(3) Evidence of insurance coverage has not been presented.

(4) Sender failed to state at time of mailing the full value of a registered article for the purpose of depriving the Postal Service of revenue.

(5) Loss, rifling, or damage occurred after proper delivery by the Postal Service, unless the article was reinsured.

(6) There is only a sentimental value. (7) Loss resulted from delay in delivery of a registered article.

(8) Claim is for some consequential loss rather than for the article itself.

(9) Contents froze, melted, spoiled, or deteriorated due to temperature.

(10) The parcel could not have reached the addressee in good condition in the ordinary course of the mail.

(11) Damage consists of abrasion, scarring, or scraping of suitcases, handbags, and similar containers which were not packed for protection.

(12) Death of baby poultry was due to shipment to points where delivery could not be made within 60 hours from the time of hatch, or to extremes of temperature in the ordinary course of handling.

(13) Death of honeybees and harmless live animals was not due to fault of the Postal Service.

(14) Fragile-type phonograph records are damaged.

(15) Undamaged returned insured and COD mail is refused by the sender. § 164.4 Official mailings.

(a) Registered mail. Postal indemnity coverage is provided up to $100 for articles sent as registered mail under the "Postage and Fees Paid" indicia. Postal indemnity coverage is also provided, within the limit fixed for the fees paid, for penalty or franked mail on which the registry fee has been paid by stamps affixed, subject to the limitations of the Government Losses in Shipment Act administered by the Treasury Department.

(b) Insured mail. Postal indemnity is provided, up to the maximum of $200, for the value of an article properly sent as insured mail under the "Postage and Fees Paid" indicia, or with stamps affixed to cover the postal charges. Government agencies must comply with postal regulations relating to establishing value of goods lost or damaged in the insured mail. Agencies should refrain from re

questing postal indemnity when trivial amounts are involved which would probably be less than the cost of processing and paying a claim.

(c) Ownership of goods. Goods involved in a claim need not be owned by the Government agency for a claim to be payable. Either the agency or the owner, as designated by the agency, may be named to receive any indemnity payable.

§ 164.8

Registered mail claims.

(a) Loss and rifling. (1) Have customer fill out Form 1510. Send Form 1510 to the post office of address.

(2) If reply on Form 1510 shows no loss or rifling, notify sender. If loss or rifling is established complete Form 1510 and send it to the postal inspector in charge. Form 565 completed from the mailing office standpoint, must also be sent with Form 1510 from first- and second-class offices. A report by memorandum must accompany Form 1510 from third- and fourth-class offices.

(b) Damage and wrong delivery. Have customer fill out Form 565 at first- and second-class offices. At third and fourthclass offices, have customer request payment of postal insurance by letter. Send these applications for payment of postal insurance to the postal inspector in charge.

(c) Claims record. Record a registered mail claim on Form 3841. Show the amount of insurance claimed. File original by name of sender and attach duplicate copy to the claim. Do not file with records of insurance and COD claims.

(d) Adjudication. Claims for domestic registered mail are adjudicated by the post office and delivery services division of the regional office in which the post office of mailing is located. Inquiries concerning the disposition of claims for domestic registered mail shall be sent to the director, post office and delivery services division, of the appropriate regional office. When assistance is needed by a regional office in adjudication of registered mail claims which present unusual or precedent situations, they shall send the claims to the Classification Division, Office of Rates and Classification, Finance Department, Washington, DC 20260, for advice. A statement of the difficulty encountered will accompany such claims.

§ 164.9

or

Recovery of articles after payment, overpayments, erroneous improper indemnity claim payments, or indemnity refunds.

(a) Disposition of article. When a lost registered, insured, or COD article is recovered, the payee may accept the article and reimburse the United States for the full amount paid if the article is undamaged, or such amount as may be determined equitable by the Postal Service if the article is damaged or has depreciated in value or if the contents are not intact.

(b) Handling reimbursement. If reimbursement is tendered representing an overpayment,

erroneous or improper payment, or a voluntary indemnity refund, accept it and issue a receipt. Send all reimbursements to the Minneapolis Postal Data Center, with the applicable certifying office claim number and date of certification. Personal checks, money orders, or other negotiable instruments should be made payable to the Postal Service. If the instrument is made payable to the postmaster, he should sign his name and restrictively endorse it "Pay to Postal Service" and remit as above. Do not mark an entry in the cashbook.

