Despite the development of processes to more efficiently address the issue of returned mail, the Court continues to receive an average of 900 pieces of returned mail weekly. After consultation with the Court’s Advisory Committee and following research on the practice of other bankruptcy courts, the Judges have approved a new policy on returned mail. Operating Order 08-05 supersedes Operating Order 07-03. As revised, the new Order allows for a select and limited group of orders and notices to be returned to debtor’s counsel but maintains the current process for docketing the returned mail that will continue to be received by the Court.
The Order also preserves the current procedure for mailing matrix modification but reflects a new time saving enhancements to CM/ECF where a request for an address change may be made by electronic docket entry as opposed to a PDF submission. See Participant’s Guide. Finally, the Order memorializes the duty of the debtor to serve returned and undeliverable mail in furtherance of due process. The method for modifying debtor addresses has also been clarified in the Order. Questions on the new procedures may be addressed to scbcreturnmail@scb.uscourts.gov.