getting a wards mail permanently forwarded?

[Spock]

As part of becoming conservator for my Dad, the court provided conservator education booklet states I should have his mail forwarded.
This required so that:
* I get his bills to make sure they are paid (and move them to ebills going forward)

* I become aware of other debts he may have that I don't currently know of.

* And have the added benefit of stopping him from receiving the 2inches per day of "gimme money" letters he gets and responds to (did I mention this was DAILY?). Last month he gave away an amount equivalent to his SS... everything from a single check for $1000 and another for $3.50.



I'm familiar with USPS change of address forms, etc.


What I don't know is: How do I stop Dad from going to the post office and changing it back??

I've found lengthy USPS hearing rulings in mail disputes, but nothing that tells how to instruct USPS that the ward is not allowed to submit another change of address to get it changed back.


Has anybody else dealt with this successfully?
Anything you can share on how you did it?

 

[Jerry1]

You may not be able to do that, but -

How likely is your dad to do that? If he's capable of doing that, how did you get conservatorship? Didn't they take away his driving privilege's?

I don't know of anyway to forward mail permanently (maybe there is), so aren't you going to have to keep going to the post office and renewing the forward? What I'm getting at is that you will also know if your did does this by your lack of forwarded mail so you just turn it back to being forwarded to you.

Seems like you could make sure all his bills are directly mailed to you, so that they'll never need forwarded. Then, during the forward period, aggressively work to shut off all junk mail. Then if your dad does turn the forward off, there won't be much there.

Maybe the post office has a way to notify you if the forwarding gets cancelled. Seems reasonable to send an e-mail or regular letter to you when/if a change occurs.

ETA - This really sucks for your dad. In these current times, me and DW joke about how getting the mail is our daily event (won't call it a highlight but you know what I mean). Now your dad won't have that. Sad.

 

[pacergal]

What about a post office box for mail and you only have the key? Would that work?
Although that wouldn't work if you are not in the same city, I guess.
Tough situation you are going through.

 

[OldShooter]

Call/make an appointment with the postmaster where his mail is handled, take your court paperwork, and ask your question. SGOTI is probably not a good resource for this.

 

[Teacher Terry]

Instead of forwarding why not do a address change.

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

You may not be able to do that, but -

How likely is your dad to do that? If he's capable of doing that, how did you get conservatorship? Didn't they take away his driving privilege's?

I don't know of anyway to forward mail permanently (maybe there is), so aren't you going to have to keep going to the post office and renewing the forward? What I'm getting at is that you will also know if your did does this by your lack of forwarded mail so you just turn it back to being forwarded to you.

Seems like you could make sure all his bills are directly mailed to you, so that they'll never need forwarded. Then, during the forward period, aggressively work to shut off all junk mail. Then if your dad does turn the forward off, there won't be much there.

Maybe the post office has a way to notify you if the forwarding gets cancelled. Seems reasonable to send an e-mail or regular letter to you when/if a change occurs.

ETA - This really sucks for your dad. In these current times, me and DW joke about how getting the mail is our daily event (won't call it a highlight but you know what I mean). Now your dad won't have that. Sad.

I agree, changing the addresses on all his accounts to yours seems the safest bet, in addition to forwarding everything so that you see what's coming in, and then you might notice if he stops the forwarding.

Can you register for Informed Delivery for his address right after/as you get it forwarded? That should remain in effect even if he cancelled the forwarding, although I think you should check whether you can get a change of address for him rather than forwarding, as forwarding is usually temporary. I'm not sure about the details and the rules, but I can see that they're different services.

 

[Spock]

You may not be able to do that, but -

How likely is your dad to do that? If he's capable of doing that, how did you get conservatorship? Didn't they take away his driving privilege's?

I don't know of anyway to forward mail permanently (maybe there is), so aren't you going to have to keep going to the post office and renewing the forward? What I'm getting at is that you will also know if your did does this by your lack of forwarded mail so you just turn it back to being forwarded to you.