(c) Control over recovery claims. When an overpayment, erroneous, or improper indemnity claim payment is disclosed and repayment is not tendered, report it to the Director, Minneapolis Postal Data Center, by memorandum to be placed under accounts receivable control.

(a) Who prepares. (1) Certificates of mailing are prepared by the mailer, except mailers on rural routes or at nonpersonnel rural stations and branches. Individual and firm mailing book certificates must show the name and address of both the sender and the addressee, and may show the amount of postage paid. Identifying invoice or order numbers also on may be placed the certificate.

(2) Customers of rural routes and nonpersonnel rural stations and branches may deliver mail to the rural carrier with the fee for the certificate. The carrier will obtain the certificate at the post office, attach the stamps, cancel them by postmark, and deliver the certificate to the sender on his next trip.

(b) Individual certificates. Form 3817, Certificate of Mailing, is used for an individual certificate for ordinary mail of any class. Forms specially printed at the mailer's expense may be used also.

(c) Firm mailing books. Firm mailing books Forms 3877 or 3877-A or forms printed at the mailer's expense may be used for certificates for three or more pieces of mail of any class presented at one time.

(d) Bulk mailings. Form 3606, Sender's Statement and Certificate of Bulk Mail

ing, is used to issue certificates that a specified number of pieces have been mailed. These certificates are furnished only for mailings of identical pieces of first- and third-class matter paid with ordinary stamps, precanceled stamps, or meter stamps. A certificate will not be issued for bulk mailings paid with permit imprints.

(e) Quantity mailings. When the number of articles ordinarily presented justifies such action, mailers must comply with the following:

(1) When individual certificates on Form 3817 are desired, the forms must either be fixed by the stub to the articles or the forms must be consecutively numbered and fastened together. If the certificates are numbered, the articles should also be lightly numbered at a uniform place to permit relating the parcels and certificates.

(2) When the articles are descriptively listed on firm mailing sheets or on special approved forms, they should, if practicable, be presented in the order in which they are entered on the sheets; otherwise, each entry must be consecutively numbered by the mailer, and the articles lightly numbered to show the sheet and line number on which they are described.

§ 165.4 Additional certificates after mailing.

or

To obtain an additional certificate after mailing, the sender must present the original certificate and an additional certificate endorsed "duplicate" "copy" showing the original dates of mailing. The additional certificate will be postmarked to show the current date. § 165.5

Payment and certification.

Mailers must affix uncanceled stamps or meter stamps to cover the fee for certificates of mailing. The stamps will be canceled by the postmark of the mailing office. Signatures or initials of accepting employees are not required on Form 3817. The employees who check the mailings and postmark the stamps will initial the certificates issued on firm mailing bills or on special approved forms. If requested to do so by the sender, they will show on the certificates in ink the time the articles were mailed. Form 3606 for bulk mailings will be certified by the postmaster.

(a) Points of delivery. Special delivery mail is given immediate delivery at the office of address during prescribed hours to:

(1) Points within a radius of 1 mile of any post office, station, or branch (except contract and rural stations and branches).

(2) Points within the city delivery limits of any post office having this service. These conditions apply to customers of rural routes residing within the 1mile limitation.

(3) Residences on rural routes if the road is passable and is located within one-half mile of rural route; otherwise, mail is left in the box. Delivery will be made by carrier on his regular trip.

(4) Customers of nonpersonnel rural stations and branches if their residence is within one-half mile of the unit and if there is a passable road leading to it. Otherwise, mail is left in customer's box at the unit.

(5) Points within one-half mile of a star route by the star route carrier who may make such delivery on his regular trip if the deviation from his regular route will not delay him in meeting schedule requirements.

(6) Boxes erected on the city delivery boundary line and if customer lives no more than 3 blocks beyond and there is a passable walk or street to the residence. If there is no passable walk or street, the article is left in the box if the box will accommodate it. Otherwise, a notice is left in the box.

(b) Transporting and delivering. Special delivery mail is given preferential handling to the extent practicable in dispatch and transportation. Payment of

(b) Prepayment of fee. Prepay the special delivery fee by special delivery stamps, ordinary postage stamps, or meter stamps. The special delivery fee must be prepaid in addition to regular postage except on "Postage and Fees Paid" mail (official mail). Official matter in penalty or franked envelopes is not entitled to free special delivery, except urgent official communications of the postal service.

(c) Marking. Mailers should mark prominently the words "Special Delivery" preferably below the postage and above the name of the addressee as follows:

upon the last major mail receipt. However, depending on local conditions, firsttrip delivery may begin as early as 6 a.m. or as late as 8 a.m. Delivery on the first trip should be completed within 4 hours of the messengers departure from the office.

