Lost Letter Laws

January 5, 2007 11:08 AM

It's illegal to open someone's 'mail'. But when does it become mail legally?

I'm getting ready to recycle some newspapers that piled up while I was out of town over christmas, and an envelope falls out of one. From size, style, and paper's date, I'd say it's a christmas card. It's got the TO address hand written on it, but no stamp, and no return address. My guess is that my paperboy-guy accidentally dropped the card into his newspapers during morning prep, so it's never been in the postal system. I'll just put a stamp on it and drop it in the mail on my next trip out, but it got me wondering, when does mail become legally protected?


Does the law kick in as soon as you seal the envelope, affix postage, or place into a mailbox? For that matter, if I forget to seal an envelope, do contents become fair game?

posted by nomisxid to Law & Government (7 answers total)

chances are it was meant for another newspaper subscriber - paper-people tend to include cards around this time to encourage "tips".

without postage, i probably wouldn't call it mail anymore than a note passed in high school.
posted by noloveforned at 11:18 AM on January 5, 2007

Best answer: I believe it's mail once it's in the USPS system, which would include the mailbox at your home. Prior to that, and once it's delivered, I think it would simply be private property.

IANAL...
posted by COD at 11:26 AM on January 5, 2007

It's not mail until the U.S. Postal Service has it (being in at a collection point such as a mailbox counts). This is not the case with you.
posted by Doohickie at 11:30 AM on January 5, 2007

What's the name of your paperboy? A lot of newspaper delivery people insert self-addressed cards before the holidays. You're supposed to put a tip in it, throw a stamp on it and mail it.

Nice and easy for you to send them a holiday tip that way.
posted by bondcliff at 11:34 AM on January 5, 2007

Response by poster: I hadn't thought about the 'personal touch'/christmas-tip angle. My newspaper person hasn't ever done anything personal, but I am often awake and can hear him clumping up the stairs, so I could catch him some morning.
posted by nomisxid at 12:22 PM on January 5, 2007

1) Mail is protected once it's in a mailbox, your's or the Post Offices'. This is to prevent nefarious people from taking you mail you leave for the postman.

2) The card is from your delivery person so that you can put in a tip and send it to them for excellent paper delivery.
posted by Argyle at 2:34 PM on January 5, 2007

Mod note: please keep the Bush/political mail issue out of this question, it's not germane to the OP's question
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 9:01 AM on January 6, 2007