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Post by maryland on Mar 6, 2016 21:27:54 GMT
Sorry this happened! I never put stuff in peoples mailbox, I call them and leave it on their porch. Too easy for the mail lady to take it (as she should, as it's in the mailbox). I didn't think people were supposed to put things in mailboxes. But that's because several years ago a boy scout got in trouble for putting fliers in mailboxes in our area.
I hope your mailwoman/man may have a place to put such mail and you get it back.
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eastcoastpea
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,252
Jun 27, 2014 13:05:28 GMT
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Post by eastcoastpea on Mar 6, 2016 21:42:19 GMT
I hope you are lucky and the post office is able and willing to help you out. I'm afraid you'd be out of luck around here.
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grinningcat
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,663
Jun 26, 2014 13:06:35 GMT
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Post by grinningcat on Mar 6, 2016 21:51:07 GMT
It sounds like you're out of luck... but what a bizarre system. I don't understand the whole "it's illegal to put stuff in your own mailbox" and "the post office owns the box you bought". The mailbox is more than just for delivery from the post office, it's for everything. I just can't understand the logic behind not being allowed to use it to receive anything I damn well want to.
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Post by elaine on Mar 6, 2016 23:51:19 GMT
It sounds like you're out of luck... but what a bizarre system. I don't understand the whole "it's illegal to put stuff in your own mailbox" and "the post office owns the box you bought". The mailbox is more than just for delivery from the post office, it's for everything. I just can't understand the logic behind not being allowed to use it to receive anything I damn well want to. You can put outgoing mail in your own mailbox. That is perfectly legal. Other people cannot put anything in it. I am perfectly okay with that. Mail theft is a big problem here and I am fine with knowing that no one but my mail carrier (who is uniform) should be doing anything around my mailbox. *shrug* |
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Post by gale w on Mar 7, 2016 0:38:16 GMT
It sounds like you're out of luck... but what a bizarre system. I don't understand the whole "it's illegal to put stuff in your own mailbox" and "the post office owns the box you bought". The mailbox is more than just for delivery from the post office, it's for everything. I just can't understand the logic behind not being allowed to use it to receive anything I damn well want to. in the US the mailbox isn't for everything. We have a paper box next to the mailbox. We don't get the paper anymore but the trash pickup people sometimes leave our bill in it. |
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grinningcat
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,663
Jun 26, 2014 13:06:35 GMT
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Post by grinningcat on Mar 7, 2016 12:26:43 GMT
It sounds like you're out of luck... but what a bizarre system. I don't understand the whole "it's illegal to put stuff in your own mailbox" and "the post office owns the box you bought". The mailbox is more than just for delivery from the post office, it's for everything. I just can't understand the logic behind not being allowed to use it to receive anything I damn well want to. You can put outgoing mail in your own mailbox. That is perfectly legal. Other people cannot put anything in it. I am perfectly okay with that. Mail theft is a big problem here and I am fine with knowing that no one but my mail carrier (who is uniform) should be doing anything around my mailbox. *shrug* I just find it weird that I can't drop a card off or a package or whatever to your house and put it in the mailbox. That's what the mailbox is for... incoming information. It just seems like the post office has a major power trip when it comes to something on private property. It's just strange to me, that's all. Of course, we don't have outgoing mail from home mailboxes and that may be why. The whole theft thing is pretty universal (though knock wood I've never had anything stolen that I know about), but I just don't get the power trip of not being allowed to put anything in the mailbox. I'd much rather put something in the box than just under a mat or something like that. But it's all framed by what we're used to, so that makes a difference. I'd have a really hard time adapting to this if I suddenly found myself living in the States because the home mailbox is used for everything. |
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grinningcat
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,663
Jun 26, 2014 13:06:35 GMT
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Post by grinningcat on Mar 7, 2016 12:29:40 GMT
