Q: How do you take the USPS to court?
Our service with the USPS for the past 20 years has been great. We loved our carrier Ken. He retired 2 years ago and the new carrier delivered our mail and she was scared of our dog. She stopped delivering our mail. We drove the dog to Washington state to our daughter so as to fix the problem. This did not fix anything. So I had to go pick it up at the post office. I made several complaints to the supervisors, but the carrier had a basket full of reasons that she could not deliver our mail. The counter personnel at the post office who have to hear my complaints every time I go get my mail, say that this carrier has a constant issue with several people.
New development; the carrier is now sending all our mail back to the senders. I no longer have the option to pick up my mail. Now I want her prosecuted for breaking the law and the USPS held liable for our monetary costs during this whole issue for not firing her.
I don't know how to fix this or where to start. I need help.
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- California
- (916) 704-3009
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- Answered
A:
First, you should file an official complaint with the USPS through their website (usps.com/help/contact-us.htm) and document all instances of mail non-delivery and returns, including dates, times, and any communication with postal staff. You'll also need to contact the USPS Consumer Advocate office for your area and submit Form PS 1510, "Mail Loss and Rifling Complaint."
If these steps don't resolve the issue, you can file Form SF-95 (Claim for Damage, Injury, or Death) to seek compensation for damages caused by the mail carrier's actions. Before pursuing legal action, consider reaching out to your local congressional representative's office, as they often have staff dedicated to helping constituents with federal agency issues like USPS problems.
For legal action, you would need to file a claim under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) in federal court, but you must first exhaust all administrative remedies through the USPS. Keep in mind that while you can't personally prosecute the carrier, you can report mail tampering to the USPS Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG) at 1-888-USPS-OIG, as intentionally returning properly addressed mail is a federal offense under 18 U.S.C. § 1703.
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