USPS cancels six-month delivery error for Annapolis resident

Maggie Rauh has lived at the same Legion Avenue address in Annapolis since 2017, but the United States Postal Service told her bank and utility provider that she was gone. A Return to Sender order took effect on April 7 and remained active until October 20, blocking the delivery of her first-class mail for more than six months.

During that period, Rauh received no mail. Her daily volume, which she estimated at 30 to 40 pieces, dropped to zero. Her bank and BGE returned her statements with stamps reading "Moved," "Unable to Forward," and "Return to Sender." Late fees were waived after the missed payments, but her mail-in ballot was also sent back. USPS confirmed the agency generally returns first-class mail under such orders but does not return marketing materials.

Rauh visited her local post office approximately six times to correct the record. She said staff told her they had no authority to change the status unless she requested a hold or filed a move order. "So they can accept a request that you've moved, but they can't accept a request that you actually haven't moved?" she asked. The agency confirmed that carriers can initiate these orders without customer confirmation if a property is believed vacant or mail boxes are overflowing to prevent theft.

Consumer protection attorney Peter Holland reviewed the returned envelopes on Rauh's behalf. "I had no idea that it would be like this," Holland said. He and Rauh filed a complaint with the USPS Office of Inspector General in August. The OIG referred the case to USPS Delivery Control, but the error persisted until after a news inquiry.

A USPS spokesperson wrote that the agency is investigating who placed the order and why it was not discovered sooner. "We apologize to the customer for the inconvenience as we continue to look into the matter," the spokesperson said. USPS stated that current mail will now be routed to the local office for delivery.

The error coincided with a dispute Rauh had with her carrier in April regarding her dog. The carrier told Rauh she had the ability to make her mail disappear for six months. A note appeared the next day saying her mail would arrive. Rauh does not know if the confrontation caused the error. USPS has not identified the employee who entered the order or established a link between the two events.

Rauh requested a replacement ballot and may need to vote provisionally. She said the situation upsets her because the fix requires a simple reversal of a digital flag. "Just flip the switch, please," Holland said.