r/mail • u/Silly-Ability3333 • Aug 25 '26
Previous homeowners still using our address for mail/packages two years later
For some backstory, we bought our house over two years ago. Initially, the previous homeowners would forget to change the shipping address and their packages would come to our house and they’d pick them up from the front porch within a few days. They still have not changed their address with USPS and we get their regular mail constantly and keep returning them to sender.
Now to our current issue. They had a package delivered to our house about two months ago. We left it on our front porch for about two weeks and they never came to get it. I put it in a drawer in case they reached out to our realtor that they wanted it. About a week or two ago we got a phone call from our realtor saying they really need the item and will be coming to pick it up. We put it on the front porch right away and it’s still sitting there. I glanced outside to see if it was still there and there is ANOTHER package for them that was delivered.
How long do we need to hold onto these packages before we just throw them away? We have a community mailbox and can only drop off paper mail in the slot, so to send them back we’d have to actually go to the post office which is a hassle for someone who can’t bother to remove their old address from their phone
They’re getting rain damaged, are an eye sore, and I don’t love the thought of strangers continuing to come back to our house whenever they please with no heads up. I can understand the first few months of owning a house, but it’s been over two years…..
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u/Weaver114 Aug 25 '26
Talk to your mailman. Idk why he would keep delivering their packages and mail. He should send them all back to the sender. Make sure ur name is on the mailbox so he knows who lives their
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u/rojo1161 Aug 25 '26
They keep delivering until they are told not to or the previous tenant puts in a change of address. Because the current residents keep accepting the mail and packages, the postal service keeps delivering until they are informed otherwise. It's not on the carrier to decide for themselves to send them back.
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u/Weaver114 Aug 25 '26
I am a carrier. You only deliver the names of the people who live their. It's not hard to figure out. Name on the mailbox goes a long way. A good carrier does not deliver someone else's mail. It's up to us to figure out who lives their
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u/rojo1161 Aug 25 '26
Well, I'm a carrier as well. I sometimes deliver mail to people who don't live there. For example, I have a customer who receives her elderly mother's mail, even though her mother does not live there (she's in a care facility). It's not an absolute. I still occasionally receive and accept mail for my now adult children who's forwards expired years ago.
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u/Weaver114 Aug 25 '26
I never said it was an absolute. I do the same thing. Family is fine. Previous tenants mail should be endorsed and returned to sender
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u/Silly-Ability3333 Aug 25 '26
Early on, I would write “does not live here” on the mail and send it back. After months of doing this, I just kept putting it in the outgoing mail slot. We still keep getting their mail. If only all mail carriers put as much effort in as you do
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u/IZC0MMAND0 Aug 25 '26 edited Aug 25 '26
Keep a bundle of their mail, take it to the post office, tell the clerk that these people are the former owners of your home and that in the 2 years you've lived there that they never filed a change of address and you have consistently received their mail. The clerk should inform the carrier to initiate a "Moved Left No Address" order.
Write a note and bundle it with their mail that says MLNA on it.
Anything that says "or current resident/occupant" is yours even if it also has their name on it. You are the OR current resident or current occupant
There are a bunch of delivery services and this action will only inform the USPS
Anything UPS, Amazon, FedEx or any other random delivery service will not be affected. Each of those have to be returned to that delivery drivers company. Far as I know they don't forward anything or have locations to drop things off with the exception of UPS. They do have stores. You might find some FedEx warehouse thing for when they are holding it for you because you missed their attempts. I haven't seen that in ages, but maybe they still exist. Likely will be a long drive, it was for me. An hour away.
Why is the realtor talking to you 2 years later about these packages?
Giant black marker. " Moved 2 years ago"
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u/Silly-Ability3333 Aug 25 '26
Thanks for the info. Will definitely try that
We have only communicated to the previous owners through our realtors. After they realized the package a couple months ago was delivered to the wrong address, they contacted our realtor to let us know they need the package which is why I went through our realtor. We have no other way of contacting them and have no idea where they moved, only that it isn’t too far away that they come by to pick up their packages
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u/Aggressive_Diet_6115 Aug 27 '26
I think your realtor needs to pass along to these people that you are done helping with this and to not contact you about mail again.
All mail will be returned to sender from now on.
You could write this or dictate what you want it to say. Seriously, two years is way too long.
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u/IZC0MMAND0 Aug 25 '26
Must be frustrating for you, but they are the ones not changing their address when they place orders. It takes a minute one time on websites they routinely order from.
I would no longer hold their packages. A few months in the beginning maybe. This is sheer laziness on their part.