It sounds like you're out of luck... but what a bizarre system. I don't understand the whole "it's illegal to put stuff in your own mailbox" and "the post office owns the box you bought". The mailbox is more than just for delivery from the post office, it's for everything. I just can't understand the logic behind not being allowed to use it to receive anything I damn well want to. in the US the mailbox isn't for everything. We have a paper box next to the mailbox. We don't get the paper anymore but the trash pickup people sometimes leave our bill in it. I would have such a hard time adapting to this if I ever found myself living in the States. It just seems so... powertrippy to me that the post office demands that only they can use the box and it can't be used for anything else. Maybe it has to do with the outgoing mail (something that also strikes me as odd) but I just can't get over not being able to drop something off and put it in the relatively secure box. As I said, it's just weird and a foreign concept to me. |
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Post by Spongemom Scrappants on Mar 7, 2016 12:34:54 GMT
I would have such a hard time adapting to this if I ever found myself living in the States. It just seems so... powertrippy to me that the post office demands that only they can use the box and it can't be used for anything else. I found this on-line that explains it in part: According to federal law (Title 18, United States Code, Section 1705), it is “a crime to vandalize mailboxes (or to injure, deface or destroy any mail deposited in them). Violators can be fined up to $250,000, or imprisoned for up to three years, for each act of vandalism.” This law puts your mailbox under Federal jurisdiction in order to protect you (the resident) from any harm or vandalism that may occur from a mailbox’s misuse. |
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grinningcat
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,663
Jun 26, 2014 13:06:35 GMT
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Post by grinningcat on Mar 7, 2016 12:54:43 GMT
I would have such a hard time adapting to this if I ever found myself living in the States. It just seems so... powertrippy to me that the post office demands that only they can use the box and it can't be used for anything else. I found this on-line that explains it in part: According to federal law (Title 18, United States Code, Section 1705), it is “a crime to vandalize mailboxes (or to injure, deface or destroy any mail deposited in them). Violators can be fined up to $250,000, or imprisoned for up to three years, for each act of vandalism.” This law puts your mailbox under Federal jurisdiction in order to protect you (the resident) from any harm or vandalism that may occur from a mailbox’s misuse. My stopping at your house and putting a book in the mailbox is vandalism (something I did this morning actually. Snow is melting, so I'm not just leaving it somewhere willy nilly)? I don't mean to belabour this, but it's just weird that an item on my house, that I purchased can only be used by the post office. Just... bizarre. |
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tduby1
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,979 
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Post by tduby1 on Mar 7, 2016 14:07:42 GMT
I found this on-line that explains it in part: According to federal law (Title 18, United States Code, Section 1705), it is “a crime to vandalize mailboxes (or to injure, deface or destroy any mail deposited in them). Violators can be fined up to $250,000, or imprisoned for up to three years, for each act of vandalism.” This law puts your mailbox under Federal jurisdiction in order to protect you (the resident) from any harm or vandalism that may occur from a mailbox’s misuse. My stopping at your house and putting a book in the mailbox is vandalism (something I did this morning actually. Snow is melting, so I'm not just leaving it somewhere willy nilly)? I don't mean to belabour this, but it's just weird that an item on my house, that I purchased can only be used by the post office. Just... bizarre. I live in the states and I say the same thing, mostly because I don't like being told what I can and can't do with my own stuff, lol. BUT I do think it has to do with outgoing mail and situations like what happened in this thread, which makes the rule make perfect sense if I am not being obstinate. Really, the postman shouldn't be expected to try to decipher what is meant to be outgoing mail and what is meant to stay in the box. |
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grinningcat
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,663
Jun 26, 2014 13:06:35 GMT
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Post by grinningcat on Mar 7, 2016 14:09:06 GMT
