mailboxes

Started by JasonS2 • 14 replies • 2285 views

💬 Join us to post & get advice from 50,000 HOA & Condo leaders.

⚡ Takes 30 seconds

Already a member? Log in

JasonS2 (South Carolina)
Posts: 5

Posted:

Background: right now our aging mailbox posts are wooden with a custom nameplate and standard colors. Our problem is that we have many young professionals in my neighborhood and have families transferring fairly regularly (2-5 years). We are contemplating going to number plates (because of the transient nature), but are not sure if to change the post design and box completely which is the more expensive option. (approximately 80 homes in my community)

Any experiences with this?

Has anyone recently ordered or changed mailbox/post design for their neighborhood?

RogerB (Colorado)
Posts: 5,067

Posted:

Jason, I suggest you contact your postmaster for information and guidance.

admin
Posts: 24

Posted:

I assume you would order all 80 at once and have them installed? Would each homeowner pay for their individual mailbox or would the HOA cover it? If each owner must pay, then you have a collection project to work out first.

mailboxes.com is a good place to start to look at selections and prices.

Your best bet is to check with the company that installed the ones you have now or the company that currently changes the name plates.

I'm sure the cost to swap out the plates from names to numbers will be much cheaper than getting all new posts and boxes. However, you said the current ones are aging so....

One selling point for the community: Having the numbers very visible is a great safety feature for emergency vehicles to be able to quickly find the right home.

Also, upgrading from wood to a metal style gives a higher-end appearance and feel to the community.

JasonS2 (South Carolina)
Posts: 5

Posted:

We know the regulations of the USPS... (sorry I didn't clarify)this is just an issue of appearance (cosmetics)..... (do we really want to have a $300-$400 assesment for a new mailbox/post?)

JasonS2 (South Carolina)
Posts: 5

Posted:

agreed. the company that built the mailboxes, painted, installed and nameplates is doing mailboxes on a very limited basis now (no longer has his business). He will charge $40 per box for the Numberplate and installation (cheap enough!) I agree and upgrade in boxes to metal would be much more appealing. My neighborhood is only about 15 years old so some of the mailbox posts are just now beginning to need a little work or replacement other than paint. (my mailbox/post/and house are only 3 years old so I am in good shape, but will comply with whatever we, the board, decides)

I am very familiar with the types of mailboxes, but also want the least resistance from the property owners' (you know how that goes!)

MelissaP1 (Alabama)
Posts: 13,836

Posted:

You can please some of the people ALL of the time BUT not ALL of the people ALL of the time! Sound familiar? Get used to it in a HOA!

Your options are: 1. Have a special assessment to pay for the approved design and cost of the new mailboxes. You will need to know the cost of the mailboxes and installation costs. Don't forget you will need supplies such as concrete, posts, and someone to dig the holes!
2. If the HOA has the money for the job already, then approve and do the work.
3. Have the owner's replace the mailboxes at their own convenience but ONLY to the new mailbox design. That may not be the best. The mailbox design could go out of production or have owner's never replace.

Our HOA doesn't have mailboxes. We have a Mailbox house at the entrance of the HOA. Each person has a key to their box. This allows more parking options on the streets since there are no mailboxes to block. This is also where we have a central announcement board to post HOA information. The mailboxes are from the Post office and someone built a nice little "house" around it. We've had theft issues and the locks are easily replaced by the owners. The locks are around $5 and the mailman will install them for free if they need changed out.

This may be an option you may look into. Having a central mailbox instead of individual boxes.

Former HOA President

HaroldS1 (Arizona)
Posts: 314

Posted:

I was under the impression that the post office was requiring cluster or central mailboxes now anyway. Harold

MelissaP1 (Alabama)
Posts: 13,836

Posted:

Actually Harold, in my area, "cluster mailboxes" are going by the wayside. The post office apparently doesn't manufactur them as much. I've asked and they said ours were almost "obsolete" and replacing them would take a long time and they wouldn't be the same.
The cluster mailboxes still do exist and would have to be ordered most likely through the post office. They may have a longer waiting period to arrive than other types of mailboxes since they may be "special order".
I've had both types of mailboxes. I like the cluster boxes okay. They atleast allowed more parking on the streets without having individual boxes in the way. The front yards looked more cohesive as well.

Former HOA President

LuciC
Posts: 32

Posted:

Hi Jason,

Yes, we (AZ) recently had our "collection" mailboxes stolen (15); and it cost about $3000.00 to replace them. The USPS has very strict regulations now due to identity theft.

CharlesC3 (Washington)
Posts: 2

Posted:

Speaking of mailboxs,We live in a devolpement (hoa)that have community mailbox stands . The mailbox stand we use is on an easement on our nieghbor's property.Our nieghbor has allowed his trees and bushes to grow up around and through our mailboxes. Now that summer is here the bees have taken over, and retrieving the mail come with an attack from bees. We like to know if there is some kind of postal regulation which would require the homeowner to remove the trees and bushes.

HaroldS1 (Arizona)
Posts: 314

Posted:

Charles, doesn't your documents control vegetation intruding on public areas? Ours requires tree overhang to be 8' above sidewalks, etc. I would be surprised yours doesn't address this problem. You would think the postal worker would be complaining for having to insert mail under those conditions. I rather doubt it is the post office's responsibility to police this matter, but I would imagine they can stop delivering mail if it becomes too bad. Harold

CharlesC3 (Washington)
Posts: 2

Posted:

Harold I talk to a board member and they said other homeowners have made the same complaint. The nieghbor with the bushes was sent a letter to cut back the bushes and he has not complyed. The board has put this issue on their next meeting agenda. There are regulation in our cc and r's for this kind of issue Thanks

JohnM3 (Florida)
Posts: 288

Posted:

They are everywhere in Florida. We have a continious fight with the local postmaster in Pembroke Pines. He claims we signed an agreement with them that we would maintain them. We have said on many occasions show it to me 9 years later they have yet to find them.Neither has he. We wrote to both of our US Senators they put a blow torch up USPS backside and magically new ones appeared. You folks out there need to understand something politicans are scared of you cause you represent a lot of votes. Via your community newspaper. Deal with them just like a contractor that does crappy work.

🎯 You've read this entire discussion

Join the conversation with 50,000 HOA & Condo Leaders:

✓ Ask follow-up questions
✓ Share your experience
✓ Get expert advice
✓ Access 350,000 discussions

Create Free Account →

⚡ Takes 30 seconds

Already a member? Log in here