Mail Tampering.

[Wills311]

I have read the other threads regarding this however, none are clear on my situation. Currently living with the inlaws and daddy inlaw is a nasty piece of work(being polite) and a drunk. I had my suspicions he was tampering with my mail and today I have got proof. I was out, mail addressed to me arrived, he was the only one in the house and sober so no excuse.He ripped it up and put it in the bin, one of the letters contained a cheque, now ripped up! We found the mail in the bin! I am really angry about this for obvious reasons, I am here for 2 more days so can't expose or I will be out (not an option). It is my intention to report this to the police, is it worth it? We have been nothing but polite and considerate to him so for him to do this underpins what a nasty man he is.

[DJHawkes]

the police may not be too bothered as they may weigh it up as a 50/50 issue. The cheque will tape back together. Get out asap, don;t look back, keep running as far and as fast as you can, he sounds a nightmare, hope his offspring are more civil

[Wills311]

How can it be 50/50? I have done nothing to antagonise the situation, he is just an ***.

[B00]

What does your partner say?

[FredPuli43]

It's criminal damage and interfering with the mails; destroying a letter before it reaches the recipient must be that. The police have a duty to investigate crime; they can't just ignore a report of it. The likeliest response, and perhaps the best, is for an officer to 'have a word' with the father-in-law.

[DSJ]

I would definitely report this before the evidence is lost.

Has there been any past antagonism between you two & father-in-law to prompt such an action?

[Wills311]

Partner angrier than me, that little vein that pops out on a woman's neck when angry is well and truly out! It is her step father. Didn't realise family could be so vindictive/nasty. His wife is just as bad.

[Wills311]

No previous history at all. We have been kind, supportive, bailed them out with £. They think the world owes them something and always live beyond their means. As I said, he is just nasty. I have bagged up the evidence just in case, his dabs will be all over it.

[DSJ]

Let us know the outcome of this sorry tale.

[cupid04]

if he leaves any bottles of booze about just slip in some lactulose that will get him going if you know what I mean.

[Bazile]

//I am here for 2 more days so can't expose or I will be out (not an option). //

Does that mean you will be leaving ?

If so i would get a redirection of mail done with Royal Mail and also write to as many people that you can to ask them not to send further mail to your current address - i.e banks / insurers and others

[Wills311]

Thank you for the replies and support, I will keep you updated. Probably go to police on Thursday however, I have to say he is quite lucky with them. Got pulled by traffic outside the house a few weeks ago, he was reported for driving erratically (he was pissed). Cop spoke to him, no breath sample taken, walked in the house scot free. Did I mention he is a taxi driver!

[IggyB]

The CAB office believe this situation is a breach of the law:
http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/wales/consumer_w/consumer_post_e/consumer_problems_with_post_e/consumer_problems_with_post_delivery_e/youre_receiving_someone_elses_mail.htm

The law in question is presumably Section 84 of the Postal Services Act 2000, which can be reviewed here:
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/26/section/84

Whilst this is a technical breach I would also suggest you will find it difficult to get the Police to take it forward because as Dotty mentions you will quickly find yoursleves in the position of father in law saying he didn't do it and you saying he did without any solid proof either way (finger prints will prove he touched it not that he ripped it up and threw it away with the deliberate intention of depriving you of your mail).

In order to secure a conviction the CPS would need to prove beyond all reasonable doubt that the father in law opened your mail without any reasonable excuse in order to cause you some detriment. Thi sburden of proof is very high and would be hard to meet when its his house and he can claim he was mistaken or that someone else in the property might have done it instead.

I think the very best you could get would be a visit from a PCSW to have a chat with him - however as you are moving out the benefit of this would be very limited.

[bednobs]

All he has to say is "i ripped it up by accident"
TBH i wouldn't bother going to the police over this, but would just say "i found this cheque in the bin - anyone know what happened to it?"

[lcg]

why not report him to the police as a regular drink driver.....let them know he is alcoholic and they may stop him in the future....x

[murraymints]

I would let the taxi licensing authorities know of his dipsomania....

[murraymints]

And ...after you have left.....let him know you have told them !!!

[mandy22]

i would also inform the taxi authorities about his drink problem. Not for any sort of revenge/hatred but because any one who drinks and then drives, or drives the next morning whilst still over the limit , is, in my opinion, a danger to all the innocent road users out there, this includes his passengers, other car drivers and their passengers and pedestrians, cyclists etc, whose lives are put at risk by thoughtless drink drivers.
In relation to the post issue, you need to set up your redirection asap, as this takes a few days to come into force. good luck,

[Old_Geezer]

As bednobs ponts out, you have no proof it wasn't done in error. I can't see the police devoting manpower to an "accidental" tearing up of a single letter. Not that I'm an expert, but it just doesn't seem feasible to me.

If you are there for just 2 more days, hold on until then, and then thank yourself lucky you are well out of it.

[Wills311]

Thank you again one and all. I did consider the plea of accidentally ripping it up but came to the conclusion that this was no accident. I am ready for his denials. We have different names, one letter addressed to me, one to my partner. Both names were clear on the envelope therefore, no room for misunderstanding. He was the only one in the house at the time.These facts are beyond all reasonable doubt and he destroyed my mail without any reasonable excuse in order to cause me some detriment, he knew the cheque was in there and knew I needed the money. I have just looked at it again and confirm he didn't open the mail, just ripped it up. Taking this into account surely he should be taken to task.

[joko]

very much doubt the bank will accept a ripped up and tapep back together cheque.

maybe if just in half but not in bits... numbers could be changed etc!