Snail mail opening laws??

[TwoRails]

I can't find the answer to something, and it's listed below. First, just to share, this is what I can find:

* It is illegal to tamper with mail in any way while it is in the possession of the USPS.

* An employer can open any mail sent to any employee, personal mail or not.

* Mail delivered to the wrong address must be returned. I can not be kept, destroyed, or trashed, etc.

Implied (but did not find a definite anser):

* Mail sent to someone's boarder / renter may be opened by the owner if they live in the same house (kinda like the employer thing).

What I can't find out, however, is:

When mail is sent to the proper address, no renters / boarders are involved, is

1) the liability of the Post Office desolved, and

2) who can actually open the mail there.

In other words, can a parent or guardian open a child's mail whether the child is underage or an adult. Can the child, underage or adult, open the parents mail? Spouse opening the other spouse's mail? Brother and sister? etc...

My understanding is that once mail is properly delivered, that ends the Post Office's liability, and it is basically a free for all (not talking about the moral aspect, just the legal aspect).

Anybody know for sure?? I Googled and didn't find it, nor at the USPS's Web site.

TIA

[786ARS]

my personal opinion is that when it has reached the household, it is simply a matter of trust, to wheather who can open it.i beleieve it is not the liability of the shipping/mailing company, as they have no controll over the actuall opener of the package after delivery has been completed.

[TwoRails]

Agreed on the morality part of it, but any idea on the legal part? Just one of those curious things that came up the other day in a discussion.

[David M]

I don't know the law, but it seems the parent would have every right to open the mail of a minor child for their own protection. That is a parents job.

[786ARS]

true, but the question remians if the parent has enough trust to let the child open the parents' mail.

[Strider]

I was always told that it was illegal to open someone's regular mail if it was address from them. I have my doubts on any employer can open any mail, I can understand email because that is their computer system that you're using but regular mail isn't using anything but their address. However, I don't know since I have my personal mail going to my personal address and I would geuss 99.9% of people do too.

[TwoRails]

Originally Posted by Strider ... I have my doubts on any employer can open any mail...

No doubt there, Strider: I found that right on the Post Office's Web site! That's why I thougt it was weird that I could find that, but couldn't find out about regular home mail on their site.

[Strider]

Originally Posted by TwoRails No doubt there, Strider: I found that right on the Post Office's Web site! That's why I thougt it was weird that I could find that, but couldn't find out about regular home mail on their site.

Where's the link to it? I went to the Post Office Website couldn't find it. If it's true, I'm surprised it hasn't been challenged in the courts, I'm no lawyer but I find it unconstitutional unless the Government is using the Patroit Act to hide behind that.

[TwoRails]

Originally Posted by Strider Where's the link to it? I went to the Post Office Website couldn't find it. If it's true, I'm surprised it hasn't been challenged in the courts, I'm no lawyer but I find it unconstitutional unless the Government is using the Patroit Act to hide behind that.

Sorry, I didn't think about posting a link until I was having brunch...

Company opening mail:
https://hdusps.esecurecare.net/cgi-b...i=&p_topview=1
https://hdusps.esecurecare.net/cgi-b...i=&p_topview=1


Parents / guardians can "control" a minor's mail:
https://hdusps.esecurecare.net/cgi-b...i=&p_topview=1

They don't list a KB or FAQ on the page, but I found it under Contact Us. There is 47 pages of FAQs and a search function.

TR

[David M]

Originally Posted by 786ARS true, but the question remians if the parent has enough trust to let the child open the parents' mail.

Children have no business opening the parents mail. A family is not a democracy and having 100% trust in a child is not reality nor is it in the best interest of the child. There are a lot of mush head, new age, non-sensical methods for raising children now but entrusting a child 100% makes zero sense.

To say for example that if a parent opens a childs letter that a child can open a parents letter is nonsense because a child does not have the same responsibilities as a parent. With responsibilities come rights and parents have responsibilites that minors do not. Minors do not have responsibilities for their parents...but parents certainly do have responsibilites for their children. A family is an autocracy...period.

I am curious Two Rails...what is the reason for this thread? Did your parents open your mail?

[TwoRails]

LOL... No, my folks didn't get any mail David M. (I wish they were around to do so, though!). It's just one of those conversations that came up and I found it interesting that everybody a pretty solid stance on the subject but nobody knows *for sure* what the law actually is. Just a curiousity question on my end, but I got more curious when the answer wasn't easily found on Google or USPS's site.

