Legal Question in Civil Rights Law in Washington

Can mail legally be withheld?

I'm a signer for a leased property that I and 4 other people reside in, and we've never had an issue before, but the post office has just notified a roomate that they will be witholding ALL mail to the house until everyone can prove that they live there. Is this legal? And either way, what recourse do I have? I cannot simply take the time from work to go down there and beg for our mail, and as the roomate in question is not on the lease (by landlord's permission) there is no way to prove he's living there other than by my word as lease holder. Any assistance you can provide would be appreciated.


Asked on 1/30/08, 3:20 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Merry Kogut Key Peninsula Law

Re: Can mail legally be withheld?

Try calling the head honcho at your local post office. If that doesn't work, work your way up the chain of command.

This does indeed sound stupid, but the post office may be trying to avoid fraud. For example, they may think that a person who resides at the house is using more than one name in order to commit some type of fraud.

It seems like your roommate, not you, should be the one taking the time to resolve this.

Good luck!

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Answered on 2/01/08, 12:18 pm


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