Seems like you could make sure all his bills are directly mailed to you, so that they'll never need forwarded. Then, during the forward period, aggressively work to shut off all junk mail. Then if your dad does turn the forward off, there won't be much there.

Maybe the post office has a way to notify you if the forwarding gets cancelled. Seems reasonable to send an e-mail or regular letter to you when/if a change occurs.

ETA - This really sucks for your dad. In these current times, me and DW joke about how getting the mail is our daily event (won't call it a highlight but you know what I mean). Now your dad won't have that. Sad.

Dad's not barking at the moon.

But he hired a Home Health Aide that is on the Adult Protective Services registry for exploiting a previous client and Dad tried to give her a house, he got a call from SSA telling to pull all of his money out of the bank and give it to somebody in the parking lot for safe keeping (had a neighbor drive him to the bank to do it), and believes he won the Spanish Lottery+Publishers Clearing House in the same week.
I could go on... the summary version for the court is 20 pages long.


I have his car. But the post office is in walking distance.

 

[Spock]

Call/make an appointment with the postmaster where his mail is handled, take your court paperwork, and ask your question. SGOTI is probably not a good resource for this.

I plan to talk to the postmaster, if I can get in the door. I'm trying to do my homework on what was successful for others have had to do it.

 

[Scrapr]

Instead of forwarding why not do a address change.

I think that would work for the bills you know about. (known-knowns) But it's the solicitations you don't know about that slip through. (known-unknowns) Those are the issue with the ward. And citizens have been complaining about these for...ever

Have you got control of his bank accounts? Maybe some account FBO that only you control? He goes to bank...they say sorry sir you are not an authorized account rep

 

[HarveyS]

Order some checks with bogus account numbers. Give them to him so he thinks he has a checkbook. When a scammer wants a check he can write one and send it. Meanwhile, you keep the real checkbook and pay the real bills.

 

[gauss]

If he doesn't know where the mail is being sent (ie PO Box), then how could he fill out a USPS change of address card.

Please confirm with Postal officials, but I was under the impression that USPS forwarding is done by address.

Did you retain an attorney for the Conservatorship? If so, this would be a good question for them.

 

[Spock]

If he doesn't know where the mail is being sent (ie PO Box), then how could he fill out a USPS change of address card.

Please confirm with Postal officials, but I was under the impression that USPS forwarding is done by address.

Did you retain an attorney for the Conservatorship? If so, this would be a good question for them.

I hired the most highly recommended (by a neuropsych dr, an eldercare consultant, and a friend) elderlaw atty in the city (about 1M people). I've already spent 3x his initial estimate for a contested conservatorship and I haven't even seen the March bill that had the emergency petition hearing in it. They made so many factual errors in the petition and they keep calling me by my Dad's name...

But... as I type this a light came on (dimly)... the fiduciary case manager might have handled this before! Thanks for triggering the thought!

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

Order some checks with bogus account numbers. Give them to him so he thinks he has a checkbook. When a scammer wants a check he can write one and send it. Meanwhile, you keep the real checkbook and pay the real bills.

I wouldn't do that; IANAL, but that could lead to fraud charges for someone. Even if he's considered not liable due to his mental state, it's inviting trouble to do that with actual checks. Now, if you could order what were obviously novelty checks and he thought they were real, that might work for what you're suggesting.

 

[Scrapr]

I wouldn't do that; IANAL, but that could lead to fraud charges for someone. Even if he's considered not liable due to his mental state, it's inviting trouble to do that with actual checks. Now, if you could order what were obviously novelty checks and he thought they were real, that might work for what you're suggesting.

Or keep feeding him 1 million dollar bills to give to the solicitor

 

[Spock]

I spoke with the supervisor of carriers yesterday.
He said he's going through the same thing with his Aunt.


There is nothing they can do. His only suggestion was to get all the address changes with the individual mailers changed quickly before Dad can submit another change of address to get it back.
Last person to submit a change of address wins.