the receipt and withdrawal of deposits every weekday during the hours prescribed for the transaction of moneyorder business.

[Paragraph (a) amended, 24 F.R. 4250, May 27, 1959]

§ 41.3 Post office boxes.

(a) Purpose of boxes. Post office boxes and drawers are for the convenience of the public in the delivery of mail. The service affords patrons privacy, and permits them to obtain mail at their convenience during the hours the lobby is kept open.

(b) How to rent a box. The patron must submit Form 1093, Application for Post Office Box, to the postmaster at the post office where the box is located. The application will be approved or denied by the postmaster. Furnishing false information on the application is sufficient reason for denial. When the application is approved, a box will be assigned.

(c) Rental rates—(1) Main post offices.-(i) Office groups. The following

nine groups are for use in determining the correct rate category for call and lock boxes at main post offices.

Group A. Post offices offering city delivery service and with the position of the postmaster ranked in salary levels 16, 17, 18, or 19.

Group B. Post offices offering city delivery service and with the position of the postmaster ranked in salary levels 14 or 15.

Group C. Post offices offering city delivery service and with the position of the postmaster ranked in salary levels 12 or 13.

Group D. Post offices offering city delivery service and with the position of the postmaster ranked in salary levels 10 or 11.

Group E. Post offices offering city delivery service and with the position of the postmaster ranked in salary levels 7, 8, or 9.

Group F. Post offices not offering city delivery service and with the position of the postmaster ranked in salary levels 8, 9, or above.

Group G. Post offices not offering city delivery service and with the position of the postmaster ranked in salary level 7.

Group H. Post offices not offering city delivery service and with the position of the postmaster ranked in salary levels 5 or 6.

Group I. All fourth-class post offices. (11) Schedule. The quarterly box rent schedule for main post offices is as follows:

icing academic institutions (see subdivision (iii) of this subparagraph), box rent rates at stations, branches, annexes, and airport mail facilities affiliated with first-class post offices, regardless of gross annual postal receipts, shall be based on the following:

(1) At classified stations, branches, and airport mail facilities, with or without city carrier service and with the position of the superintendent ranked in salary levels 9 or above, the rates are those prescribed in the box rent schedule for the first group below that of the main office.

(2) At classified stations, branches, and airport mail facilities with or without city carrier service and with the position of the superintendent ranked in salary levels 8 or below, the rates are those prescribed in the box rent schedule for the second group below that of the main office.

(3) At designated classified stations and branches located very near the main office and at annexes, the rates shall be the same as those charged at the main office.

(4) All contract stations will charge those rates prescribed in the box rent schedule for the second group below that of the main office.

(b) All rural stations shall charge the fees prescribed in the box rent schedule for group I post offices.

(c) Stations and branches with box equipment owned or supplied by an academic institution shall establish box rental charges in accordance with subdivision (iii) of this subparagraph. Stations and branches primarily serving academic institutions with lockbox equipment not owned or supplied by an academic institution shall charge regular applicable box rental rates.

(ii) Stations and branches of secondand third-class offices. (a) With the

exception of rural stations or certain stations and branches primarily servicing academic institutions, stations and branches of second- and third-class post offices will charge the same rental fees as those charged at the main office.

(b) All rural stations will charge the fees prescribed in the box rent schedule for group I post offices.

(c) Stations and branches with box equipment owned or supplied by an academic institution will establish box rental charges in accordance with subdivision (iii) of this subparagraph. Stations and branches primarily servicing academic institutions with lockbox equipment not owned or supplied by the academic institution will charge regular applicable box rental rates.

(iii) Stations and branches servicing academic institutions. The following applies only to stations and branches primarily servicing academic institutions when the box equipment is owned or supplied by the academic institution:

(a) When box equipment is separated from designated post office quarters and the mail is placed in the boxes by personnel employed by the school, box rental fees, if any, are subject to the control of the academic institution, and the revenues therefrom, if any, are not considered postal funds.

(b) When box equipment is not separated from designated post office quarters or the mail is not placed in the boxes by personnel employed by the academic institution, call and lockbox charges are based on the following schedule and all revenues therefrom are considered as postal funds. Fees may be paid on an annual basis or on either a semester or quarterly basis to coincide with the system used by the school. Box rental fees applicable during the summer session of schools operating on a semester basis will be one-half the regular semester rates.

