I paid for a letter to be signed upon arrival but it went to the wrong address. My fault for sure.
So will it be returned to me ? Will the person of the letter have to be the one to sign it ?
How will mail carrier know that is not the person since it is too the wrong address ?
If it went to the wrong address you will get back the letter with the green card still attached to the back. Unless someone at the wrong address signed for it. I would send another letter to the correct address certified.
Chances are it will be returned to you, but expect it to take a minimum of two weeks, four to six weeks is more realistic.
Unless you specifically state only the addressee, anyone can sign for the letter.
As far as the mail carrier knowing or not knowing depends on many factors. Chances are when he attempts to obtain a signature, the person at the address will advise the carrier that the addressee is not at that address.
Certified mail has to be claimed/signed for. PO tries three times to get a signature then returns to the sender.
if someone signs for you and requested a return receipt you will be able to see the signee's name.
You should get it back within 2 to 3 weeks either that someone signed for it and kept it or just returned as "not at this address".
The person at the address will hopefully refuse the letter realizing it's not meant for them. If they refuse the letter, it could take a while for it to get back to you. How long ago did you send the letter? You could call the post office, but they can't usually help. Once a letter leaves the post office, it's nearly impossible to stop it en-route. They will do everything they can, so it's good to call and see.
This is the reason Is end anything important via UPS. I have a trackable package, and I can stop it any time while it's traveling. You can also specify what person can sign for the letter or package. (I learned the hard way with certified mail!!)
I just had the same thing happen. My friend forgot to tell me she was in a duplex. It was returned to me as "undeliverable" You should have a tracker number on it to trace it.
I would contact the post office and ask their advice. The Superintendent of Mails or the Postmaster should be able to answer your questions.
I would think that since the person that needs to sign for it doesn't live at the address you sent the letter to, it will be returned. Honestly, though, I think it might be more informative for you to call the USPS than to ask here. They'll be able to answer your question in the most factual way.
