[Bvr Tail]

Lots of snow here and road crews do a great job of clearing it for traffic.

The weather warmed up, and the snow melted some, making it very slushy and heavy.

I went out early Sunday morn. to get the paper, and all was well.

About an hour later, the snow plow went by, and he was going surprisingly fast. They never go that fast because there is a hill by my home.

Wife looked outside and said " Hey, the back is gone from our mailbox!"

Yep, sure enough, he had thrown a huge ball of wet snow into the plastic box, and the back and side was gone.( Balls of snow and pieces of mailbox are still in my front yard)

I called their office to leave a message, but someone answered.

I told them who I was and my address, and he said he knew me and where I lived.

I explained the situation, and he asked if the plow hit it, and was the post still standing.

I said the front of the box was still there, and it appeared one of the big balls of heavy snow did the damage.

He said if the plow did not hit it, they were not responsible for the damage, and the insurance will not pay.

Insurance for a $20.00 mailbox?

I said if that was their policy, I can live with it.

What if a child was by the side of the road, and a plow threw a large chunk of frozen ice and seriously hurt this child?

Or, if it went through your car's windshield?

What is your areas policy on damaged mailboxes or private property by a snow plow?

 

[Setterman]

My mailbox got wiped out 3 times in one year. They said the same thing, that they are not responsible if they don't hit the box.

The next day I took a 2' x 2' piece of plywood and screwed it to the post. I painted a bullseye on it, and below wrote in big letters "aim here!"

Everyone in the neighborhood got a laugh out of it, and the plow driver got the hint. My other neighbor took 1/2" barn rope and wrapped it around his mailbox about 10 times, and then tied it to a close tree.

 

[Shooting Sailor]

I drive plow during the winter, and we are told to keep speeds down in residential areas to about 25mph or less. This reduces damage as has occured to Bvr Tails mailbox. On the highway, whatever speed is safe for the conditions, and doesn't throw the snow far or hard enough to damage signs, delineators, or anything else. Bridges, overpasses, or elevated highway areas, where the plowed snow could leave the roadway and impact anything below are generally plowed at 40 mph or less, to keep the plowed snow on the higher surface.

If this guy was plowing fast enough to blow apart a mailbox, and deposit snow in the yard, he was going too fast for a residential area. If your mailbox is right on the road edge, you might just have to eat the damage, but if you have lived there for years, and never had damage previously, I think you have a case for replacement. Like you say - it's only a $20.00 box, but it is now broken and useless, through no fault of yours, and you know who broke it, so they should replace it.

 

[ctreay]

I had the same problem several years ago. I knew one of the guys that drove a plow but not on my route. He just laughed when I told him about getting my box destroyed and said there is not much you can do about it if it is snowing and they cannot see the box. I told him I had a plan. "What is that?" I said I had a piece of railroad track and I was going to take my tractor and posthole digger and dig a hole under the box and cement in the track. "He said Jesus if he hits that with the wing it will put him right across the road". I said yup it might do that. I did dig a small hole and I put a 12" piece of 4x4 in the hole. To this day the plow pulls out around my box.

ctreay

 

[GW22]

The city plows have wiped out my mailbox twice and they replaced it for free. I'm hoping they get it again; it's looking a little old

-Gary

 

[HSLDS]

Years ago a friend had a mailbox on the opposite side of the road from his driveway (USPS made him put it there - basically 'one way' delivery on his street). It was a favorite target of kids and snow plows. The 4X4 post was constantly being replaced as was the box itself.

I helped replace the post - we dug a hole to bed rock (only a few feet down), drilled into the bed rock, set re-bar, poured a good yard of concrete - with a six inch galvanized pipe set in it. Pipe was also filled with re-bar and concrete. A six inch floor flange held the new box (a heavy steel one) on top.

It was hit three times by cars - kids playing. Score: mailbox - 3, kids - 0 (as I recall two of the cars were totaled).

One winter a snow plow clipped it - bent the pipe a bit. From what I understand it snapped the plow off the truck. Big ruckus with the Township until it was determined the box was a full 18 inches further back than the required set back, property owner then asked township to 'fix or replace' the pipe as it was now bent. Took a road crew three partial days to dig out and re-do the "same" support for the box.

To my best knowledge it still stands today.

 

[slayer]

Mail box posts have to be "break away" material here in MI. Bill

 

[HSLDS]

Slayer,

If it had been within the 'set back' distance that would be true, this was set far enough back that it did not apply.

Not sure what the rule is today - this was done 30 years ago...

 

[birdogs]

A boat operator is responsible for any damage his wake might cause so why shouldn't a snowplow driver have the same responsibility?

 

[Bvr Tail]

Hey, I appreciate your responses.

These guys do a great job, and have 700+ miles of roads to deal with, and probably lots of grumpy old men like me.

My box is within the USPS specs, but as i said, I live on a hill, and we have had 14 wrecks in our yard, and 7 of them took out our mailbox and post.

None that I can confirm was a snow plow except this one.

I'm pretty good at replacing it, so I'll have something to do when it gets above ZERO.

Stay warm!

 

[todddietrich]

Along a similar line. A friend of mine was loosing garbage cans to some kids running them over at the curb. He had a Right of Way marker in his from yard.
If you've never seen one, they are about 2' tall and maybe 4" x 4" concrete posts marked R.O.W. He cut the bottom out of a garbage can and placed over the marker. A few days later he lost the garbage can, but you could trail the oil when they wiped out the oil pan under the car. Lesson learned. Garbage cans safe.

Todd / Illinois