Trevor Dailey's Weblog

The mail room in my apartment frequently has mail left out in the open by some residents who do not know what to do with mail they have received that is addressed correctly, but has someone else's name on it. This is common when a resident moves and does not make sure their mail is sent to their new address. From what I gather, some people seem to think that if they leave the mail out, the Canada Post carrier will take the mail back. This is not what will happen.    

Being the person I am, I went to the Canada Post website to learn what to do with mail that is delivered to a previous or unknown resident. Having too much spare time, I took the information I found, edited it slightly, and printed it. With the printed noticed and a stapler, I stapled the notice to the cork bulletin board in the mailroom. The instructions are very simple.

Mail is being sent to the wrong address. 
What can I do?

If you receive someone else’s mail, or if someone else receives yours, there are a few steps you can take to resolve the problem. 

What you can do:

If the letter is addressed correctly, but the recipient is not at your address:

Contact the sender. Inform them of the error so they can update their mailing information.

Cross out the address. Write 'Moved' or 'Unknown' and deposit the item into the Mail slot of the Canada Post Parcel Locker, or deposit the item into a Street Letter Box. 

If you include a forwarding address, it will require additional postage.

You might continue to receive a previous resident's mail until senders are notified of a move. 

Note: Canada Post is required by law to deliver mail to the address on the envelope. 

Mail continues to pile up in the mail room. A letter from the Government Of Canada, that likely contains personal information, is stuck on the board directly below my notice. 

Can these people who leave the mail out not read? Can they not follow simple instructions? Are people really this stupid?

Perhaps the answer to all of the above questions is 'yes'. 

© Trevor Dailey