Usps Form 3817

[FormerMember]

Several months ago I went to the post office with my gazzionth filing to the VA and prepared to pay the exorbitant $6.45 for the Certified Mail-Return receipt requested. The postmistress asked me what was up on this as I have been doing it for 4 years. She said if all I needed was proof of mailing (which I did) then I should think about using USPS Form 3817 Certificate of Mailing. I smartly used it that day for my CUE filing to the Seattle RO. Wonder of wonders--nothing for months. I finally did an IRIS and asked what happened. As expected, nobody knew. I shot back a new one to them enclosing a copy of the prior filing, a copy of the 3817, and an explanation of what the common law mailbox rule is. Lo and behold, last week I got the standard "We got it. We're slightly delayed as you know. Will get back to you soon." I guess VA is going to get a lesson in this that they no longer can just toss this stuff in the circular file anymore because it isn't CM-3R with green card. Here's the good news- it costs $1.15 period. Done deal. Remember that if VA mails you something, it is presumed to have arrived. That's the law of Presumption of Regularity. If you mail anything to them, you have to prove it because we all know how unreliable and dishonest Vets are. This is called the Common Law Mailbox Rule. Now you can file five items and have enough for a disposable lighter left over to burn their denials.

Edited September 2, 2012 by asknod

[john999]

That is good to know about 3817. I remember using it when I worked for USPS. The price of certified/return receipt has gone out of sight. Registerd mail is probably twice that expensive now. The USPS can be sort of dumb but they do deliver 99.5% of the first class mail they get so it is usually the VA's fault.

[USMC5811]

Thanks for the info asknod

[Philip Rogers]

Has the court agreed that a USPS form 3817 will suffice as proof of mailing???

pr