My stopping at your house and putting a book in the mailbox is vandalism (something I did this morning actually. Snow is melting, so I'm not just leaving it somewhere willy nilly)? I don't mean to belabour this, but it's just weird that an item on my house, that I purchased can only be used by the post office. Just... bizarre. I live in the states and I say the same thing, mostly because I don't like being told what I can and can't do with my own stuff, lol. BUT I do think it has to do with outgoing mail and situations like what happened in this thread, which makes the rule make perfect sense if I am not being obstinate. Really, the postman shouldn't be expected to try to decipher what is meant to be outgoing mail and what is meant to stay in the box. And fair enough, it makes sense. He shouldn't have to deal with that nonsense at all. It's just weird. Could people have two mailboxes? One for the postal service and one for everything else? |
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Post by elaine on Mar 7, 2016 14:15:44 GMT
I live in the states and I say the same thing, mostly because I don't like being told what I can and can't do with my own stuff, lol. BUT I do think it has to do with outgoing mail and situations like what happened in this thread, which makes the rule make perfect sense if I am not being obstinate. Really, the postman shouldn't be expected to try to decipher what is meant to be outgoing mail and what is meant to stay in the box. And fair enough, it makes sense. He shouldn't have to deal with that nonsense at all. It's just weird. Could people have two mailboxes? One for the postal service and one for everything else? Many people have a newspaper box right under their mailbox - many papers make them available for free to subscribers. Anything can go in that. Also, for us, many mailboxes aren't on the house itself, but out at the street freestanding on a post. |
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tduby1
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,979
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Post by tduby1 on Mar 7, 2016 14:28:09 GMT
I live in the states and I say the same thing, mostly because I don't like being told what I can and can't do with my own stuff, lol. BUT I do think it has to do with outgoing mail and situations like what happened in this thread, which makes the rule make perfect sense if I am not being obstinate. Really, the postman shouldn't be expected to try to decipher what is meant to be outgoing mail and what is meant to stay in the box. And fair enough, it makes sense. He shouldn't have to deal with that nonsense at all. It's just weird. Could people have two mailboxes? One for the postal service and one for everything else? I have seen that. Our mailbox is at the road at the end of our driveway. I have seen people attach a second box to their house with labeled "drop notes here" "packages" or something similar. I always thought it was weird when I was younger, wondering why grown ups were writing notes to each other, lol. Also, there are newspaper boxes generally attached or next to the mailboxes and things can be left in but those aren't always weather proof. Locally, hooks were traditionally attached to mailbox posts so things could be put in plastic bags and hung, I don't see that as much any more.
In my situation, I would not be worried about someone leaving something in my box, as my mail lady will not take anything unless the outgoing flag is up. (This keeps her from taking incoming mail if someone hasn't collected it for a day or two). Not all mail people are like that though.
Until recently (as in this past Christmas season when there was a rash of local break ins and we actually had to have keys made because we didn't even have any) we never locked our doors. And anytime anyone needed to drop something off they just walked in and left it on my kitchen island. This was such a standing rule that even cousins and friends knew to do this. We need to come up with an alternate plan now, because I am always organizing or planning something that someone is dropping money, registrations, items etc off for.
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grinningcat
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,663
Jun 26, 2014 13:06:35 GMT
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Post by grinningcat on Mar 7, 2016 16:26:54 GMT
And fair enough, it makes sense. He shouldn't have to deal with that nonsense at all. It's just weird. Could people have two mailboxes? One for the postal service and one for everything else? I have seen that. Our mailbox is at the road at the end of our driveway. I have seen people attach a second box to their house with labeled "drop notes here" "packages" or something similar. I always thought it was weird when I was younger, wondering why grown ups were writing notes to each other, lol. Also, there are newspaper boxes generally attached or next to the mailboxes and things can be left in but those aren't always weather proof. Locally, hooks were traditionally attached to mailbox posts so things could be put in plastic bags and hung, I don't see that as much any more.
In my situation, I would not be worried about someone leaving something in my box, as my mail lady will not take anything unless the outgoing flag is up. (This keeps her from taking incoming mail if someone hasn't collected it for a day or two). Not all mail people are like that though.
