Apparently it’s a “warnings” kind of day. Bijoux404 writes in…
Do you know anything about postal notices or the ramifications of getting a ‘warning’ from the PO? On Saturday, I got a form from the mail carrier that the mail box was obstructed, giving me a week to fix the problem. There was no obstruction of the box, but there were two cars parked on either side of the mail box because (gasp) we were actually both home that afternoon. We do not have a driveway and park in front of our house, as do most of the people on that part of our street. We also cannot control who parks in front of our house and are sometimes blocked from "our" spots although people typically are
courteous enough not to block the mail box.Some neighbors still have their boxes affixed to their houses and not on the street at all, so the carrier walks to their front door with their mail, but apparently is mad that they have to step briefly out of the truck to reach our box. I don’t have a good solution for where to put my car when I’m home, and wonder if they can stop delivering my mail or take some other action because cars are parked on the street.
I don’t have the answer. Anyone else know what happens if you don’t remedy the problem?
I swear i have had so many problems with the post office since i’ve been living in decatur. I’ve had my mail denied, due to the garbage cans that were obstructing my mailbox, also my mailbox has been backed into by a Decatur Waste Management (which they denied…i know it was you), mail carrier missed my outgoing mail, and ants in my mail box…due to food stuck into my mailbox…i’m guessing the carrier that i made a complaint about…good grief! Decatur Post Office= L-A-Z-Y
THere actually is a Post Office Regulation that covers this: Here is what it says:
“3.1.4 Clear Approach
Customers must keep the approach to their mailboxes clear of obstructions to allow safe access for delivery. If USPS employees are impeded in reaching a mail receptacle, the postmaster may withdraw delivery service.”
They have left a notice quoting this regulation in my box when a car was parked next to my box. For them to put my mail in the box, it required them to get out of their vehicle to get around the car, so I guess they weren’t happy about that. They can refuse to deliver your mail if the path to the box is obstructed.
They’re very moody, the Decatur letter carriers. We live on a hill and sometimes they’ll walk packages all the way to the front door. Other times, they take a few steps out of the truck and throw it toward the door, skeeball style. We’ve gotten nasty notes about “mailbox obstructions”, too but some days they’re fine with it, some days they’re not.
They can hold your mail at the post office if you have a car parked in front of it.
It happened to me last summer (I had visitors parked in front of my mailbox for a few days and got no mail). I was quite upset. I called the 800-number and they said that carriers are allowed to do that.
They told me I would have to go to the post office to pick up my mail.
That’s unfortunate… you must have a cranky carrier. I have to speak up for ours (on Thomas Road in Midway Woods), who has been exceptionally friendly and conscientious. He has even made a second trip to deliver a package when we weren’t home in the morning.
I also would like to speak up for my awesome mail carrier in Forrest Hills. He quite often manuevers around my car parked too close to the mailbox and will carefully leave packages between our front door & glass storm door to protect from the elements. Reading the above posts makes me thankful for a service I’ve admittedly been taking for granted.
Decatur letter carriers and sanitation. The trash guys routinely leave my garbage bin out in the road. If I don’t manage to get home before the mailman comes, I could see her filing a similar complaint w/ me. But what can u do? I’ve already got every bill coming to the house electronically. Don’t these folks understand that they are probably only a few decades more out of a job?
I think they realize it but the charter and management of the Post Office are so messed up that many employees have probably given up. It’s one of the most archaic, stultifying, repressive bureaucracies around. There’s a reason that postal workers go postal.
Call the Decatur branch and request to speak with the Postmaster. Voice your concerns.
Sounds like the box affixed to the house might be the best solution.
If you don’t get satisfaction from the Postmaster contact your Congressman.
It really is out of your control who might park in front of your mail box and the USPS rule seems very unfair. It happened to me more than once when a neighbor and / or their guest(s) parked in front of my mailbox. Really. I cannot imagine that it is a hardship for a postal carrier to pause their cell phone conversation and step out of the vehicle to put the mail in the mailbox.
Homes with mailboxes still at the door have their days numbered. When the property changes title (as in, sold, or is put in someone else’s name), the new owners are notified to install a curbside mailbox.
New owners are notified to move the box, but they do not legally have to do so. We have been through this several times. In the interest of encouraging healthy lifestyles and exercise, we politely refused to move our box and reminded our post office of the applicable regulations.
However, once you move your box to the street, you can’t move it back to the house.
Thanks for the tip MrFixIt. I have a neighbor with a door side mailbox, who is about to list their home. Will share the info. Lucky new neighbors. To me a walking mail carrier is Mayberry-ish 🙂
We’ve gotten the notices for the same reason- seems like it also depends on the mail carrier. What most carriers are fine with (can access the mailbox by driving into the driveway, no problem), another honks her horn and nearly hits our cars for. And then leaves notes, especially when she delivers the mail at 7pm or 10am (usually arrives around 2.)
We’ve warned our neighbors, so they don’t park in front of our house, which is just big enough for a car, but we don’t have control over guests and service vehicles. Often, we don’t even know what vehicle caused the note to be left.
She also tends to cram boxes into yard-waste buckets when our side door is blocked (nevermind that the front door is totally clear.) Would love to get her name to call.
