Legal Question in Civil Litigation in Virginia

Mailing anonymous packages

Is it illegal to mail someone a package anonymously? Also, is it illegal to keep a life insurance policy on a grown adult person for no reason?

My husband's former step-father sexually abused my husband when he was 7 years old. After the death of his mother, my husband wanted no further contact with his former step-father. But the step-father continues to harrass my husband. He keeps a current life insurance policy on him, and sent him a book in the mail anonymously, trying to disguise his handwriting. The topic of the book is ''adult victims of child sexual abuse'' and contains chapters suggesting the victim ''forgive'' his attacker. Is this considered harrassmment or stalking, or simply a violation of the use of the United States mail? We want him to stop trying to contact us.


Asked on 9/29/05, 1:41 pm

2 Answers from Attorneys

Michael Hendrickson Law Office Michael E. Hendrickson

Re: Mailing anonymous packages

What you've described could certainly be viewed as harassment but I don't see stalking or a violation of U.S. mail laws implicated here.

Surprisingly, in many states one can take out life insurance policies without the knowledge or approval of the insured.

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Answered on 9/29/05, 4:57 pm
Jonathon Moseley Jonathon A. Moseley

Re: Mailing anonymous packages

Because the step-father is related, not a

complete stranger, I don't think this is a legal

issue, although it is of course troubling.

I don't know postal regulations, and you might

inquire at the USPS, but generally it is not

illegal to send an anonymous package that is

not otherwise (for other reasons) threatening

or problematic. That is, being anonymous

is NOT the problem, but if it were considered

threatening that might be. What you describe

sounds like the step-father is feeling guilty and

for his own reasons and for achieving some

peace with your husband is trying to work things

out. SO I don't know that can be called

threatening.

It is obviously troubling if one is not ready to

deal with something or is not interested in that.

So he should tell the step-father that these

efforts are not working because your husband is

not open to dealing with any of this.

The trouble in such situations is when the

wrongdoer feels that if he makes one more attempt

or says it a little bit differently then it might

work out. Therefore, your husband should clearly

communicate that these efforts are making things

worse, not better, because your husband is not

open at this time to dealing with any of this.

The step-father needs to understand that the

best thing he can do is to just leave things alone

and clearly right now he does NOT understand that.

As to the life insurance, I am curious how you

learned about this. Also, it is important to me

WHO the beneficiary is? If the step-father is

maintaining a life insurance policy in which

the step-father would be paid on death, this

together with other things might be very strange.

In combination with other things that should be

looked at very closely.

However, if he is paying for life insurance

that would pay YOU and your husband's family

on death, I don't see how you could object to

that legally.

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Answered on 9/30/05, 10:00 am


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