Saturday, Nov 21, 2009

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If you receive a letter addressed to the former owner of your house who is now deceased, should you open it? Not according to the U. S. Postal Service. It is a federal offense to open mail that belongs to someone else. If you find yourself with this type of mail, you can write "Return to Sender" or "Deceased" on the envelope and stick it in the mailbox. If the sender is unknown, or the class of the mail does not entitle it to return service, it will be routed to a Mail Recovery Center, also known as the Dead Letter Office.

Established in 1825, this office was set up to deal with letters and packages that could not be delivered. In the early years, the office employed retired clergy because items of value sometimes end up in the Dead Letter Office. Employees of the Dead Letter Office are the only people authorized to open mail that belongs to someone else.

The office has a fascinating history. For more information, click here.

 

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