Apr. 10, 2026
Please Mister Postman: what counts as mailed anymore?
The Beatles crooned about a longed-for letter, but under USPS's new rule, the date it's processed--not dropped off--determines timeliness, forcing taxpayers, voters and lawyers to rethink the centuries-old mailbox rule.
Phyllis W. Cheng
Neutral
ADR Services, Inc.
Employment, wage and hour, class actions, civil rights, government entities, disability access
Email: pcheng@adrservices.com
Phyllis was once Title IX Coordinator of the Los Angeles Unified School District, worked on the enactment of California's version of the Title IX law, wrote her doctoral dissertation on Title IX and similar state laws, and has investigated, mediated and settled numerous cases involving sex discrimination in educational institutions.
"Wait a minute, Mister Postman," the Beatles once crooned about a longed-for letter that never arrived. Today, more than love letters are at stake. Under the United States Postal Service's new interpretation, "mailed" now means the date of processing--not the date of drop-off. See Domestic Mail Manual § 608.11.
For more than two centuries, the "mailbox rule," rooted in British common law, has provided that acceptance of an offer is effective upon ...
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