Until recently (as in this past Christmas season when there was a rash of local break ins and we actually had to have keys made because we didn't even have any) we never locked our doors. And anytime anyone needed to drop something off they just walked in and left it on my kitchen island. This was such a standing rule that even cousins and friends knew to do this. We need to come up with an alternate plan now, because I am always organizing or planning something that someone is dropping money, registrations, items etc off for.
You let people walk in?  !!!! Ack. Where are my smelling salts. That's so outside of my "normal". Everything is locked up and no one gets in though we do have secret keys in a lock box for emergencies. And thank you for explaining what the flags were for. I've seen them, never understood what they were for. Now I know.  |
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Post by Really Red on Mar 7, 2016 16:42:39 GMT
I found this on-line that explains it in part: According to federal law (Title 18, United States Code, Section 1705), it is “a crime to vandalize mailboxes (or to injure, deface or destroy any mail deposited in them). Violators can be fined up to $250,000, or imprisoned for up to three years, for each act of vandalism.” This law puts your mailbox under Federal jurisdiction in order to protect you (the resident) from any harm or vandalism that may occur from a mailbox’s misuse. My stopping at your house and putting a book in the mailbox is vandalism (something I did this morning actually. Snow is melting, so I'm not just leaving it somewhere willy nilly)? I don't mean to belabour this, but it's just weird that an item on my house, that I purchased can only be used by the post office. Just... bizarre. So here is my take: I do not want anyone rummaging around in my mailbox. I don't want people dropping off information to me and opening up my box and seeing what's inside and possibly taking it. I, too, like many people, have a newspaper box directly below my mailbox. I don't care if people leave things in there. I also don't mind if I tell someone to leave it in the box and they do. The USPS will only prosecute if the homeowner wants them to, or possibly if someone is putting things in everyone's mailbox, so don't worry about your random friend being prosecuted!! Also, OP's friend apparently put the flag up. I have NO idea why she would have done that as everyone here knows that means the mailman takes whatever is in there. Does that explanation help more? |
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Post by krc11 on Mar 7, 2016 16:47:01 GMT
Isn't it a federal crime to use a US postal box for anything other than official business, including paying for the postage. Doesn't everyone know that? I know it's not your fault they did that, but couldn't they just as easily have put it on your door or under your mat?
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Aug 18, 2025 19:31:09 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 7, 2016 17:30:05 GMT
grinningcat in Canada we are not allowed to move our mailbox without approval from the Post Office. I got rid of my mailbox and replaced it with a slot in my door. Got heck from the delivery person, he said he wouldn't report it because it was not too far from where it had been. Annette
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sweetandsour
Full Member
Posts: 227
Jun 30, 2014 17:43:52 GMT
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Post by sweetandsour on Mar 7, 2016 18:09:00 GMT
grinningcat in Canada we are not allowed to move our mailbox without approval from the Post Office. I got rid of my mailbox and replaced it with a slot in my door. Got heck from the delivery person, he said he wouldn't report it because it was not too far from where it had been. Annette I'm in Manitoba and I don't think Canada Post cares if you change/move mailboxes here. We are in an urban area. The inlaws didn't even have a mailbox when they moved into their house, I think the former owners must have taken it or they didn't have one to begin with. FIL installed a mail slot that goes right into their garage and their mail carrier didn't even bat an eye. The mail slot is accessed on their front step, where their mailbox would be if they had one.
I just looked up the regulation. CP has regulations on where the receptacle has to be placed, the size, etc. but nothing about asking permission to move it. I am going to ask my neighbour as well when I see him, he is a retired postal worker.
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-83-743/FullText.html
Also, here in urban Manitoba, mail carriers do NOT take outgoing mail. If we want to mail something, we have to put it in a Canada Post drop box ourselves.