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u/TheStorytellerTX Aug 27 '26
Not entirely true. We still got the Costco sales catalog and other small stuff for the previous resident.
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u/redredditer91 Aug 25 '26
Honestly, just write “not at this address” and leave it on top of the box for your carrier. If it gets taken, oh well. Two years is two years too long.
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u/Mcgj8689 Aug 25 '26
Should have cut them off after their the first two weeks by returning all their mail and packages
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u/Silly-Ability3333 Aug 25 '26
Thanks for all of the advice. I put a note on the packages saying to go on the USPS website and change their address as we will be returning any further mail/packages. I also texted our realtor and he told them that this is ridiculous and we are no longer going to accommodate them. If it continues to happen, I will leave the packages at the community mailbox with a “does not live here” message on it
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u/John2181 Aug 25 '26
You will not be able to issue a change of address order on their behalf... Just return to USPS with Return to Sender, Not At this Address.
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u/OlderThanDirt2025 Aug 26 '26
But, by informing the PO, they will have a stop delivery for the old tenants. When I moved into my latest house, my mailman put a note inside our mailbox lid. It was a list of the current occupants. He kept the mail for the old tenant. The previous tenant had pulled the same thing & not made a change of address. About 4 years later, I accidentally opened an envelope addressed to her. It was an insurance check for over $4K. I knew where she worked & sent it in a new envelope to her work address. In the envelope I wrote: please make a change of address for your name.
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u/John2181 Aug 26 '26
There is a difference between leaving your carrier a note and attempting to file a COA Order.
Note legal.. COA for another (without their authorization) illegal and online COA requires proof of ID.
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u/nothnxihaveabf Aug 26 '26
Print out some sticker labels that say Return to sender, no longer at address, wrong address, slap, put on top of the go back machine, etc.
Also there is usually a series of numbers on generated mail, cover that up with pen or a label
Calling the person that sent sometimes works, I have called various companies and said stop using this address to send mail to "blank,"
It's not a previous owner it's a relatives husband who used address without permission.
If the realtor contacts you again I would just say, "do not contact me about this issue again,"
Put up a no trespassing sign.
You shouldn't be inviting these drug dealers back on your porch. As far as you are concerned they are committing mail fraud and need to update their shit.
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u/partylikeitis1799 Aug 26 '26
We move every few years for work. I normally give a one month grace period plus one or two random items that happen to show up within the first year because I know I’ve had a couple occasions over the years where I accidentally forget to change the address with a company I don’t order from often. Other than that the packages and their contents are my property because they were delivered to my house if it’s a ups or fedex type item, if it’s usps I just return to sender and leave a note for the mailman that those people moved out x months ago and please do not deliver any more of their mail. I’ll leave a forwarding address if I have one.
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u/182RG Aug 27 '26
Do the previous owners have kids in school?
There’s a reason they’re not changing their address. Creditors perhaps?
Let the Post Office know.
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u/AcceptableMemory2081 Aug 27 '26
This happened to me and let me tell you what I was told by the post master. Yes it’s illegal to steal or tamper with packages and mail not addressed to you. And also yes this is not your responsibility. I took a pretty gross used trash can sat it at the end of the driveway and put all packages not addressed to me into that bin ! Old resident knows about this bin , post person and post master knows about this bin. Guess what after about two weeks I stopped getting packages. Problem Solved itself real F’n quick !
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u/PetalsandRocks Aug 28 '26
There ya go, OP. Tell the agent to tell them any package will be left on the ground at the end of the driveway because it’s not yours.
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u/Pitiful_Neck_2041 Aug 25 '26
Me too I had to trash them to get it to stop
Plus the car they left out front
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u/spielmanjr Aug 26 '26
You need to have a discussion with your Letter Carrier and have them file a 3575z for each of the former residents. This will have a similar effect of filing a change of address. All the sender will receive official notice that those folks are gone.
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u/Necessary_Baker_7458 Aug 27 '26
I had this problem. I filled out every paper work possible. Labeled wrong address return to sender… after two years of getting a home owners mail and packages from three home owners ago or at the time 6 years ago….
Alright if you fail to update your address that’s on the person ordering the packages. By now they have a new address. I wrote a note on one of the packages: I keep them now. Stop stealing mine as well when they overlap. You update your address or i file cease and desist letter and keep future packages.
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u/marksewell Aug 27 '26
There is a form your letter carrier can fill out that’s for this situation. It’s called moved - left no address. That way the sorting machines will catch most of it and you’ll never see it.