(ii) New units. Box rental rates at all new units placed in operation after July 1, will be based on those factors in effect on the opening date of the installation, except that when a post office is discontinued and is reestablished as a classified station or branch of another post office, the rental rates that were in effect at the discontinued post office at the beginning of the fiscal year will continue in effect during the remainder of the fiscal year at the newly established unit.

(4) Fees applicable under special circumstances. When larger size boxes are not available or cannot be provided to handle the average daily mail volume of a patron, arrangements may be made by postmasters to utilize bags or other containers instead of lockboxes. The fee for this service will be equivalent to the rental that would be collected if the patron had been provided with the largest size box in the installation.

(d) Payment of box rent. Box rent must be paid in advance. Form 1538, Box Rent Receipt, is given for each payment. The rent may be paid quarterly or annually at the option of the box holder as follows:

(1) Annually. Annual rent must be paid in advance on or before June 30 for the full fiscal year. Rent for the quarters remaining in the fiscal year must be paid in advance (see subparagraph (3) of this paragraph). The fiscal year begins July 1 and ends June 30.

(2) Quarterly. Quarters begin July 1, October 1, January 1, and April 1. Rent must be paid on or before June 30, September 30, December 31, and March

31.

(3) After beginning of quarter. (i) First month of quarter: Entire quarterly rate.

(ii) Second month of quarter: Twothirds of quarterly rate. To determine the amount to be paid, multiply quarterly rate by two and divide by three. Drop fractions of a cent.

(iii) Third month of quarter: If rented before the twenty-first day, onethird quarterly rate. On or after the twenty-first day, no rent will be charged for the remaining days in the quarter, but full payment must be made for the following quarter.

(e) Refund of box rent. When a box is surrendered, no portion of the rent will be refunded to a patron who has paid on a quarterly basis. A patron renting a box on an annual basis who surrenders the box before the end of the fiscal year for which rent has been paid may apply for a refund of that portion of the box rent that is applicable to all full quarters remaining in the fiscal year. No refund will be made for the remaining portion of the quarter in which the box is surrendered. Application for refund should be made on Form 3533, Application and Voucher for Refund of Postage and Fees, in duplicate in the same manner as postage refunds, as outlined in § 37.2 of this chapter.

(f) Use of box.—(1) Individuals. An individual renting a box may have placed in it:

(i) Mail addressed to himself.

(ii) Mail directed to a temporary visitor.

(iii) Mail addressed to his care or to the number of his box by persons who wish him to take care of it for them not more than 30 days.

(iv) Mail addressed to members of his

family.

(v) Mail addressed to his servants or other employees who live in his house.

(vi) Mail addressed to a relative or other person who lives permanently in his house as do the other members of his family. Boarders or roomers are not considered members of the family.

(2) Firms or corporations. A firm renting a box may have placed in it: (i) Mail addressed to its name.

(ii) Mail addressed to any of its officials and office employees.

(iii) Mail addressed to any member of a firm, or members of his family, by the consent of all members of the firm.

(3) Students and teachers. Mail addressed to students and teachers at an educational institution may be deposited in the box rented by the school, if consistent with the rules of the school.

(4) Public institutions. Mail addressed to inmates of a public institution may be deposited in the box rented by it, if consistent with its rules.

(5) Associations. An association or society may rent a box, but it may not be used for individual members, other than officers addressed by their official titles.

(6) Hotel or boarding house. Mail addressed to guests or transient boarders at a hotel or boarding house will be placed in the box assigned to it or its proprietor.

(7) Mail addressed to box number. Mail addressed only to a box number may be delivered to the box holder as long as no improper or unlawful business is conducted in this manner.

A patron

(g) Keys (1) Regular. renting a key-type lockbox must be supplied with one or two keys, according to his needs. Renters of lockboxes are not permitted to obtain or use any keys except those issued through the post office.

(2) Additional. Keys in excess of two may be obtained from the post office on completion of Form 1094, Application for Additional Keys to Post Office Box, and payment of a 50-cent fee for each key. Under no circumstances may the boxholder or his agent obtain additional keys for the box assigned to his use from any other source or supplier.

(3) Duplicate. Duplicates of lost keys may be secured by payment of a 50-cent fee for each key.

(4) Fees not refundable. Fees for duplicate and additional keys are not refundable.

(5) Worn and broken. Worn or broken keys shall be replaced without charge if the damaged key is surrendered.

