How long to forward mail?

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Alibi Ike

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This is the time of year it is worst. Christmas cards, solicitations, gifts for the prior owners. In the past, we have forwarded personal items on and canned mass mailings. It is obvious the PO's have not told all of these people they have moved. 7 years ago. Would you start 'return to sender' at this point or continue forwarding? I am now receiving magazine subscriptions which are probably gifts from someone.
It's not so much the inconvenience of forwarding or returning so much as it is the idea that these paragons of virtue dismissed their past and left it to me to handle. (Originally including calls and mail from family until I told them where to find the wayward siblings and children.)
The mailings are not addressed to the inn but directly to the PO's. So, what would you do?
 
keep the magazines if you want them. I would start writing "not at this address" on any mail and put it back in the mail box. Seven years later is ridiculous.
 
keep the magazines if you want them. I would start writing "not at this address" on any mail and put it back in the mail box. Seven years later is ridiculous..
I agree. The post office I think forwards for 6 months. After that return it! Keep the magazines. They don't get forwarded, I think
RIki
 
WHUUUT! 7 years later! "Not at this address" and be done with it.
I am spring(winter) cleaning and a few of the items goodwill will claim is a professional cake baking set with pillars etc, all size cake pans. I have held onto it for over 7 years.
Swan porcelain napkin ring holders that are too narrow to hold any napkins (I have ever had), plastic champagne glasses by the dozen (with the attachable stems), 1/2 size glass pitchers with tomatoes on them (ie for tomato juice, uh I never serve that!) and more...
When we moved in all this CRAP was here and we have had to live around it. I think I mentioned to someone on another thread about finally living here. As I asked the poll question "Do you live there or just work there" or "Is it a business or a home" well our cupboards, workshop choc-a-block-full and basement show me this has been a business. A tin of paint that is old and decrepit, no idea what it was from. Must have been the old owners DID NOT KNOW WHAT A PEN was.
 
WHUUUT! 7 years later! "Not at this address" and be done with it.
I am spring(winter) cleaning and a few of the items goodwill will claim is a professional cake baking set with pillars etc, all size cake pans. I have held onto it for over 7 years.
Swan porcelain napkin ring holders that are too narrow to hold any napkins (I have ever had), plastic champagne glasses by the dozen (with the attachable stems), 1/2 size glass pitchers with tomatoes on them (ie for tomato juice, uh I never serve that!) and more...
When we moved in all this CRAP was here and we have had to live around it. I think I mentioned to someone on another thread about finally living here. As I asked the poll question "Do you live there or just work there" or "Is it a business or a home" well our cupboards, workshop choc-a-block-full and basement show me this has been a business. A tin of paint that is old and decrepit, no idea what it was from. Must have been the old owners DID NOT KNOW WHAT A PEN was..
I have a punch bowl I've used once. Attic is still clogged with blankets and sheets that were left behind. Every year I clear out all the old bedding that I used, but have still not cleared the attic! And now I've loaded it up with stuff! You've given me a project for the next couple of days. And, every year I empty out the closet in my bedroom that holds inn stuff and it is full again! I don't know how it happens.
Oh, and, 'return to sender' is the way to go.
 
If it is not first class mail, anything that you give back to the post office after a forwarding order has expired gets tossed by the post office.
 
very very bizarre. i'd ask the post office or letter carrier if you see him/her
after all this time, i would not expect anyone to forward things to me!
 
Maybe they left no forwarding address because they are in hiding...... Witness Protection???
 
Maybe they left no forwarding address because they are in hiding...... Witness Protection???.
gillumhouse said:
Maybe they left no forwarding address because they are in hiding...... Witness Protection???
If Al's been regularly forwarding mail for years, then Al knows where they live! I think it's time to start returning stuff. Why should Al be protecting these people from their past? It's rough to do that because it essentially says the people didn't care enough to let these dear friends know they moved.
We have problems with the prior owners here and I wouldn't want to be forwarding their Christmas mail to them.
 
Maybe they left no forwarding address because they are in hiding...... Witness Protection???.
gillumhouse said:
Maybe they left no forwarding address because they are in hiding...... Witness Protection???
If Al's been regularly forwarding mail for years, then Al knows where they live! I think it's time to start returning stuff. Why should Al be protecting these people from their past? It's rough to do that because it essentially says the people didn't care enough to let these dear friends know they moved.
We have problems with the prior owners here and I wouldn't want to be forwarding their Christmas mail to them.
.
Actually, I was being snarky with a tongue in cheek. Obviously Al knows where they are since he told some relatives how to find them. I am a mail drop for my son & his wife. I have printed labels with their current address (they used to move a lot with construction and this was a stable address) and anything FIRST CLASS gets a label. Anything standard postage rate goes in the trash - right where the post office would put it. We continue because he is my kid AND he DOES pay for my cell phone....
We get mail for our POs once in a while - had something from his Union a couple weeks ago. We marked it Not at this address - most the time we just trash it as it has been over 16 years. This house was empty for 3 years before we bought it.
 
for family we re-route and forward and hand carry mail all the time. so many of us have reshuffled households (me included) kids moving out, moving back in, parents moving in with kids, etc.
but for former owners? from so long ago ... i'd keep it, recycle it or give it to the letter carrier marked not at this address ... depending. like if it looked like a christmas card (not an advert) i'd give it to the carrier.
 
when we took over they had left a ton of stuff in the undeveloped part of the basement. tons of old sheets from a laundry service i know went bust about 10 years ago. we have gradually used them up for painting sheets and so on but I have chucked a ton of stuff out this year we just don't have the storage space. My big task for this year is to gut what used to be the old kitchen and kit it out as a laundry storage room that is useful and practical. As we are busier than we have ever been to we need the stock and places to put it. (more one nighters which uses more sheets)
 
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