May we throw away their mail?

ra_mom

Tue, Nov 07 2023, 3:40 pm

I bought an $8 stamp on Amazon that says return to sender and I throw it all back into the mailbox. This puts the burden onto the USPS and they mail the envelopes back to the senders. At least the sender knows they didn't reach the intended recipient, that they need to find a new address for them.
It's not nice to throw out mail. It's also illegal.
It's not nice that they're leaving this to you either.
But you can still do the right thing.
https://www.amazon.com/Return-.....ss_tl

chocolate moose

Tue, Nov 07 2023, 7:10 pm

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

We recycle it. Nothing important at this point...

Actually, since a lot of bills are paid with webpay, mail is rarely sent unless it's a specific notice. we had certain insurance on autopay and only got a notice to our old address that it was expiring if we didn't pay this huge increase. We are livingin our new apt so long we paid off the mortgage already.

So, even if it's beenmany years, you can't say it's nothing important. thats not necessarily true.

Hashem_Yaazor

Tue, Nov 07 2023, 8:59 pm

chocolate moose wrote:

I can see where it's from.
Credit card offers, election mail, joining the AARP, tzedaka solicitations, a certain yeshiva's newsletter that has 3 families listed at my address lol

amother

Tue, Nov 07 2023, 9:13 pm

ra_mom wrote:

I did the stamp for a while, but I'm just so fed up of being busy with their mail every day, asking them to come pick it up, them not showing up, and the mail just piling up. It's over 2 years already. Not ok.

amother

Blue

Tue, Nov 07 2023, 9:46 pm

amother OP wrote:

We did that a year ago already, there's still mail coming here every day. I'm just fed up being busy with their mail for the past 2.5 years.

I dumped after a year it’s not my responsibility

amother

Turquoise

Tue, Nov 07 2023, 9:50 pm

Try asking your mailman. Mine only delivers mail that is addressed to me. I know there are other things sent to previous tenants because I get an email every morning with pictures of the days mail. I’m not sure what he does with the mail that isn’t mine. I assume he returns to sender.

amother

Burlywood

Tue, Nov 07 2023, 11:32 pm

I feel bad throwing out wedding invitations, otoh if you don't know they moved a few years ago they're probably not that close!
Sometimes I'll open mail take a pic and send it to them.

amother

Latte

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 12:43 am

I bring it to the post office and tell them they moved. It's been a few months. I don't have space to keep it. I toss the junk mail and only bring the important items. too busy to deal with someone else's mail and reminding them to pick up.

whatup

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 6:43 am

Omg we have the same issue. Over 5 years. It's ridiculous. I used to save their mail but now I just toss. I nicely texted the previous person to have his mail forwarded, but no response.

Geulanow

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 11:05 am

You can contact the place that sent it. Tell them they are wasting their money. For credit card and insurance offers, you can go to
optoutprescreen.com. I worry about credit card offers after someone moves. What stops the new occupants from getting a credit card in the old occupant's name?

amother

Crystal

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 11:17 am

Geulanow wrote:

A new occupant wouldn't know their identifying information in order to fill out a credit card application in their name. You still have to apply for these offers that come in the mail.

amother

Blue

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 11:22 am

You can dump it all cause it’s probably all garbage there’s no way they can prove you got it for those saying it’s federal property

amother

Apple

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 11:25 am

Within the first year that we moved in the previous owners would sometimes come pick up certain mail they received and obviously change their address with what ever was important to them. I called all the catalogs to cancel them, like Lands End, Macys. I throw away junk mail and only keep invitations and envelopes that look important. I already have a full drawer of mail for them and they are not picking it up. I don't think they care if we throw it away so I probably will as soon as I clean that closet. At one point I was putting the invitations back in to the post box but it was too hard and I rarely remembered to do it.
If you are buying a house now make a deal with the home owners that you'll keep their mail for them for a year and after that it's getting thrown out.

B'Syata D'Shmya

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 3:23 pm

amother OP wrote:

We moved in to our current home over 2 years ago. We still get mail on a daily basis for the people that previously lived here. We keep on asking them to come pick up their mail regularly, but they don't come. The mail is piling up everywhere and I'm just fed up. I even contacted the USPS to switch their address, nothing doing. Can we throw out their mail? Is there a law regarding this situation?

Were you asked to save their mail for them?
Tell them this is a job you can no longer do (2 years is enough). Give them a reasonable deadline to come or you will toss the pile...they can ask a friend to pick it up for them and hold it for them if they are not available. Y