Union County Surrogate Says Mail Delivery Was Delayed For Weeks

UNION COUNTY, NJ — Union County Surrogate James S. LaCorte says his office has been experiencing delays of up to three weeks in mail delivery since June.

LaCorte issued a statement this week in response to actions reportedly taken by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy resulting in the delays.

"If accurate, the reports of an intentional slowdown in mail delivery go beyond allegations of election interference to impact the emotional and financial well-being of our residents, who are already coping with the economic and social fallout of the COVID-19 crisis as they work through the process of estate settlement," said LaCorte. "Any delay in the normal course of procedure only adds to the stress and heartbreak of losing a loved one."

"Postmaster DeJoy has announced his intention to suspend his actions, but the damage has already been done. The Postal Service must be returned to normal operations as quickly as possible, and those responsible for this callous neglect of a vital, constitutionally mandated service must be called to account for their actions," LaCorte said.

The Office of the Union County Surrogate is responsible for probating wills and appointing administrators and trustees of decedents' estates.

In July, the office conducted 64 administrations and 155 probates, an overall increase of almost 40 percent compared to July 2019.

Due to the coronavirus, the surrogate's office has been conducting transactions through the U.S. Postal Service as well as by phone, email, and fax.

According to the U.S. Postal Service, the coronavirus impact has been significant. The virus has sickened mail carriers across the country; as many as 12,000 postal workers have fallen ill, with at least 64 deaths, the Associated Press reported.

In recent days, however, that has been exacerbated by new policies put in place by Louis DeJoy, who became U.S. postmaster general in May, to eliminate overtime, according to reports by the Washington Post and Federal News Network. Delays have been reported all over the country; in Chicago, people report not receiving mail for weeks at a time.

The Postal Service has been struggling financially for years, and DeJoy's memo says an overdue "operational pivot" is needed to ensure the agency's health and stability, according to reports.

Postal Service officials have warned they will run out of money by the end of September without help from Congress, but funding to help has been stalled. Congress has approved a $10 billion line of credit for the Postal Service, but it remains unused amid restrictions imposed by the Trump administration, the Associated Press reported.

— Additional reporting by Karen Wall

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