When you move into a new property, it can be confusing to understand what to do with mail from a previous owner. This mail may pile up and keep coming, and you may not know the best way to return this mail to the previous owner.
Our article is here to help you out, and we give you some essential tips and information to keep in mind when you are dealing with the mail of a previous owner.
Is It Illegal to Handle Mail From a Previous Owner?
While it isn’t illegal to pick up, pile, and resend mail that belongs to a previous owner, it is illegal to open, look through, and damage someone else’s mail.
You cannot open mail from a previous owner even if you are receiving packages, and you should do your best to get packages returned to the sender, sent to the previous owner’s new address, or simply disposed of to avoid any potential legal issues.
Can I Complete a Change of Address for a Previous Owner?
Even though you might be tempted to handle a change of address yourself for a previous owner, this is not possible.
Only the previous owner of an address can complete the USPS’s change of address form to request that their mail be forwarded to their new address for a set period of time. It can actually be considered a crime to fill out a change of address for someone without their authorization, so do not do this as annoying as it can be to receive a previous owner’s mail.
What to Do with Mail From Previous Owner?
If you keep receiving mail from a previous owner, you may be confused about what to do with it. Below, we give you some tips on how to handle a previous owner’s mail:
- Write “return to sender,” “moved,” or “no longer at this address” on the envelope of the previous owner’s mail. Then, place it back into your mailbox. The Post Office will collect the mail and forward it to the previous owner’s new address if possible, or the mail will be returned to the sender to be handled.
- Leave a note inside the mailbox indicating your name as the current owner and asking that mail for the previous owner is not delivered there. Many Post Office workers will pay attention to this and refrain from giving you the previous owner’s mail.
- Collect the mail of a previous owner and send it to them if you have their new address. You can also ask them to fix the issue of their mail constantly ending up at your address.
Keep in mind that if you do reach out to the previous owner of your property or apartment, you should be respectful and to the point. Don’t harass them or attempt to bully them into accepting their mail or making address changes; simply make them aware of the issue.
Can I Look Up a Previous Owner’s New Address?
It is totally possible to look up a previous owner’s new address, as long as you have their name and their general location. This may be the city and state that they previously lived in, or the one that they live in now. In many cases, you can double-check the previous owner’s name using their mail or the real estate documents from the purchase of your home.
Take the previous owner’s name and input this into a reverse address online search. You could also put your current address into this tool. Run the search and look at the details on who previously lived at your address or the current address where the previous owner now lives. You can use this information to send the previous owner their mail and a request to officially change their address.
Keeping Your Mail Organized
Dealing with mail from a previous owner can be annoying, especially if the previous owner of your home or apartment doesn’t seem to be taking any steps to correct this issue.
If you are repeatedly dealing with mail from a previous owner, you can try to inform the nearest Post Office by sending back all of their mail marked ‘return to sender’ or ‘moved.’ You could also take matters into your own hands and send a notice to the previous owner’s new address to inform them of this issue.
Either way you go, you can eventually stop receiving mail from a previous owner with the steps in our article and keep your own mail organized.