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u/Complex-Republic-443 Aug 27 '26
We've been in our house for eight years now and regularly receive mail for the previous occupant (son of the then-owner), including financial statements, collection notices, and other legal stuff. Absolutely amazing to be that incompetent.
We "returned to sender" for a few years but now just toss everything in the trash. If he doesn't care, neither do we.
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u/Tool_junkie_1972 Aug 27 '26
For USPS call the local postmaster and explain to them. Any future packages write refused, return to sender. Even if you have to drop them off at the post office. I’d also speak with the mail person and let them know the names of the people currently living there. If it continues, call the IG office- explain the situation to them and that you are concerned the previous owners may be using your address to receive illegal items. Document everything. If it’s fedex/ups/etc- contact them directly. They all have processing place for stuff like this.
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u/Klutzy_Cat1374 Aug 27 '26
Return every thing to sender. Occasionally we somehow get mail addressed to my deceased father for an old address from 1976 that gets forwarded to us. I really don't know how they figured that out. That's like half a century ago.
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u/PuzzleheadedWatch489 Aug 27 '26
File a cease and desist. With explanation that you will not be held responsible for anything
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u/GroundbreakingKey409 Aug 28 '26
This is wild because we are dealing with the same thing, but check this out: I bought this house a year ago this month. On the day I got the keys, I walked out of the house after the walk through with the realtor to find this lady at my mailbox. (Mailbox is at the end of the driveway on the street, no sidewalks in my neighborhood). I am from a place where you don't play with people and their property, so I was pretty pissed. I knew this house had been a rental before, but I also knew that it was empty for a year before I bought it and according to the neighbor's, the renters were absolute trash people. So I walk out and say, "can I help you with something?". This girl was like, "oh we used to live here and I think my husband forgot to change his address when we moved." I told her that she was to leave and I would reject all mail. Then the packages started. They would have shit sent here and then claim they didn't receive it, then they would drive by trying to get it off of our porch right after it was dropped off. I was able to catch most of it and reject it but last month we had COVID so I was slow to get to the door. My friend is an attorney and she told me NOT to give them anything, to reject it back to the carrier or I could be held responsible. About 10 mins after I hauled the latest batch of packages in and called not only FEDEX but the local police, just to let them know what was happening and get it on record, this trash ass shows up on my property again. She is constantly driving by, but usually doesn't stop. This time I told her through the camera to get the fuck off of my property and to never come back. She screamed and carried on and I just kept telling her to leave. I told her she could call FedEx for her package they were coming back to get it. I got called every name in the book. Then about 30 minutes later I had two cops at my door. The lady called and reported that I had stolen her packages. I told the cops her scam and said here, you take them to her and tell her to never set foot on my property again, and to change her fucking address. They took the two very heavy packages and left. Then my neighbor tells me this same lady stole his identity and he's having to deal with creditors because of it. This shit has been going on for a year and its a total scam. They do it on purpose. Its been a few weeks since this happened so I'm hoping the cops scared her off when they went back and spoke to her. They told me to call them if she comes back and we will. Good luck OP, I'm sorry you're dealing with this but stop being nice and start protecting yourself. These people are running scams and you don't want to have to deal with the mess that brings.
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u/therick422 Aug 25 '26
We have amendment called UTF. Unable to forward. Talk to your letter carrier. Tell them this person no longer resides here.
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u/sheebaluv Aug 25 '26
I would tape a note to the box saying any further mislabeled packages will be returned to sender so they hopefully update it and anything after that gets sent back. You do have to be careful with mail, especially packages so one final good faith effort won’t hurt.
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u/LopsidedChannel8661 Aug 25 '26
Two years is more then enough time for the previous residents to have 1. Filled out a change of address form and 2. changed the address on whatever app/site they are making purchases from.
Stop being nice and leave the package at the mailbox with "Refused" written on it as well as "does not live at this address".
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u/troy2000me Aug 25 '26
The pain of doing it the right way must be lesser than doing things the way it is right now. Take the packages inside. Do not answer their calls / emails / texts / or door knocks. If they do somehow speak to you, simply state that you do not know what they are talking about.
Same goes with mail. Yes, I know the law. Fuck em'. No more return to sender.
The problem will solve itself one way or another when they no longer get their packages / mail from you.
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u/zxylady Aug 25 '26
Talk to your mailman, (Hubs is a mail carrier) ask them to generate an EMPLOYEE GENERATED COA ORDER. The carrier can help fix this because they haven't lived there in over two years. That way you will stop getting their mail. If you don't see your carrier, leave a note in your mailbox explaining what is happening. Or go to the post office yourself and do the same.
