In previous posts I recounted my sad tale of trying to renew my passport. As the original renewal application was lost in the mail, I applied for a new passport in Seattle with a certified copy of my birth certificate on February 23.
As chance would have it, on exactly this same day, my renewal application is mysteriously delivered in Philadelphia with no record if having been scanned at any postal facility previously. A few days later the passport facility in Buffalo, NY (not sure how it made the transit from Philadelphia to Buffalo...) attempts to process the check that was enclosed. This was the same check that I stopped payment on, thinking that the application was lost. Of course, the check did not go through. The next week I receive a letter from Buffalo indicating the check could not be processed, and that I needed to remit payment, including a $25 surcharge within 30 days to avoid adverse action. After 30 days if no payment is received then repayment including interest and penalties must be sent to St. Louis, MO.
I quickly got on the phone and called the number provided and explained the situation. The person I talked to was very nice and explained that I needed to write a letter of clarification to the facility in Buffalo and send it overnight mail. She was able to verify that my new passport application submitted in Seattle was being processed. Sparing no time I crafted a letter and sent it off with overnight delivery.
Today I received my new passport from Seattle. With any luck the facility in Buffalo will return my old passport as I requested in the letter.
Some of my faith in 'the system' has been restored.
How long before we leave?
No comments:
Post a Comment