If you live with a roomate, can s/he open mail that has that adress but it has your name?

Question

Iam just wondering cause ive heard that opening mail that isnt yours is a crimial offense or federal ofense somethin like dat

Answer 1

Yes it is a federal crime. For a roommate to be found guilty of opening the other person's mail, it must be proved that the mail in question was opened intentionally (not by mistake) and withheld maliciously. Otherwise the defense would have to strong a case just by stating it was a mistake and was given back when the mistake was discovered. Lighten up dude it was probably just a mistake.

Answer 2

Nope, if it has your name on it, your roommate can't open it.

Answer 3

can't legally open anothers mail.it is a federal offense

Answer 4

no its a crime

Answer 5

oops! Sorry, I opened your mail by mistake.

Answer 6

NO. IT IS A CRIME

Answer 7

Mail obstruction is a federal offense.

Read below (1703 B specifically)

Title 18, United States Code

Section 1700. Desertion of mail

Whoever, having taken charge of any mail, voluntarily quits or deserts the same before delivering it into the post office at the termination of the route, or to some known mail carrier, messenger, agent, or other employee in the Postal Service authorized to receive the same, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

Section 1701. Obstruction of mail generally

Whoever knowingly and willfully obstructs or retards the passage of the mail, or any carrier or conveyance carrying the mail, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.

Section 1702. Obstruction of correspondence

Whoever takes any letter, postal card, or package out of any post office or any authorized depository for mail matter, or from any letter or mail carrier, or which has been in any post office or authorized depository, or in the custody of any letter or mail carrier, before it has been delivered to the person to whom it was directed, with design to obstruct the correspondence, or to pry into the business or secrets of another, or opens, secretes, embezzles, or destroys the same, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

Section 1703. Delay or destruction of mail or newspapers

(a) Whoever, being a Postal Service officer or employee, unlawfully secretes, destroys, detains, delays, or opens any letter, postal card, package, bag, or mail entrusted to them or which shall come into his or her possession, and which was intended to be conveyed by mail, or carried or delivered by any carrier or other employee of the Postal Service, or forwarded through or delivered from any post office or station thereof established by authority of the Postmaster General or the Postal Service, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

(b) Whoever, being a Postal Service officer or employee, improperly detains, delays, or destroys any newspaper, or permits any other person to detain, delay, or destroy the same, or opens, or permits any other person to open, any mail or package of newspapers not directed to the office of employment; or

Whoever, without authority, opens, or destroys any mail or package of newspapers not directed to them, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

Answer 8

Major federal offense.

Answer 9

No mail that is not address to you is not yours to open.

Answer 10

It is illegal.  Mail can only be opened by the addressee unless the other person has legal power of attorney.

It is a Federal offense and that person can be prosecuted in Federal court and jailed.

You should tell your roomate that the next time it happens, you are going to report it to the Post Office and file a complaint.

Or, you could just move out.