# Can I remove former occupants from Direct Marketing lists?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-remove-former-occupants-from-direct-marketing-lists/239322>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 10, 2004, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-remove-former-occupants-from-direct-marketing-lists/239322 "2004-04-10T15:19:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-remove-former-occupants-from-direct-marketing-lists/239322/1 "2004-04-10T15:19:00Z")

</div>

For some reason I have been receiving a renewed glut of junk mail addressed to a twice removed owner of my house. My post office said I’m under no obligation to do anything with their mail (One clerk told me he has a similar problem and he just tosses it out).

I have no idea where she lives; in fact I believe she is deceased.

Am I within my rights to write to the Direct Marketing Assc. and have her name removed from “my” address?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-remove-former-occupants-from-direct-marketing-lists/239322/2 "2004-04-10T15:59:08Z")

</div>

Yep.