[David M]

Woops... My apologies. I had the impression you were younger. I should have checked your birthday. I am really curious what the laws say as well. Interesting thread. I hope someone finds the answers.

[TwoRails]

Thanks for the compliment -- I'm old enough to know better, but I hope I'll always be young enough not to!

[juppy]

Only things I found involved whether your boss could open your mail at work. Couldn't find anything else. I have to admit I wasn't aware your boss could open mail with your name on it but the company's address unless it said "Private" or "Confidential" on it. That seems like a crock, but then again, I guess that's all the more reason to have a home mail box and not have your mail sent to your work location.

[TwoRails]

Still haven't found an answer yet... maybe I'll try to email the USPS directly and see what happens...

[786ARS]

when i talk about children opening parents mail, i am not referring to immature adolescents, like myself, but mature 21+ adults.

[TwoRails]

Trust is a beautiful thing. If my parents every snooped on me, I sure didn't know about it, but I don't think they did it, or at least not much of it. Untrustful things have a way of coming out on their own; in life I've found that I've never had to "look" for a distrustful person, they present themselves all by themselves. It's after that is when you have to take caution and keep an eye out on them, family and friends alike.

[David M]

Originally Posted by 786ARS when i talk about children opening parents mail, i am not referring to immature adolescents, like myself, but mature 21+ adults.

You're an adult, unless you have power of attorney over your parents, I believe it is illegal unless you have their permission. I am certain I would be breaking the law if I were to walk over to my neighbors house and start opening their mail without their permission.

[TwoRails]

Well, I actually got a response from the Post Office, but it was a canned one, so I'll try again... or maybe even make a phone call. I'll keep everyong posted

[tomster2300]

I think your parents have every right to open your mail while you're a minor. When you become an adult (18, 21, whichever one you like) then you ought to be mature enough to take care of your own mail and not require your parents' assistance.

I wouldn't really recommend having your mail sent to your work, esp. now knowing this. The only reason I can think of for doing that would be if you lived in a not so pleasant apartment where people "snooped" (despite the legality) in your mail ~ such as the boarder / renter explanation. In that case you would just have to choose the lesser of two evils...or have your mail sent to a relative's house or something. Can't you have it delivered to a safety deposit box in the post office? I'm sure there're other options we haven't thought of yet.

Just my two cents.

[TwoRails]

There is always a PO Box, too, if needed for special privacy.

[tomster2300]

Originally Posted by TwoRails There is always a PO Box, too, if needed for special privacy.

Yes, so I do see the reason for allowing employers to read your mail since you have so many other options available to you. They're having to spend their time and their resources delivering it to you (the employer) so I suppose they have a right to read it.

I think this boils down to not having your mail sent through your employer unless you enjoy them looking at your bills and personal information.

As a side note though, are they barred from reading certain pieces of your mail, such as bills and other personal items? Or is everything fair game?

[TwoRails]

Yes, everything is fair game, including items marked Confidential and or Personal.

I did get another response today, but this time it said I had to contact my "Postal Inspector's Office" for further assistance

[tomster2300]

Originally Posted by TwoRails Yes, everything is fair game, including items marked Confidential and or Personal.

You didn't state this before, did you? I could have easily overlooked it.

[TwoRails]

I don't think so, but is is in the first link above.

[TwoRails]

Well... still no real answer. I finally was able to call the Postal Inspector's Office but they were not much help. By that I mean I couldn't really "pin them down," and they were somewhat whish-washy. In general it was agreed upon that others in the family "shouldn't" open someone else's mail, but that's the moral part -- and everyone here seems to agree on that -- but not the legal intent.

But, what happens if someone does open someone else's mail? It kinda boils down to good luck if you want to object. First, you will have to prove malicious intent, fraud, or the like. That would be, as we discussed on the phone, hard to do because all the other person has to say is, "Ops, I did that by accident." So, if you'd want to actually prosecute, it would be a long road to hoe.

About the only "real" way it would happen is if that person was basically already a known criminal and have prior, similar offenses. In other words, they would pretty much have to be already convicted of something like identity thief, and you would have to prove malicious intent as mentioned above, for the wheels to be put in motion. And then it would still be "good luck."