This past week some Columbia residents reportedly received these notices in their mailboxes. The documents below were inserted into a clear plastic bag known as a door-hanger. These door-hangers have a door-knob sized hole across the top so the bag can be hung on the door knob of a residence.

 

On the one hand, the municipality is commended for it’s effort to communicate with its citizens and taxpayers! The scope of a project of this magnitude ($1,033,000) to provide improved safety conditions for the Borough’s walk to the Columbia Junior-Senior High School and Taylor Elementary School on Ironville Pike is significant.

On the other hand, avoiding postage and putting materials into a mailbox is a violation of the United States Code and the United States Post Office’s Domestic Mail Manual. And, frankly, because of the financial straits of the USPS, postage should have been paid to deliver this communication.

“Can a flyer/envelope be put it in someone else’s mailbox without being mailed? What if a stamp was placed on it?

Postage must go through the United States Postal Service and be delivered for it to be valid postage and therefore acceptable in the mail receptacle. A flyer cannot be placed in a mailbox after putting a stamp on it unless the item was actually mailed.   According to Sect. 508.3.1.3 of the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM):

“No part of a mail receptacle may be used to deliver any matter not bearing postage, including items or matter placed upon, supported by, attached to, hung from, or inserted into a mail receptacle. Any mailable matter not bearing postage and found as described above is subject to the same postage as would be paid if it were carried by mail.” (SOURCE: USPS FAQ)

18 U.S.C. 1725 states: “Whoever knowingly and willfully deposits any mailable matter such as statements of accounts, circulars, sale bills, or other like matter, on which no postage has been paid, in any letter box established, approved, or accepted by the Postal Service for the receipt or delivery of mail matter on any mail route with intent to avoid payment of lawful postage thereon, shall for each such offense be fined under this title.”

The United States Postal Service Direct Mail Manual