Re: certified letter

>I received a notice that I have a certified letter that I personally 
>need to sign for to receive. I cannot just sign for it and have the PO 
>leave it for me.  I am working all day so it will be a difficult to 
>receive it.  

Yes, those are a real pain for people with a day job.  Sometimes
you can pick these up on Saturday morning.  Expect a long wait,
though, as on Saturday mornings post offices seem to be filled up
with people applying for passports.

>It is for a Dr. [my name].  in other words the name is 
>correct but the prefix is Dr.  I am not a doctor, never have been.  The 

If someone has mistaken me for someone else, or is deliberately
stealing my identity, I'd want to receive the letter and find out
about it.  If it makes you feel better, tell the guy at the post
office that you're not a doctor but that the name and address matches
you.  Then perhaps inform the guy sending you the letter that he
has the wrong person.  It might be an ad from one of those
diploma-by-mail places offering to sell you a cheap doctorate degree,
so after you become their customer, you will *be* a "Dr." (not of
medicine).

>address is correct.  Of course I am concerned about why I would have a 
>cert letter sent to me.  Can I even legally receive this letter since it 
>is to a  someone that is not me?  

I think the fact that the name *and address* matches gives you 
reasonable reason to suspect it's directed to you, mistakenly or
not.

>or should I just forget about it?  I 
>am curious.  If I forget about it and it is really for me can I get in 
>more trouble for not receiving it [as far as I know I am not currently 
>in any trouble]  

If someone is suing a doctor for malpractice with your name and
they picked the address out of the phone book, you'd want to tell
them they have the wrong person before the subpoenas arrive.  The
same applies if they are using your name to apply for credit and
you're being sued for not paying the bill.  Or this might be the
deed to the new yacht you didn't know you bought with the new
mortgage you didn't know you applied for.

>I am thinking what if someone has used my name and 
>address to do something nefarious.  For that reason alone I would like 
>to know what it is all about.  But how could I even sign for it when I 
>am not Dr. [my name]?  TIA

I never sign anything using any kind of title.  I think I got a
certified letter for "Mrs." (rest of my name matched, and I've never
been married) once and it turned out to be some paperwork associated
with a 401K from a job I left and someone just misread the form.
When I brought that one up with the guy at the post office, he told
me to just take it.  If I hadn't straightened out the guys who sent
it, it might have held things up.

If it bothers you, tell the guy at the post office about your
concerns, and present your ID which doesn't say "Dr." (he should
demand one for certified mail) but does have a matching address and
if he gives it to you, take it, open it, and if appropriate, tell
the sender they have the wrong person.  Or if they have the right 
person, tell them you're not a doctor.  I think it is unlikely that
the real recipient who has your name and *lives at your address*
is going to sue you over this.