First, it was one magazine, then another one, and then the unknown bills started piling up in your mailbox, and you caught yourself wondering how to stop getting mail for previous residents. Since clearly the issue won’t be solved on its own, it is time to take things into your own hands. Luckily, we know a few tips that can help you solve this problem once and for all, that is, until the next time you relocate again.
Wonder How to Stop Receiving Mail From the Previous Resident? By Following Our Tips, Of Course
The relocation process is very complex and made of dozens of small tasks that need to be executed perfectly in order for you to move efficiently and avoid relocation stress. We recommend you begin with a good to-do list where you’ll write down all the necessary steps – this will help you focus on priorities and not overlook something important.
Even if you are moving in a hurry to one of the safest OC cities, it is crucial that you do not forget to organize important documents and change the address. This will prevent any unnecessary complications. Unfortunately, even if you do everything that’s up to you perfectly, the former tenants can mess up everything, so you’ll end up wondering what to do if you get mail for a previous resident. Luckily, this text will give you all the answers you’ve been looking for.
Why Is This Happening?
In order to understand how to deal with it, it is essential that you know how the problem occurs. Since there are many things you can forget to do when you move, people often neglect one or two, and when they remember about it, it’s already late. If the change happens a bit too late, the damage is already done, and you are standing confused in front of your house with someone else’s love letter. So, a few factors are important in this simple but yet annoying situation – updating the information and the timing of this update.
If both fits, you shouldn’t be experiencing any problems. The USPS serves around 160 million businesses, and residences meaning their network is huge, so sometimes they can make a mistake or simply do a late update. If you’re here wondering what to do when you get mail for a previous resident, the chances are that one of the above-mentioned scenarios happened.
What Do I Do With Previous Residents’ Mail?
How do I stop mail from coming to my house? Well, you won’t achieve anything if you simply throw all the unwanted letters away. It’s not recommended to do that. Just imagine the reversed scenario. You wouldn’t like that to happen to your letters and magazines, right?
It might feel overwhelming that, after all the stress you’ve been through while relocating your pets, managing your packing list, or organizing a garage sale, you now have problems like this. We get that, and it’s normal that you feel upset about it, especially if the letters keep coming. On the other hand, this is not an excuse to let it affect you in a way you do something impulsively that might lead to further complications.
Is It Illegal to Throw Away Someone Else’s Mail?
Yes, it is illegal to throw the previous tenants’ letters away. The law doesn’t give you the right to destroy another person’s letter, hide it, or throw it away. You may never have thought about this, but it is considered a felony. As a person who received those letters, magazines, or whatever, you are obligated by the law to handle this issue respectively and do everything in your power to help them get delivered to the right person.
You’ve got mail, and you hoped that you finally got that monthly issue of your favorite magazine, but oh no, it’s another bill that belongs to the former tenant. What to do, burn it in your fireplace? Remember, this is considered a felony. High fines or jail time are the last things you need now that you’re living in one of the best places in Orange County, right?
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Request a QuoteDon’t Open Personal Letters
Divorce papers for a lady that used to live there before you? Sounds dramatic, and maybe you do want to read it out of curiosity, but remember this is also strictly forbidden and definitely shouldn’t be your concern. Imagine the reverse scenario again? If this was your personal thing, would you like anyone sticking their nose into your business? Obviously not, so try keeping your hands off.
Don’t Try to Unsubscribe Other People
Feeling tempted to end a subscription that keeps coming to your home? Not so fast. Filling out the form on behalf of someone else shouldn’t be a big deal, right? Well, it actually is a big deal, and you shouldn’t do it under any circumstances. Why complicate things furtherly when you can fix all the problems in a few simple steps? Here’s what you actually should do.
The First Step – Leave a Sticky Note to Inform Your Mailman
One of the easiest things to do if you want to find out how to stop mail for previous residents is to notify your mailman. This is a really simple thing to do and takes just a few seconds. It is also completely free, so you won’t have to add any additional payments to your relocation expenses checklist.
For example, simply getting a sticky note and writing no longer at this address will do the trick. Just be careful when doing this. You don’t want to write the note directly on the envelope. The ink from your pen might get through the paper and damage the document inside. That’s why a sticky note is all you need. Just write the message on the note and stick it on the mailbox.
The Second Best Method Is to Talk Directly to Your Mailman
If you already tried the first method and it didn’t work, and your mailbox is still full of other people’s bills, the next time you notice your post carrier in your street, stop him to have a quick chat. This should definitely be an effective way of dealing with this situation. They can also give you advice about this issue and tell you how other neighbors deal with it. You can ask your neighbor as well.
Maybe they can give you some tips – after all, they live there already so they can definitely point you to the closest post office or anything else they find suitable. Speaking of neighbors, some of them probably know who lived there before you, and they are maybe still in touch with the former tenant. That can be one way to get in touch with that person and remind them to change their address and give them those letters you kindly saved.
Cross Out the Barcode – That’s One of the Things You Can Do to Stop Letters That Aren’t Addressed to You From Coming
What to do with mail from the previous tenant? The USPS postal system is mostly automated, so scanning barcodes is a common way of sorting the letters. If this annoying scenario keeps repeating despite all of your efforts, you can cross out the barcode and try this method. The barcode is usually located in the upper right corner of the envelope, and by crossing it out, you’ll send clear signals to the USPS authorities that something is wrong. This is one of the best relocation hacks in case that your other attempts didn’t work as planned.
Filing an Official Complaint Is Your Last Resort
If you still do not know what to do with mail for a previous resident, USPS should definitely get a formal complaint from you. If you contact them directly in the very beginning and file a legal complaint at the nearest post office, you can skip all the previously mentioned steps. For example, you could pay a visit to the closest post office and talk to their Manager or other customer service representatives. If you explain the issue, they can help you. You can also contact them over the phone or send an email. This is the most efficient way to end this saga.
You Should Also Protect Yourself From Address Change Frauds
In the end, you want to protect yourself from becoming a victim of relocation scams and prevent others from stealing your address and sensitive data. The first step is changing your address with the USPS by filing a simple online form. Remember, this costs almost nothing, $1.05 to be precise, so if you stumble upon websites that would like to charge this service more, it is most likely a scam. Address change frauds are becoming more and more common, so be aware of that. Scammers will try to redirect your mail and then get access to your sensitive data through financial reports, bank statements, and bills.
While You Are Learning How to Stop Getting Mail for Previous Residents, Don’t Forget to Hire Professionals
Relocations can be complicated, especially if you do everything on your own. Once you have enough reasons to move and master all the house-hunting tips that will help you during the search for a perfect new home in some of the best buy locations, your journey begins. Going-away party is something you should plan, but keep in mind that a move-out cleaning after one is a must. How to handle all of the responsibilities and still not miss out on something important? By hiring Orange County Moving Services, of course. Not only can we offer you outstanding local relocation services, but we can also help you have a much more enjoyable overall experience.
You’ll be so satisfied with our residential moving services so much that you’ll definitely want to tip movers appropriately. Our team of professional Orange County movers can also offer you apartment relocation services or even help you move your office via commercial moving service. If you do not know how to pack fragile items, we can also provide you with additional packing services. Apart from this, our team of packers and movers also offers labor-only moving in case you need a helping hand or two. In- and-out-of storage moving is another amazing option if you have to relocate your storage belongings as well. Best movers in Orange County can offer you a free quote if you are interested in the potential price of required services. Just contact us about anything you want to find out, and our kind employees will guide you through the whole process.