correctly. You can't just trust this to happen.

 

[Buckalew11]

The OP DID do something wrong. She/He opened someone else's mail! That is very, very worng. I don't care whether they did not contact the P.O. or not--you do not open other people's mail!

 

[We_Love_Disney]

Really? I'm not trying to be snarky, but I thought it was a federal offense to open someone else's mail. Is it different when it comes to your house?

Yes it is. It was legally delivered to their home. They own the property. They can do whatever they want with it.

 

[bgirldeb]

It was not necessary to open the card. You could have written 'moved' on it and it would go back to the post office for handling, either to the forwarding address or sender. I understand misplacing things in a move, but not for opening. Why not just put them back in the mail with your note on them?