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Legal Question About U.S. Post Office
I live in a rural area in Kenosha County, Wisconsin. Last winter when there was a snowstorm, the county plow truck knocked down my mailbox at the end of my driveway. I have a long driveway. I notified the local post office and told them about the situation, and they have saved my mail until May 2026. I know I have not fixed the mailbox because it needs a complete replacement. I was extremely busy and had several personal issues where the installation of the new mailbox was not a priority. Plus, it is very difficult to find a handyman to install a new mailbox due to digging and pouring concrete. I am still looking for a handyman to install a new mailbox for me. However, the local post office no longer will hold my mail for me and returning to sender. I am missing a lot of important mail including a bunch of credit cards and debit cards that were mailed to me and the postmaster sent it back to sender. I even offered to pay for a PO BOX, but they would not hear it. Is it legal for the post office to not hold my mail aside and return important mail to the sender? I know I was dragging my feet to fix the new mailbox, but we had snow and frozen grounds up to mid-April. Thank you.
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1 Reply
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Based on your descriptions, I would agree that the post office’s handling of this situation from a customer service standpoint was poor. However, the question then becomes, did they break the law?
The short answer is that it is unlikely, though it may support a request that USPS management make an exception and provide a justification.
- USPS is not obligated to suspend mail indefinitely. The standard USPS Hold Mail service is for short-term absences and is generally for a maximum of 30 days. After that, letter carriers are to resume their normal duties of mail delivery or follow USPS procedures for undeliverable mail. (USPS FAQs)
- When a mail receptacle is damaged, USPS may suspend delivery until a suitable receptacle is provided. Mail that cannot be delivered is returned to the sender if the situation is prolonged.
There are multiple factors that differentiate your situation from that of those who disregard their mailboxes.
- The mailbox was destroyed by a County snowplow, not through your fault.
- You notified the USPS.
- USPS decided to hold your mail for multiple months.
- You reside in rural Wisconsin, where replacing mail receptacles is challenging due to Frozen ground and snow.
- You even offered to rent a PO Box.
I think that, considering all these points, the local post office’s discretion was inadequate, even though they no longer wanted to offer a free mail hold.
I am especially shocked that you were not allowed to pay for a PO Box. Unless there is another unresolved matter, like not having any boxes or some other operational or local issue, it would be very odd to deny renting a PO Box simply to get your mail delivered.
The course of action
I would advance this matter beyond your local post office and start with these next steps.
- First, call 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777) and file an official service complaint. (Office of Inspector General)
- If you have only dealt with a supervisor or a clerk, ask to speak with the Postmaster next.
- If that fails, next, contact the USPS Consumer Affairs office in your district via Customer Care.
- Tell them the situation:
- A county snowplow destroyed your mailbox,
- You quickly told the USPS,
- Your mail was held for months and packed away at the post office,
- You tried to purchase a PO Box,
- Very important mail, like replacement credit and debit cards, was sent back.
I would also call the credit card and the banking companies and tell them:
- The returned cards should be canceled,
- The mail should be verified,
- replacements should be postponed until the mail situation is fixed, or
- The replacements should be sent to a different temporary mailing address if it is allowed.
One other possibility
Since the mailbox was reportedly hit by a Kenosha County snowplow, you might want to try the county highway department. Some counties have offered either reimbursement or aid to the resident when a plow directly hits a mailbox that is installed properly. This is different from a mailbox damaged by snow displaced by a snowplow. Policies differ from case to case.
From what you have written, I do not think there will be a strong legal case, as USPS stopped placing a hold on your mail after a few months. There is merit to the argument that your offer to rent a PO box in lieu of an indefinite freehold shows USPS should have assisted you in this matter.
One thing that could change my opinion is this: why did they refuse your offer to rent the PO Box? This is the most interesting part of your story.
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