Legal Definitions - drop letter

A drop letter refers to a piece of mail that is both posted at a particular post office and intended for delivery to an address located within the designated service area of that *same* post office.

Essentially, the letter's entire journey, from the moment it is mailed to its final delivery, occurs under the jurisdiction of a single postal facility. It does not need to be transported to a different post office for sorting or delivery.

• Local Community Mail: Imagine Sarah lives in a small town called Willow Creek. She writes a letter to her friend, Mark, who lives just a few streets away, also within Willow Creek. Sarah walks to the Willow Creek Post Office, drops her letter in the mail slot, and the letter is then sorted and delivered by a postal carrier whose route originates from that very same Willow Creek Post Office.

  Explanation: This is a drop letter because the letter was posted at the Willow Creek Post Office, and its destination, Mark's address, is also within the delivery area served by that identical post office.

• Intra-City Business Correspondence: A law firm located in the downtown district of Metropolis needs to send a physical contract amendment to another law firm situated in a different building, but still within the same downtown district. A paralegal takes the envelope to the Metropolis Central Post Office, which serves the entire downtown area. The letter is processed and delivered by a postal worker operating out of the Metropolis Central Post Office to the recipient firm.

  Explanation: The contract amendment qualifies as a drop letter because it was mailed at the Metropolis Central Post Office, and its recipient's address is also within the designated delivery zone of that same Metropolis Central Post Office.