(ii) Special delivery messengers should leave delivery unit ahead of regular letter carriers serving the same territory. Every effort should be made to deliver specials ahead of ordinary mail.

(iii) Deliver specials in business sections by regular letter carrier on first trip when delivery before 8:30 a.m. and ahead of special delivery messengers can be assured.

(2) At noncity delivery offices. Normal hours of special delivery are 7 a.m. until closing hour of the post office. Unless there is a demand for earlier delivery, postmasters may authorize messengers to depart as late as 8 a.m. on the first trip. Specials arriving after the office is closed, but not later than 9 p.m., will be delivered provided the postmaster or an employee is on duty.

(3) Sundays and holidays. Sunday and holiday deliveries should be scheduled as needed, but not to exceed a maximum of three delivery trips, one each in the morning, afternoon and evening.

(4) Outside regular delivery hours. If specials arrive outside regular delivery hours, notify customers by telephone, if practicable; also notify customer if requested. Attempt to telephone rural customer if specials arrive after the rural carrier has departed on his route.

(5) Unusual conditions. Postmasters and postal employees are expected to display interest and ingenuity to effect the prompt delivery of specials.

(b) Frequency of delivery. A maximum of four daily city-wide trips will be made. If unusual conditions exist and postmasters feel additional trips are needed, obtain specific authority from the Regional Director. Fixed schedules will be established to connect major mail receipts to insure that the maximum available specials are delivered on each trip. Establish an additional midmorning trip in the central business sections, if needed. Schedule one of the city-wide trips in the mid or late afternoon to provide

delivery of all available specials to firms prior to the normal closing hour. The last city-wide trip should connect with the last major mail receipt; however, messengers should not leave after 9 p.m. § 166.4 Delivery procedures.

(a) To whom delivery may be made. Ordinary special delivery mail is delivered to the addressee or to anyone authorized to receive his mail. At city delivery offices, special delivery mail, other than registered and insured, addressed to a post office box or to the general delivery, is delivered to the box or held for delivery through the general delivery window, unless the addressee has given written notice that such mail be delivered to his residence or place of business. When special delivery mail is received at a city delivery office addressed to a street address and the addressee usually receives his mail through a post office box or through the general delivery window, the mail is delivered as addressed, unless the addressee files a written notice directing delivery to his box or through the general delivery window. At offices not having city delivery service, all special delivery mail is delivered to the residence or place of business of the addressee, unless the addressee files a written request that such mail be deposited in his post office box or held for delivery through the general delivery window.

(b) Delivery in mail receptacles. When no one is at the address to receive mail, the messenger, if he can determine that the occupants are absent for not more than 1 day, will leave the mail and a notice on Form 3955, "Special Delivery Notice."

(c) Notice of attempted delivery. When mail cannot be delivered as described in paragraph (b) of this section, the Form 3955, left on the doorknob or handle, under the door, or in the receptacle, will state where the special delivery mail is being held.

(d) Rural and star route carriers. If delivery is attempted and cannot be made to a customer's residence or place of business, the special delivery matter is deposited in his box and a notice of nondelivery on Form 3955 is left at his residence or place of business.

(e) Military posts and camps. No special delivery service is provided by military personnel at military posts and camps. Special delivery by messenger is made only to addresses such as officers' homes, headquarters, hospitals, and other places where it is definitely known that delivery can be made.

(f) Forwarded special delivery mail. Special delivery mail that is forwarded is not entitled to special delivery at the second office, unless a forwarding order had been given by the addressee at the office of original address in advance of the arrival of the mail.

167.3 Marking of parcels. 167.4 Forwarding.

AUTHORITY: The provisions of this Part 167 issued under 39 U.S.C. 401.

SOURCE: The provisions of this Part 167 appear at 35 F.R. 19477, Dec. 23, 1970, unless otherwise noted.

§ 167.1 Description.

Special handling service is available for third- and fourth-class mail only, including that which is insured or sent COD. It provides preferential handling to the extent practicable in dispatch and transportation, but does not provide special delivery. Special handling parcels are delivered as parcel post is ordinarily delivered, on regular scheduled trips. The special handling fee (or special-delivery fee) must be paid on all parcels that must be given special attention in handling, transportation, and delivery, such as parcels containing baby chicks or other baby poultry, package bees carried outside mail bags, baby alligators, etc.

66-087-7216