Landlord Opening my mail

[dunni]

It's illegal to open someone else's mail or to interfere with someone else's mail in the UK.

 

My previous landlord would not let me collect my post as could not set up redirection..we where forced out of the property..by landlord..and girlfriend..no time set up..

Many times requested post said meet me property only to get there and no show..

Two days before Xmas heard something being pushed through letter very late 12 1pm went have look all my post all undone and they have contacted all them saying i owe him 4 months rent i do not i have all my receipts where he go me to pay into different accounts..marked date and saying rent from myself..they have even opened bank letters and have all our bank details..as there where 4 people at the property could not afford redirection as was going contact all.

 

they have been slandering my name ..

Surely opening peoples mail saying Private and confidential is breaking the data protection act..Police not interested ..

 

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited December 27, 2012 by dunni
They even have my bank details NI number works number.. hospital number

[havinastella]

I have started your own thread for you.

 

Jogs

 

*thanks 45002*

[raydetinu]

That is a criminal offence, openiing mail addressed to somebody else.

If you have evidence the police should take it seriously. It is an offence under the postal services act 2000. If they have used any information gained in that way that will be a further offence.

Slander ( verbal ) libel ( written ) is difficult and expensive to take action against and only if what is said or written is untrue and you suffered from it in some way. ( onus is on you to prove. )

Edited December 29, 2012 by raydetinu

[dunni]

hi i have tried the police not interested.its so dam frustrating as i did not have time to set up redirection and because landlord Voltaire abuse behavior all because i asked for the heating to be sorted six 8 weeks no heating hot water while he swanning it abroad while where freezing having go friends showers..

 

we had no safety certificate because asked to see hit roof kept phobing me off..

And never bonded our deposit..

I got fed up asking over heating water and called Gas safe to come check..OMG it was death trap they switched everything of said lethal..

When he found out things just went from bad to worse..

i had flee for my own and family safety him girlfriend threatening me and my sons you would not believe what i had put up with..

Yet again police not interested ..

I was at the property on mu own one night he turned up with about 15 people i was petrified..called police at 8pm 12 o'clock the following day they came and said was personnel issue between me and landlord we need to sort..So i said he comes here and threatens me woman on own in 60s and iam to take lying down..well good old UK.

He has rang and emailed companies telling them i owe him rent..i do not still hs my deposit..horrible man..VILE.

[assisted blonde]

To sort out ongoing mail problems get it redirected at the post office, have you a rent book showing what rent has been paid, do you owe rent? although the landlord may notr have protected your deposit you cant just withold rent to cover it, did you leave the premises without giving notice? as I beleive you may still be liable for rent if you didnt give correct notice.

What type of agreement did you have did you sign a contract?

I think there are a number of issues that need sorting but I think you need to be clear in what advice you need.

[dunni]

everything was all done properly my side had contract gave him notice..i had no time to do redirection plus it was very difficult to redirect my sons as they wanted proof id utilities bills ect been nightmare..but damaged done he has already undone the post caused stress and mayhem..NO OWE NO RENT and gave correct notice..i used work letting agents so know all protocal he is just wrong on so many counts

[itstheone]

AFAIK it's not an offence to open mail addressed to someone else IF it has your address on it, although i'm not sure that could be used as a defence if you know the person named on the letter and know where they live

[LaughingGirl]

I'm sorry, but it is illegal to open post addressed to someone else. I'm sorry if I bang on about this, but a landlord opening (and disposing of) our post caused us no end of headaches a few years back. Dunni, if you have proof that someone is interfering with your post, take it to the police and insist on reporting it as a criminal offence.

 

A person commits an offence if, intending to act to a person’s detriment and without reasonable excuse, he opens a postal packet which he knows or reasonably suspects has been incorrectly delivered to him.

(4)Subsections (2) and (3) of section 83 (so far as they relate to the opening of postal packets) apply to subsection (3) above as they apply to subsection (1) of that section.

(5)A person who commits an offence under subsection (1) or (3) shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to both.

[dunni]

how would you like yours undone then rammed through letter box..he has my address and passes it daily..and then to contact all the companies and lie saying owe rent..

 

ive tried redirection but post office want utilities bills some of us not got..such pickle..

[raydetinu]

Did you get your deposit back, if not sue in small claims.

to stop the mail going to old address you will have to let senders know your new address!

[dunni]

no he never bonded..i am trying just so many to remember..as four of us there...

[raydetinu]

He may not of protected it, which you could sue for as well, but expensive as has to go through fast track at county court.

but if you did not get it back at all then you sue through small claims.

was it a joint tenancy you had?

[mariner51]

There appears to be a lot of confusion on this topic, even the Shelter advice may be flawed.

The rel legislation appears to be http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/26/part/V ,mainly relating to postal service employees interfering with the mail in the postal system ie mailbox to letterbox. So a sender cannot ask PO collector for letter once posted in postbox, yet PO can require sig or proof of entitlememt for recorded mail etc(eg production of attempted delivery notification

I would suggest intended recipient has no recourse under Postal Act 2000 unless action initiated by PO not Police for

84 Interfering with the mail: general.E+W+S+N.I.

 

(1)A person commits an offence if, without reasonable excuse, he—

(a)intentionally delays or opens a postal packet in the course of its transmission by post, or

(b)intentionally opens a mail-bag.