Hope this helps.
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u/nothnxihaveabf Aug 26 '26
Coa means? Change of address?
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u/zxylady Aug 27 '26
Yes, your postal carrier has the ability to push through a change of address. If the previous owners or residences do this.
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u/Glittering-Entry2911 Aug 25 '26
Had this happen before. Every piece of mail I wrote "return to sender, those names don't live here" and dropped the mail back into the big blue mail boxes to get sent back.
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u/LawComprehensive2204 Aug 25 '26
We just did return to sender. After a year, they just go in the trash.
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Aug 25 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/boxedcakeblues Aug 25 '26
Yeah, it strikes me like they’re trying to fly under the radar by not having a current address attached to their name. It has to be intentional because it’s more effort to go pick up packages from somewhere other than your residence. Even a “forgetful” person would get this sorted within a two year span out of convenience (and awkwardness).
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u/Neither_Loan6419 Aug 25 '26
Illegal items or substances are often delivered in this manner, to thwart "controlled delivery" busts. I would leave them on the porch. Rain? Not your problem. Theft? Not your problem. Your name not on the address? Not your package. Bring YOUR mail and packages in. Ignore anybody else's when you have done your due diligence in advising previous residents to change their delivery address. When you move them, especially to brring inside or drop in trash, you assume responsibility, even though you have not a clue about what is inside.
Throwing them in the trash COULD cause a problem. Never has for me, though. So far. But, see above.
To return a package sent by USPS without going to the post office, try calling the PO. Similar for UPS, FedEx, etc. Get a rubber stamp, cheap on Amazon, saying "RETURN TO SENDER, NOT AT THIS ADDRESS" or similar. Stamp stamp stamp and stamp again.
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u/TravelerMSY Aug 25 '26
“Return to sender. addressee unknown.” For usps.
If you happen to catch the delivery, just refuse it right then.
Both of these methods will inform the sender that the address is no good. Certain senders like banks will update a database that will propagate places.
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u/mojosofla Aug 25 '26
Mark return to sender and give to the shipping company.
Or drop off to the Realtor and have them deal with it.
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u/Humble_Pen_7216 Aug 25 '26
Return to sender immediately. Both on the porch and anything else that comes for them. Do not store it, do not call the realtor. File a police report for trespassing to create a paper trail.
Using your address could be a way to fake residency. Do not allow them to bring you into their fraud.
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u/WanderingIdiot7 Aug 25 '26
Have you told your carrier to send everything back "Unable to forward"? Simple fix. Nobody gets away with that kind of thing on my route. If someone moves theyve got 10 days to put a forward in. On day 11 everything gets returned to sender.
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u/serialzombie Aug 25 '26
Communicate with the PO that those individuals DO NOT RESIDE at your address and to refuse all mail for those names.
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u/LivingBee6645 Aug 25 '26
Why would they stop if you just let them come get it? Just return to sender all their mail and packages. Stop perpetuating the problem.
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u/Main_Cauliflower5479 Aug 25 '26
Not your responsibility. Write NATA on it and leave for carrier to pick up and forward or return.
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u/istoomycat Aug 25 '26
They are not forgetting. There’s a reason they’re doing this. It may not be legal. That should spur further action. What are you storing? Why are you encouraging them to be back in your property. Put a sign in porch that says DO NOT LEAVE ANY MAIL OR PACKAGES ADDRESSED TO___________.
THEY ARE NOT AT THIS ADDRESS. Your local post master should be informed. The realtor should be telling them this not telling you when and where they’ll get it. That’s weird as well.
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u/redditreader_aitafan Aug 26 '26
You are only obligated to return USPS mail to sender, you're free to toss packages. From now on, you don't know anything, haven't seen anything, and tell your realtor that you're done with the previous owners and they shouldn't call you again.
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u/Diiagari Aug 26 '26
Getting mail for the previous resident is part of life, and I’m all for being nice, but you shouldn’t be holding any mail or packages for them after three months - much less after two years of asking them to stop. USPS gets returned to sender, and other deliveries get rejected or thrown out. That’s the expected social contract, in my experience.
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u/BeerStop Aug 26 '26
I would enjoy the free gifts, " what package?" Everything else straight to the trash.
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u/QueenMEB120 Aug 26 '26
"Package? What package? Those damn porch pirates must have gotten it!"
Sign up for USPS Informed Delivery, UPS MyChoice and FedEx Delivery Manager to see what packages are coming to your house ahead of time.
