Mail Question

[Kruss]

The STBX tried to confront me yesterday about my mail.

She said that as my wife she is entitled to open mail addressed to me according to the law.

I did not answer her. I dismissed the claim as nonsense on two counts (one saying she is my wife and two saying she is entitled) and continued playing with the kids.

The only reason I'm writing this topic is just I wanted to make absolutely sure the entitlement claim is nonsense, or is there some outdated law somewhere from 1952 that says otherwise?

Thank you.

[hoosier_dad]

If you are still living together you should get a rental mailbox ASAP and switch all mail there. Getting into a legal debate about opening each other's mail is a waste of breath.

[BubbaGumpShrimp]

Is she legally allowed to? No. Just get a P.O. box and get all of your mail sent there.

Section 1708 of the United States Code, Title 18 provides:

"Theft or receipt of stolen mail matter generally

"Whoever steals, takes, or abstracts, or by fraud or deception obtains, or attempts so to obtain, from or out of any mail, post office, or station thereof, letter box, mail receptacle, or any mail route or other authorized depository for mail matter, or from a letter or mail carrier, any letter, postal card, package, bag, or mail, or abstracts or removes from any such letter, package, bag, or mail, any article or thing contained therein, or secretes, embezzles, or destroys any such letter, postal card, package, bag, or mail, or any article or thing contained therein; or

"Whoever steals, takes, or abstracts, or by fraud or deception obtains any letter, postal card, package, bag, or mail, or any article or thing contained therein which has been left for collection upon or adjacent to a collection box or other authorized depository of mail matter; or

"Whoever buys, receives, or conceals, or unlawfully has in possession, any letter, postal card, package, bag, or mail, or any article or thing contained therein, which has been so stolen, taken, embezzled, or abstracted, as herein described, knowing the same to have been stolen, taken, embezzled, or abstracted --

"shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both."

According to one USPS representative reached at the toll-free number for the USPS (800-725-2161) these sections of the code include persons who open mail other than their own. If the mail is addressed exclusively to one, then anyone else opening that piece of mail is subject to federal prosecution, even if that person is a relative.

http://jeannehannah.typepad.com/blog_jeanne_hannah_traver/2009/06/mail-tampering-opening-or-hiding-the-other-spouses-mail.html

[Kruss]

Thank you very much Bubba for the code.

I would post that in an email to the STBX, but it is not worth the bother.

Thank you for the advice Hoosierdad.

I'll get me a rental mailbox today.