Man dies, government mows the lawn (for four years!)

[Tony]

http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwauk...138727284.html

For four years, he never paid a bill or emptied his mailbox or pushed a lawn mower or snow shovel. Notices and warning letters were sent his way, but no one ever entered the house to see if he was there and doing all right.

Too bizarre. I suppose there are places where abandoned homes are the norm, and the local government has to take care of the lawn and the snow removal. Seems sad on one hand, but criminal on the other. Maybe the postal workers could be bought up on charges?

[Chutney Daftcraft]

I don't see how anyone could be brought up on charges over this.

I think not noticing a suicide or a disappearance doesn't qualify as criminal.

[Tony]

It's the postal carriers that are our front line of defense for lone people dropping dead. When mail starts piling up they're supposed to get the local police to "check the welfare". The cops will often break in because they know what they will usually find. They found my mom this way, and her cat before it starved to death. Often it's not just pets rescued this way, but young children.

But in this case for some odd reason the PO simply stopped delivering mail. I'd like to hear an explanation why, and an explanation of where all his notices were going. Is there a room full of his mail somewhere?

[Chutney Daftcraft]

He told people he was taking off to New Mexico.

[MoeMoe]

good points actually...maybe not criminal though.....sad story all around.

[Tony]

He told people he was taking off to New Mexico.

What's that got to do with the Post Office? Perhaps he filed a Change of Address, but we don't know that. Presumably someone contemplating suicide wouldn't plan like that. And if he did, and some random people in NM started getting all his mail, wouldn't they notify someone?

[Chutney Daftcraft]

Depends. The story lacks information. Was he on any prescriptions?

When I was on Chantix, I had serious thoughts of suicide when I wasn't completely enraged for no real reason. I am in no way suicidal in nature, it's the last thing I would do. Nor do I get 'enraged'. But on that medication, I was thinking of elaborate ways to kill myself. Ways to do it so it wouldn't look like I offed myself, such as crashing into a tree, making a sharp right and driving off the side of the mountain, etc. Planning. Thinking ahead. It was really effed up, and caused me to suddenly stop taking that medication.

I would not be at all surprised to learn that half of suicides are merely side effects of medications...

[LFE]

I think not noticing a suicide or a disappearance doesn't qualify as criminal.

The Dead Guy in Rock Ferry (DGRF) pretty much puts a nail in that coffin!

[moe]

It sounds to me like the guy was very depressed. Depression can do terrible things to your mind & if help isn't asked for & medication isn't adjusted, then a person, is like a powder keg. Chutney is also correct, I've heard & it is also advertised that many medications (chantix) being one of them, can cause suicidal/unsavory thoughts. This man, did not seek help; many people do slip between the cracks, unless they or someone they love, reaches out for help. I do have a hard time imagining the neighbors not noticing a smell though, I've heard from reliable sources that the smell of death is overwhelming.

[cindylu]

Maybe the postal workers could be bought up on charges?

You're blaming the postal workers for this?? Come on Tony. I hope you're kidding.

[Tony]

You're blaming the postal workers for this?? Come on Tony. I hope you're kidding.

Why do you say that? I thought I made a very good point for that earlier. Who else was supposed to discover him the quickest?

[cindylu]

Why do you say that? I thought I made a very good point for that earlier. Who else was supposed to discover him the quickest?

I don't know but why should a postal worker be responsible? Believe his family should bear some of the burden. People die all the time with no one knowing. How about his bank? Was money not moving around in his account??

[Tony]

I don't know but why should a postal worker be responsible?

I answered this specific question in post #3 here: http://www.shannondale.org/forum/sho...022#post286022

[Kensey]

It's the postal carriers that are our front line of defense for lone people dropping dead. When mail starts piling up they're supposed to get the local police to "check the welfare".

Are you asserting there is some sort of legal duty on the part of postal carriers to do this? Or just saying they have a moral responsibility?

[Tony]

I think it's more of an ethical responsibility. But again, without an explanation of why his mail was "turned off" (or whatever term they use), it's hard to be more specific. Clearly someone erred here, and that person needs to understand their error and others need to be trained not to commit the same error in the future.