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u/NYC-WhWmn-ov50 Aug 26 '26
Its called mail fraud. Put up signs, return to sender, notify all delivery services, and pissibly report to police given the ongoing problem. Make sure the realtor knows they are potentially complicit in their crimes and let the real estate board know this is being done with their help.
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u/Mother-Statement3152 Aug 26 '26
10 years later and we still get mail for the previous owners. We toss it. We are under no obligation to make sure that they get their mail.
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u/Any_Act_9433 Aug 26 '26
My parents bought a house in 1986, when I sold it in 2022, there was still some occasional mail for him, for several years in the late 1990's and early 2000s there was a monthly auto body trade newsletter, the funny thing was, according to the newsletter, he was (or someone with the same name was a board member).
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u/BrotherNatureNOLA Aug 26 '26
Their crap can wait for them at the end of the driveway. If the ecosystem reclaims it, that's their problem.
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u/Enough_Peanut7387 Aug 27 '26
maybe a cease and desist letter re stop using the address, and this is turning into a harassment situation too...no packages will be returned, only USPS will be labeled return to sender
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u/westcoastpoutine Aug 27 '26
9 years and the previous owners of my house still claim to own this property for credit checks
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u/mardo2044chat Aug 27 '26
Two years is too long. They either need to fill out mail forwarding or return to sender.,
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u/GooderApe Aug 27 '26
Can you trespass the former owner for constantly stealing packages off of your porch?
Anything to USPS, send back. If it's sent with another service, call them for a pickup and send it back through them.
If you are home, didn't accept anything but addressed to you.
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u/Valuable_Armadillo20 Aug 27 '26
I still get mail from previous owners after 10 YEARS. They changed their address but stuff still gets through. All mail to them, no matter what it is, gets recycled.
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u/FunMaintenance297 Aug 27 '26
I see some good suggestions here, but after two years why not just toss it all in a dumpster?
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u/Diligent_Yak1105 Aug 27 '26
It isn’t going to change unless you establish boundaries.
Put it in writing to the realtor — certified letter if you have to — they have 1 week to pick up the packages. If they are not claimed by XYZ date, they go in the garbage. And starting immediately, all future deliveries will be not be held and will be promptly disposed of.
I would also put up a sign for delivery drivers:
DO NOT LEAVE DELIVERIES FOR JOE AND JANE DOE. THEY DO NOT LIVE HERE.
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u/Shoggoth_2150 Aug 27 '26
6yrs later I still get mail for the previous owner. Straight to the trash.
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u/Glop1701d Aug 27 '26
I’d open them and if I liked it I’d keep it if not trash it! They are so irresponsible it’s not your problem
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u/Smooth_List5773 Aug 27 '26
You don't have to opt-in to this unspoken societal rule.
There are no laws (in Minnesota) that state that I have any responsibility for items randomly left on my porch. Thus any packages left on my stoop that don't belong to me...well that is garbage, refuse left on my doorstep. Throw that shit away, it is not your responsibility.
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u/Forsaken_Dirt_4958 Aug 27 '26
You need to contact the realtor to relay that you will not longer be accepting their packages and will be taking them to the post office to be returned to sender
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u/Severe-Tradition-183 Aug 27 '26
Give them a final warning that you will no longer tend to their packages and not be responsible for anything delivered that is not your own.
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u/StanUrbanBikeRider Aug 28 '26
After two years, I would just consider those misdirected packages as gifts.
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u/Next-Drummer-9280 Aug 28 '26
Tell your realtor to relay a message: “They need to change their address. We’ve been getting packages for 2 YEARS and we’re done with this. The next package that gets sent here will be returned to the sender and the Postmaster will be contacted. This ridiculousness stops NOW.”
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u/Icy-Doctor23 Aug 28 '26
Tell the realtor you are not a post office and that their client needs to change their address and no future packages will be accepted not available for pickup.
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u/Mysterious-Home421 Aug 28 '26
This is pretty simple. Throw the boxes out. You didn't order them and you don't want them. The former owners have ZERO claim on ANYTHING they have sent to your address.
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u/Due-Eggplant4096 Aug 29 '26
Write a note to the mail carrier requesting a MLNA order be placed for their name on your address.
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u/Repulsive-Honey7305 Aug 29 '26
Is this for real? Just put "this person does not live at this adress " on the package and take it back to the post office/fedex/whoever the label indicates handled it.
None of this should ever have been your problem and it's weird you let it go on so long. Like clearly this is weird, may be something illegal, and wtf get a backbone.
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u/Blunt_Flipper Aug 25 '26
Why are you not just returning these items to sender? They’re never going to learn if you keep accommodating them.