(2)Subsections (2) to (5) of section 83 apply to subsection (1) above as they apply to subsection (1) of that section.

(3)A person commits an offence if, intending to act to a person’s detriment and without reasonable excuse, he opens a postal packet which he knows or reasonably suspects has been incorrectly delivered to him.

(4)Subsections (2) and (3) of section 83 (so far as they relate to the opening of postal packets) apply to subsection (3) above as they apply to subsection (1) of that section.

(5)A person who commits an offence under subsection (1) or (3) shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to both.

 

I would note copyright for contents of communication remain with sender, not intended recipient.

 

IMO opening mail intended for another is not illegal, unlesinfo gained is later used to the dsetriment of the intended recipient (Judge's dsecision)

Edited December 30, 2012 by mariner51

[dunni]

He did use the information frm opening my mail to slander my name ringing everyone and telling them he evicted me i owed him 4k in rent..none its true left on my own free will due to fact he would not repair the heating an water coming in behind my back tampering with the boiler..had ge tgas safe in and they shut whole lot down as unsafe..He never bonded deposit ands till has..7mths on and hes still hounding him his bunny boiler very unstable...nightmare cant sleep..

[LaughingGirl]

Hi Dunni.

 

Could you explain more about what you mean by hounding, please? If he thinks (rightly or wrongly) that you owe him money, there are ways and means to go about it, and I would think that after 7 months, if he was serious he would have issued a county court claim by now.

 

Can you also tell us:

How much he says you owe him

What he's saying that's it's owed for

 

Thanks.

[dunni]

He is saying i owe him £4k in rent.. but he seem to forget the rent was £1k month and i have all the receipts from bank where i paid into his wife's account with my name by side of it staing rent payment for each month..

 

2 days before Xmas i received late one night thought my son trying open front door load mail they had undone he has all my bank details date birth Ni number everything because he has undone post.

he has also taken upon himself to ring write phone and email people from information he has taken from the mail and told then he evicted me DID NOT and i owe him this money DO NOT..he has my forwarding address and all had do was pop back in post not at this address.

and the irony of it is that when i lived there i had all his mail whole family coming there day he even made out that he lived there and got his kids in school and dam school constantly writing ringing me because his kids are playing truant and causing havoc in classroom..They should nt been in that school..He just lied about all..no Safety certificate no deposit bonded..him girlfriend just thinking can let themselves in whenever collect post fiddle boiler whenever fancied..

[LaughingGirl]

OK, has he made any legal attempt to pursue you for the money? Has he sent you a letter before action, or a county court claim?

 

I understand about the post and contacting the people who had written to you, but since you've moved has he had any further contact with you, other than putting the opened mail through the door?

[raydetinu]

not exactly sure what advice you want now?

You can sue him for your deposit back and any shortfall in rent, if any will have to be proved, which he can counter claim for.

If you have suffered financially or it has affected you by way of reputation etc. ( and you can prove it, witness etc.) from the informayion gained in opening your post then you can also take that to small cliams for damages up to £5K.

If he continues to harrass you and comes to your present address and make demands etc.( not delivering just post ) then you can call the police.

[dunni]

I do not owe him any money... and the post is coming through the door that hes held onto for 7 months..he has contacted people and blatantly slandering my name..

 

I had email from them 2 days before Xmas calling me Whore and hope you enjoy your Xmas..around same time mail got dropped..they know my address came property early hours morning..Nasty horrible people....What have i done deserve this JUST asked the heating and water to be fixed..

[LaughingGirl]

Ray has actually got where I was going without the need for further questions. The ball is in your court at this point, really.

[dunni]

Police not interested she has family member force so thinks above the law..

Its littlle things notice tyres let down taxi arriving pizza not ordered you name it...

[LaughingGirl]

You need to keep a log of any and all incidents if they continue, and INSIST on making a report to the Police.

 

Certainly consider small claims for return of deposit, and for any damages/financial loss incurred as a result of mail tampering.

[raydetinu]

sounds like harassement to me!

you need to keep a record of all these events and go to police, ask for duty inspector; they must investigate and possibly go and warn them. do not give up.

any other legal recourse is up to you regarding the other things you mention.

[assisted blonde]

The whole situation seems a bit strange to me, if there is continuing harrasment then yes it muset be reported to the police, without proof though you may have your suspicions about the non delivery of piazzas etc but there isnt a lot you can do about it and TBH how would your landlord know when you had ordered one? unless he owned the shop, If you left the premises so long ago the mail should not be an ongoing problem as you should have contacted everyone by now and it shouldnt be delivered to your old address any longer, if the deposit has not been returned take him to court, if the landlord has contacted peopkle to say you owe rent i assume you have corrected this statement with them so I would suggest that no long term harm has been done and its best to forget about it.

[raydetinu]

just having a rant I think and not helping themselves?