We love “Laura, Our Mail Lady” and get great service from her on East Lake. She hand delivers the mail whenever time allows to the mobility impaired woman next door and used to bring food to the elderly man across the street after her mail run was over. She keeps an eye on the houses where she knows no one is home during the day, and in return we make sure we remember her at the holidays, call her by name and wave when we see her out and about. I’m sure not every postal employee is as nice and conscientious as she is, but please don’t paint with such a broad brush!
Thanks for the input. Our cars are never directly in front of the mailbox, we typically leave about 2 feet on either side to access the box and the front walk. I don’t think the carrier is impeded or the box is obstructed, it’s just that you cannot reach the box without stepping out of the truck.
I just do not understand why they would leave the note because occasionally both cars are home, or neighbors have visitors, and they have to hop out of the truck. Maybe they were having a bad day. I will pursue it with the Postmaster if they stop my mail.
Glad some of you have happy carriers who do a good job. I happened to talk to a former USPS lawyer the other day who said he thought it would be dead in under 5 years. Interesting to think of what we would do w/o the US mail, but I think I would have a lot less recycling.
If it’s a rare occurrence to have your mailbox blocked, then they should get out and deliver. If it’s a regular thing then they need to pass you by. I know you can’t always tell, but mail carriers are actually on a schedule.
Yes, I know they are on a schedule, and I really appreciate the fact that they stopped delivering mail at 8 p.m. several months ago. I do not know if the schedule is adjusted for variables like number of boxes, boxes affixed to houses, and on street parking. Maybe a call to the Postmaster is in order.
But what I’d love to know is what “obstructed” or “impeded” really means? Does that mean they require a clear path between the truck door and the box, or a clear path to drive up to the box on? Because they are OUT of the truck to go to the front door for the 2 neighbors they deliver to before me, is it that big a deal to walk a few steps more to my box?
Wow. Come on over to Avondale Estates! Most of the mailboxes are on the houses yet the mail carriers are wonderfully courteous and accommodating! I’ve never had a problem. (knock on wood…)
And the people inside the Avondale post office are much nicer than the Decatur people. That’s why I go there when I need to go to the PO (which isn’t too often since I started using stamps.com).
Russell at the AvEs PO is the best ! Always friendly, fast, helpful…
Unfortunately, we’re losing the PO with the upcoming downsizing. I believe the plan is that we will be served by Clarkston’s PO.
Let me be the first to say “Whhhhaaaa?” and ask for some sort of verification. Thanks!
‘Sup DM.
Unless SR has some super-duper inside information, I think s/he’s mistaken:
http://www.apwu.org/issues-consolidation/consolidation-latest_list.htm
My AE mailman chatted with me about the reorganization. He stated that the AE post office will stay open for customer service, but that the mail delivery routes will be run from the Clarkston post office. He was not happy about it (neither am I, since the AE post office is great).
i discovered the avondale post office about 8 years ago and can proudly say i haven’t stepped foot into the decatur post office since then. avondale post office rocks! there is a post office in kirkwood, as well, that is pretty decent.
I live in North Decatur (Lindmoor Woods) in a neighborhood full of small lots and ranch houses where every mailbox is on the street. Tho every house has a driveway, each lot has very little street frontage and it doesnt take much to block a mail box, especially on a cul de sac like mine. A few years ago, I had out of town company visiting for a couple of weeks at the same time I had contractors at the house frequently – wasn’t long before I got one of those warnings. One afternoon soon thereafter I was aware the mail man was close by and went out to the box right after I saw him a couple of houses past mine. I discovered no mail in my box and stood there for a second for it to register. I looked up at the mail truck and noticed it cutting across the cul de sac, coming directly toward me, with the mail man’s hand sticking out of the door, holding my mail. He was a nice older gentleman and sort of apologized, saying he hadn’t been able to drive up to the box – tho I know he had had to get out of his vehicle on a couple of previous occasions. I think its up to each mail person as to how willing they are to get out of the truck. When they do stop, they’re required to shift into park, set the brake, turn off the engine, unhook the seat belt (which they’re required to wear) and then get out. I sort of don’t blame them for not wanting to do that very often – but I do understand the aggravation of not getting mail, especially when you have no control over who is parking at your mail box. I subsequently had couple of pleasant exchanges with that same mail man, and the following year, wondered why he had been taken off my route. Just recently, I was saddened to learn that he took his own life last year. Amazing how long time neighbors tend to keep up with the coming and goings of local service people, as partially evidenced by above comments about post office personnel. I have to say, in my 17+ years in this neighborhood, I’ve mainly had terrific service from all of them.
1.4Clear Approach
Customers must keep the approach to their mailboxes clear of obstructions to allow safe access for delivery. If USPS employees are impeded in reaching a mail receptacle, the postmaster may withdraw delivery service
2.7Location
Subject to state laws and regulations, a curbside mailbox must be placed to allow safe and convenient delivery by carriers without leaving their vehicles. The box must be on the right-hand side of the road in the direction of travel of the carriers on any new rural route or highway contract route, in all cases where traffic conditions are dangerous for the carriers to drive to the left to reach the box, or where their doing so would violate traffic laws and regulations
The guidelines mandated by the USPS for mailbox installations are in place for safety reasons. Mail carriers are restricted from backing up their vehicles during mail deliveries, so they must have clear, straightaway access to the mailbox