how long does it take for a commune to respond?

[maddief]

I recently sent out a letter requesting a search for my grandfather's birth certificate to a commune in Calabria. Now, I don't expect a response overnight, but I was trying to get some sort of idea of how long something like this usually takes. Could someone please enlighten me?

[rfornal]

I'm not sure about the communes, but I have documents I've sent for that have taken so long that I forgot I had sent them in the first place. It is possible that you might get no response.

[Cathynap]

I think you would have a better chance at obtaining his birth record from the microfilm at your local LDS Family History Center.
Cathy

[jcsm400]

I think by Italian law, they are required to respond within 30? or 60 days?
There are towns that don't reply, but you have a better chance of a response if your letter was in Italian & you included a self addressed return envelope, a copy of your photo ID & an international reply coupon.

jcsm

[DonnaPellegrin]

I have had better luck apparently than others here. The longest I have ever had to wait for a civil record from Calabria was only three weeks. Recently I recieved a reply in less than two weeks. I always send a few Euros along with my request. I think that helps. In every case when a record has not been available, they have returned my Euros!

I have had far less luck in obtaining Catholic Church records by mail, however.

[ricbru]

I think by Italian law, they are required to respond within 30? or 60 days?
There are towns that don't reply, but you have a better chance of a response if your letter was in Italian & you included a self addressed return envelope, a copy of your photo ID & an international reply coupon.

jcsm

jcsm400 is right, from 30 to 60 days, follow her suggestion and you surely receive a reply somehow,
bye Riccardo

[jcsm400]

Riccardo,



Thanks for confirming the time frame.

jcsm

[maddief]

I had a native speaker write a letter in polite Italian and I included a self-addressed envelope and an international reply coupon. I even added my email address in case they needed some other information. No copy of ID and no euros. It has been a month and no word. I guess I'll keep crossing my fingers. My request was to the commune of Stilo -- Donna, what commune sent you such a quick response? (I'm jealous!)

[DonnaPellegrin]

Don't give up. You could receive it any day. Probably just a normal mail delay.

I have had good responses from the civil offices of Caccuri, San Giovanni in Fiore, and Santa Severina. The fastest response was from a tiny town called Stongoli. I couldn't believe my eyes when the letter came from Strongoli within two weeks of when I sent the request. I had requested a birth record and a death record. They sent me a xerox copy of the birth record and a note that they had searched through twenty years but were unable to find the death record. Twenty years! Now that was going above and beyond the call of duty!

Do let us know when you receive your letter!