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Stimulus check to the wrong address

BurtletoyBurtletoy Registered User regular
Yesterday when collecting my mail, I got a few things addressed to the previous tenants. I get his junk mail pretty regularly and don't pay much attention to it.

This time I got a US government stimulus check for $1200

I reached out to the landlord asking if they could forward him my contact information, but I've been here for 3 years so I don't know if they will be able to find him.

If I return it to the sender is this guy going to get screwed by not getting his stimulus check? Are there any other options?

Posts

  • see317see317 Registered User regular
    Write "No Longer At This Address" on the envelope and put it either back in your box or in the post drop box. The post office will be able to look up the persons new address and forward it to them (assuming they put in the change of address form 3 years ago).

  • EricJEricJ Registered User new member
    If he does not cash the check, he can just claim a tax credit. That's what I will do (I never got mine)

  • BurtletoyBurtletoy Registered User regular
    see317 wrote: »
    Write "No Longer At This Address" on the envelope and put it either back in your box or in the post drop box. The post office will be able to look up the persons new address and forward it to them (assuming they put in the change of address form 3 years ago).

    These letters have officially been re-delivered back to me now so I guess this didn't work

  • L Ron HowardL Ron Howard The duck MinnesotaRegistered User regular
    You have to go down to the post office with the letter, talk with the supervisor telling them that the person doesn't live at your address, and tell them your carrier is shit.

  • HefflingHeffling No Pic EverRegistered User regular
    Burtletoy wrote: »
    Yesterday when collecting my mail, I got a few things addressed to the previous tenants. I get his junk mail pretty regularly and don't pay much attention to it.

    This time I got a US government stimulus check for $1200

    I reached out to the landlord asking if they could forward him my contact information, but I've been here for 3 years so I don't know if they will be able to find him.

    If I return it to the sender is this guy going to get screwed by not getting his stimulus check? Are there any other options?

    Props for doing the right thing. :bro:

  • HappylilElfHappylilElf Registered User regular
    You have to go down to the post office with the letter, talk with the supervisor telling them that the person doesn't live at your address, and tell them your carrier is shit.

    Maybe leave out the last part. The supervisor will already be thinking that so it might be best to not rub it in and avoid triggering a potential "I can think my employee shit but... the hell did you just say about my employee?" response.

  • DaenrisDaenris Registered User regular
    Honestly, I'm not even sure it's the carrier's problem. Forwarding is only supposed to be good for like a year. So even if they had it set up, after that time expires, they'll just deliver things to the address on the envelope, regardless of the name.

    But yeah, best bet is to go in in-person and talk to someone to see what they suggest. Other, less good, option is just do nothing and trust that since the person didn't cash their check they'll get the credit on next years tax return.

    It's weird that it even got to your address if you've been there 3 years. It was supposed to go to the address on file for your most recently filed taxes, either 2019 or 2018.

  • BurtletoyBurtletoy Registered User regular
    Well I'm getting a new letter from the irs today addressed to the same guy, maybe he just messed up his street address?

  • DaenrisDaenris Registered User regular
    I'd say call up the IRS and explain to them what's going on.

  • SiskaSiska Shorty Registered User regular
    Burtletoy wrote: »
    Well I'm getting a new letter from the irs today addressed to the same guy, maybe he just messed up his street address?

    Ask your landlord or neighbors if they recognize the name, maybe.

  • L Ron HowardL Ron Howard The duck MinnesotaRegistered User regular
    edited December 2020
    You have to go down to the post office with the letter, talk with the supervisor telling them that the person doesn't live at your address, and tell them your carrier is shit.

    Maybe leave out the last part. The supervisor will already be thinking that so it might be best to not rub it in and avoid triggering a potential "I can think my employee shit but... the hell did you just say about my employee?" response.

    Well, obviously don't go and literally tell them the carrier is shit. But the carrier has a surprising amount of control on these things. Good ones will recognize that the person doesn't live at the house, and forward it to the better places in the USPS system to find the person and forward the mail or return it to the sender, because it wasn't caught in the first place. Or they could even return it to sender themselves because the carrier should know the names of the people in the houses where they deliver mail. Your regular carrier might now know you personally, but they see your mail often and know your names and the names of everyone in your household.
    So the complaint will want to be raised because I'm sure this happens regularly, and not just with Burtletoy. A little bit of misdelivered mail here and there. The neighbor gets your mail, or you get your neighbors. Or letters that would normally take 2 days somehow are taking 2 weeks. Checks that you're expecting get delayed unexpectedly. You get the neighbor a block over at 123 East Street and you live at 123 Main Street. It's never anything outright illegal, but lots of little inconveniences. Most likely, the supervisor and management at the post office know the person is crap, and this gives them ammunition to either help improve the person, which is the desired goal, or get rid of them, which is unfortunate but sometimes necessary. Anecdotally, I know the second when my regular bad carrier was replaced.
    I have heard tons of stories because my wife worked for the USPS for many, many years. The carriers are all human, which means some are good, some are OK, and some are just absolutely terrible. For instance, she's told me stories of carriers redirecting expected checks for businesses throughout the system to stop them from getting mail; and in one instance almost getting the business kicked out because they could barely pay their rent due to the missing checks - all because of a perceived slight on the carrier's part.

    Edit: And obviously don't go in with a chip on your shoulder. The supervisor isn't going to side with you immediately. They probably won't be happy to talk to you, because no one likes getting complaints. And it's Christmas time, so the entire USPS is overworked and stressed, with the increase in mail and packages.
    But you're also entitled to your mail, and the person is entitled to their stimulus check.

    L Ron Howard on
  • BurtletoyBurtletoy Registered User regular
    Siska wrote: »
    Burtletoy wrote: »
    Well I'm getting a new letter from the irs today addressed to the same guy, maybe he just messed up his street address?

    Ask your landlord or neighbors if they recognize the name, maybe.

    Yes, that was in the op

  • BurtletoyBurtletoy Registered User regular
    Actually, thinking about it now, the person who used to live in my apartment now lives downstairs, so I don't think this guy even lived here 3 years ago, either.

    Oh well.

  • SiskaSiska Shorty Registered User regular
    Burtletoy wrote: »
    Actually, thinking about it now, the person who used to live in my apartment now lives downstairs, so I don't think this guy even lived here 3 years ago, either.

    Oh well.

    Could be an ex or old roommate.

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