What remedy do I have for USPS failing to deliver certified letter?

[aleshanee]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Pennsylvania

I was to receive a certified letter from my water company, (for shut off).
The letter was never delivered to me and was returned to the water company, my service was shut off and I
had to pay extra charges to have it restored.

The water company says its the USPS's fault, USPS says there's nothing we can do.
Do I have any remedies?

 

[cbg]

Why was it not delivered to you? What reason was provided for it being returned?

 

[quincy]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Pennsylvania

I was to receive a certified letter from my water company, (for shut off).
The letter was never delivered to me and was returned to the water company, my service was shut off and I
had to pay extra charges to have it restored.

The water company says its the USPS's fault, USPS says there's nothing we can do.
Do I have any remedies?

The water company will generally send several notifications prior to shut off - and most consumers know far in advance of shut off that they are at risk of losing their service if they do not pay.

That said, the only possible remedy that I see is for you to try to negotiate with your water company to have the extra charges reversed.

If the USPS tried to deliver the mail and was unable to, and if you failed to respond to the USPS notice saying there was a certified letter being held for you at the post office, there is nothing more the USPS can do.

By the way, there are service agencies in every community I am aware of that will provide help to those having difficulty meeting their utility expenses. If you ever find yourself behind in your bill payments to the point where you are facing the shut-off of necessary services, I suggest you contact one of these agencies for help. An example agency in your area that provides assistance is the Salvation Army. I am sure there are others.

 

[Ohiogal]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Pennsylvania

I was to receive a certified letter from my water company, (for shut off).
The letter was never delivered to me and was returned to the water company, my service was shut off and I
had to pay extra charges to have it restored.

The water company says its the USPS's fault, USPS says there's nothing we can do.
Do I have any remedies?

Your remedy is to pay your water bill.

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

The PO records their attempted delivery and leaves a notice. You are unlikely to get any traction via that argument.

 

[aleshanee]

The water company will generally send several notifications prior to shut off - and most consumers know far in advance of shut off that they are at risk of losing their service if they do not pay.

That said, the only possible remedy that I see is for you to try to negotiate with your water company to have the extra charges reversed.

If the USPS tried to deliver the mail and was unable to, and if you failed to respond to the USPS notice saying there was a certified letter being held for you at the post office, there is nothing more the USPS can do.

By the way, there are service agencies in every community I am aware of that will provide help to those having difficulty meeting their utility expenses. If you ever find yourself behind in your bill payments to the point where you are facing the shut-off of necessary services, I suggest you contact one of these agencies for help. An example agency in your area that provides assistance is the Salvation Army. I am sure there are others.

The letter never made it to my post office, verified by using the certified mail number and tracking.
My postmaster could not have notified me since she did not have the physical letter.
I would have made arrangements with the company to pay the bill by the shutoff date (contained in the letter)
thereby avoiding extra fees.

 

[LeeHarveyBlotto]

The letter never made it to my post office, verified by using the certified mail number and tracking.
My postmaster could not have notified me since she did not have the physical letter.
I would have made arrangements with the company to pay the bill by the shutoff date (contained in the letter)
thereby avoiding extra fees.

You knew you were late. You chose to wait until the last minute to pay your overdue bill and you got burned by circumstances. Real-world answer - that is 100% on you. Pay up.

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

Note it is unlikely they are even required to send you such a notice to begin with. Before making an issue you should determine that also.

 

[justalayman]

The letter never made it to my post office, verified by using the certified mail number and tracking.
My postmaster could not have notified me since she did not have the physical letter.
I would have made arrangements with the company to pay the bill by the shutoff date (contained in the letter)
thereby avoiding extra fees.

the post office has no liability here and I highly suspect the information in the certified letter was sent previously via first class mail.



and since the letter was returned to the sender, it means either delivery was refused or there was something defective with the letter such that it could or would not be delivered. In addition to that, since the letter was returned to the sender, it removes any obligation of the USPS at that point. the water company could have sent another letter since they were aware the first one wasnt delivered. argue with them if you really want to argue with somebody.