Is forwarding someone elsees mail to my house illegal?

[crazymil4me]

My FIL has recently passed away and my MIL (his ex) has forwarded his mail to my home from his two residences. My wife is not in charge of the estate, but will be a beneficiary along with her sister. My MIL's motivation is to keep the living wife from accessing some of his finances. He has a residence in IL and FL, I ilve in the western US. I know it's illegal to open other peoples mail, but is there a law against forwarding a deceased persons mail? His wife is still alive, but not on speaking terms with the family and I worry some of her mail will end up at my house causing a legal nightmare. There will be a ton of attorney's reviewing this due to the size of the estate. is it legal to have his mail come to my home? I'm very much against this, it seems illegal and frankly I don't want all that mail coming to my house everyday.

 

[quincy]

My FIL has recently passed away and my MIL (his ex) has forwarded his mail to my home from his two residences. My wife is not in charge of the estate, but will be a beneficiary along with her sister. My MIL's motivation is to keep the living wife from accessing some of his finances. He has a residence in IL and FL, I ilve in the western US. I know it's illegal to open other peoples mail, but is there a law against forwarding a deceased persons mail? His wife is still alive, but not on speaking terms with the family and I worry some of her mail will end up at my house causing a legal nightmare. There will be a ton of attorney's reviewing this due to the size of the estate. is it legal to have his mail come to my home? I'm very much against this, it seems illegal and frankly I don't want all that mail coming to my house everyday.

Your mother in law exceeded her legal rights by forwarding to your address the mail of the deceased ex-husband.

You are right to be concerned.

 

[crazymil4me]

I want to add this just happened and we haven’t received any mail yet. I want to go to my post office when the first piece of mail arrives, bring it with me and say there is a mistake and this person doesn’t live here. Before I cause drama for my wife I want to be sure that this is in fact illegal and I’m doing the right thing.

 

[Zigner]

My FIL has recently passed away and my MIL (his ex) has forwarded his mail to my home from his two residences. My wife is not in charge of the estate, but will be a beneficiary along with her sister. My MIL's motivation is to keep the living wife from accessing some of his finances. He has a residence in IL and FL, I ilve in the western US. I know it's illegal to open other peoples mail, but is there a law against forwarding a deceased persons mail? His wife is still alive, but not on speaking terms with the family and I worry some of her mail will end up at my house causing a legal nightmare. There will be a ton of attorney's reviewing this due to the size of the estate. is it legal to have his mail come to my home? I'm very much against this, it seems illegal and frankly I don't want all that mail coming to my house everyday.

When deceased FIL's mail arrives, forward it to the executor/representative of the estate. If his wife's mail arrives, write "Return to Sender, not at this address" on it...or simply mail it to her directly.

 

[quincy]

I want to add this just happened and we haven’t received any mail yet. I want to go to my post office when the first piece of mail arrives, bring it with me and say there is a mistake and this person doesn’t live here. Before I cause drama for my wife I want to be sure that this is in fact illegal and I’m doing the right thing.

Yes. You are doing the right thing by not accepting mail erroneously (i.e., illegally) delivered to your house. I recommend you take any mail to the post office that is received for your deceased father-in-law and make address corrections there.

And you might want to ask your wife to speak to her mom about it.

 

[Mass_Shyster]

When someone requests mail forwarding, the post office sends a letter to the requester or current resident at the old address. When this happens, living wife should receive the notice, and can take the appropriate action with the post office.

 

[quincy]

When someone requests mail forwarding, the post office sends a letter to the requester or current resident at the old address. When this happens, living wife should receive the notice, and can take the appropriate action with the post office.

Are you sure? That would be helpful.

That should put a halt to the mother in law's mail meddling.

 

[bcr229]

When someone requests mail forwarding, the post office sends a letter to the requester or current resident at the old address. When this happens, living wife should receive the notice, and can take the appropriate action with the post office.

Good point, I've had mine forwarded fairly recently and I was sent a notification postcard to my old address. IIRC it had instructions on how to cancel the forwarding as well.

 

[quincy]

Good point, I've had mine forwarded fairly recently and I was sent a notification postcard to my old address. IIRC it had instructions on how to cancel the forwarding as well.

We filled out a change of address form at the post office and we received a confirmation letter sent to our new address. I don't remember anything being sent to our old address.

 

[bcr229]

The old address just got a postcard, the new address was sent a "welcome" packet with ads for some USPS services, like buying stamps online.

OP should still be on the lookout for his in-laws's mail though, and take appropriate steps should he receive any.

 

[quincy]

The old address just got a postcard, the new address was sent a "welcome" packet with ads for some USPS services, like buying stamps online.

OP should still be on the lookout for his in-laws's mail though, and take appropriate steps should he receive any.

I don't remember a welcome package from the USPS either - but if it was to promote the purchase of stamps or other services, I probably ignored it.

 

[Just Blue]

I don't remember a welcome package from the USPS either - but if it was to promote the purchase of stamps or other services, I probably ignored it.

When I moved to NV I also go a postcard confirmation at old address and welcome pkg when I got here.

 

[Just Blue]

Curious...what would the repercussions be for playing games with someone's mail?

 

[quincy]

Curious...what would the repercussions be for playing games with someone's mail?

Depending on facts, up to 5 years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1001

 

[eerelations]

Curious...what would the repercussions be for playing games with someone's mail?

I don't know about the USPS, or even Canada Post, but I once had my gas service cancelled (suddenly, no hot water!) by my drug-addicted, drug-dealing pedo pimp neighbour as some kind of sick joke in retaliation for me calling the cops on his "boys" for breaking into my place in the middle of the night and waving a giant knife at me. When my hot water stopped, I called the gas company and when I told them I still lived there, they turned my gas back on at once. I asked how this was possible to happen and they said if anyone calls to stop the gas, the gas will stop. Horrified, I asked why they didn't have some sort of measures to prevent this, and they said they didn't 'cause it hardly ever happened. Huh.