(6) Return. All keys must be returned when the box is surrendered. If the patron has lost a regular key, he must pay a fee of 50 cents for each missing key.

(h) Restrictions-(1) Improper purposes. A box will not be rented to anyone who the postmaster has good reason to believe will use it for the purpose of deception, for immoral or improper purposes, or for the conduct of a fraudulent or lottery business.

(2) Misuse. A box will not be rerented to anyone who does not take proper care of it or who disregards the rules concerning its use.

(3) Improper matter in box. Only matter which has passed through the mail, or official postal notices, may be placed in a post office box. (See paragraph (a) of this section.) (Interprets or applies 62 Stat. 784; 18 U.S.C. 1725)

(4) Closing of box. When a postmaster has reason to believe that a box is being used for a fraudulent, deceptive, or unlawful scheme, or for an immoral or improper purpose, or for the purposes of a lottery, or that the safety of the mail is endangered by its continued use, or that its use is for other than the receipt of mail or official postal notices, he will report the facts to the General Counsel who, if he finds that the box is being used for any of said purposes, shall have the right to order the box closed. (R.S. 161, as amended, secs. 1, 501, 708, 2209, Pub. Law 86-682 (74 Stat. 578, 580, 584, 596); 5 U.S.C. 22, 39 U.S.C. 1, 501, 708, 2209) [25. F.R. 9763, Oct. 12, 1960]

Prior Amendments 1956: 21 FR. 8106, Oct. 23.

1957: 22 F.R. 9742, Dec. 6; 22 F.R. 10112, Dec. 17.

1958: 23 FR. 2842, Apr. 29; 23 F.R. 7671, Oct. 3.

1959: 24 F.R. 566, Jan. 24; 24 F.R. 732, Feb. 3; 24 F.R. 6265, Aug. 5.

§ 41.4 General delivery.

(b) Where carrier deliveries are provided. General-delivery service is provided at offices having carrier-delivery service for transients and patrons who are not permanently located. Persons intending to remain for 30 days or more in a city having carrier service should file their names and street addresses at

(7) Checks and drafts. Bank checks in their ordinary form containing only the names of the drawer, payee, bank upon which drawn, amount of money, and date of issue are not letters. Checks, notes, and drafts sent by banks to other banks of collection for payment are not letters. Canceled checks and drafts may be returned to the drawer without being classed as letters. Checks issued by creameries to farmer-producers frequently bear on their face, or are accompanied by, statements showing the basis for computation of the amount of the check, e. g., the weight, butterfat content, bacterial count, deductions for hauling, and the like. So long as none of the information is extraneous to the check itself, these statements may accompany, or appear on, a check being transmitted by a contract hauler or otherwise outside the mail without either the check or statement being subject to payment of postage. See § 42.3 (c).

CODIFICATION: In § 42.2, paragraph (c) (6) was deleted, and paragraph (d) (7) was amended to read as set forth above, 23 F. R. 2423, Apr. 15, 1958.

§ 43.4 Mail chutes. [Revoked, 21 F. R. 3413, May 23, 1956]

§ 43.4 Separation of mail by sender.

Patrons having large mailings should separate them into packages marked "Local" and "Out of Town". Labels with these designations may be obtained from the post office on Form 1528 Requisition for Labels. Mail thus separated is usually dispatched earlier.

CODIFICATION: Former §§ 43.5 and 43.6 were redesignated §§ 43.4 and 43.5, respectively, 21 F.R. 3413, May 23, 1956. As redesignated, § 43.4 was revised, 24 F.R. 10389, Dec. 22, 1959.

§ 43.5 Recall of mail. [Redesignated] (See codification note to § 43.4, Separation of mail by sender.)

§ 43.6 Mail chutes and receiving boxes-(a) Use. (1) Mailing chutes and receiving boxes may be placed at the expense of the owner in public buildings, railroad stations, hotels, and business or office buildings of not less than 4 stories, and apartment houses of not less than 40 residential apartments. Buildings in which receiving boxes are located must be open to the general public, without restrictions, during the hours prescribed for mail collections. If the owner of a building does not desire to install a mail chute and receiving box, a receiving box only may be installed, provided the postmaster has determined it is necessary and has approved its installation.

(2) Mailing chutes and receiving boxes are intended for the reception or deposit of mail matter of the first class and must