Wonder What the City Wants

The City knows I live here.  I bought this place two years ago.  The City bills me for electricity, water, and trash pick up.  I also had to give the City a copy of my deed to the property so that I could get the building permits for the remodelling before I moved in.  What I'm saying is:  The City knows I live here.

Which is why I was confused when, two days ago, I received in my mail a "pick up a certified letter at the post office" notice, addressed to the prior owners, indicating it was from the City.

I left the notice for my mail carrier with a polite note saying to return the letter to sender, and noting the prior owners' new address.  (Which isn't in the same City, so I have no idea if the City has any business with them now.)

I pondered the notice long and hard and thought ... alarm permit renewal.  When I bought the place, the prior owner told me they had a permit for the alarm system, and I think it had two years left on it.  The City probably wants the renewal paid.  The City might have failed to notice that (since the damn things are non-transferable), I actually got a new alarm permit when I moved in (good through 2013).  So, I figured the certified letter from the City would probably be the "Hey, you didn't pay for your alarm permit renewal" letter to the prior owner.

Excepting, two days later, I received in the mail, addressed to the prior owner, a non-certified letter from the City permit department which was (as I easily discovered, since the envelope was conveniently unsealed) a bill for their alarm permit renewal.

So.  I still don't know what the City wanted (on a certified basis) from the prior owner -- and whether it was actually applicable to me.  I'm sure I'll find out, soon enough, if the City resends it to me.  

I just can't think that anything the City would take the trouble to send via certified mail, return receipt requested, could possibly be a good thing.