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Post by papersilly on Mar 7, 2016 18:14:41 GMT
Good luck! Doesn't raising the flag indicate there's mail to be picked up by the mail man? It does and I think it's illegal to put non-stamped mail in a mailbox..like what your friend did. She needed to either hand it to you or mail it i think it might be illegal too. i remember when my neighborhood would pass out flyers for block parties, etc. and we would put it in everyone's mail boxes. then the postman brought it to our attention that you cannot put anything other than stamped postal items in the mailboxes. |
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tduby1
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,979
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Post by tduby1 on Mar 7, 2016 18:32:09 GMT
I have seen that. Our mailbox is at the road at the end of our driveway. I have seen people attach a second box to their house with labeled "drop notes here" "packages" or something similar. I always thought it was weird when I was younger, wondering why grown ups were writing notes to each other, lol. Also, there are newspaper boxes generally attached or next to the mailboxes and things can be left in but those aren't always weather proof. Locally, hooks were traditionally attached to mailbox posts so things could be put in plastic bags and hung, I don't see that as much any more.
In my situation, I would not be worried about someone leaving something in my box, as my mail lady will not take anything unless the outgoing flag is up. (This keeps her from taking incoming mail if someone hasn't collected it for a day or two). Not all mail people are like that though.
Until recently (as in this past Christmas season when there was a rash of local break ins and we actually had to have keys made because we didn't even have any) we never locked our doors. And anytime anyone needed to drop something off they just walked in and left it on my kitchen island. This was such a standing rule that even cousins and friends knew to do this. We need to come up with an alternate plan now, because I am always organizing or planning something that someone is dropping money, registrations, items etc off for.
You let people walk in? !!!! Ack. Where are my smelling salts. That's so outside of my "normal". Everything is locked up and no one gets in though we do have secret keys in a lock box for emergencies. And thank you for explaining what the flags were for. I've seen them, never understood what they were for. Now I know. You are welcome and Yeah, we let people walk in, whether we are home or not. The only time it ever bit us in the butt was when my dad was dropping something off (years ago- how did I become so old I can say "years ago"?) and DH and I were home alone. And there is a clear shot straight to our bed from the entryway... and we were taking advantage of being home alone. Since then my dad is the ONLY person who knocks when walking into our house, lol. |
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grinningcat
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,663
Jun 26, 2014 13:06:35 GMT
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Post by grinningcat on Mar 7, 2016 18:43:57 GMT
You let people walk in? !!!! Ack. Where are my smelling salts. That's so outside of my "normal". Everything is locked up and no one gets in though we do have secret keys in a lock box for emergencies. And thank you for explaining what the flags were for. I've seen them, never understood what they were for. Now I know. You are welcome and Yeah, we let people walk in, whether we are home or not. The only time it ever bit us in the butt was when my dad was dropping something off (years ago- how did I become so old I can say "years ago"?) and DH and I were home alone. And there is a clear shot straight to our bed from the entryway... and we were taking advantage of being home alone. Since then my dad is the ONLY person who knocks when walking into our house, lol. hahahahaha. Sorry. I'm not laughing. Yes, I am. Who am I kidding. Hilarious. But it was effective. Oh my. Poor dad. |
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grinningcat
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,663
Jun 26, 2014 13:06:35 GMT
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Post by grinningcat on Mar 7, 2016 18:44:55 GMT
grinningcat in Canada we are not allowed to move our mailbox without approval from the Post Office. I got rid of my mailbox and replaced it with a slot in my door. Got heck from the delivery person, he said he wouldn't report it because it was not too far from where it had been. Annette Really? Weird. Never heard of that. My parents moved theirs without so much of a peep from CP. Maybe we have a lazy postal person? Hmmmm |
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grinningcat
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,663
Jun 26, 2014 13:06:35 GMT
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Post by grinningcat on Mar 7, 2016 18:45:32 GMT
My stopping at your house and putting a book in the mailbox is vandalism (something I did this morning actually. Snow is melting, so I'm not just leaving it somewhere willy nilly)? I don't mean to belabour this, but it's just weird that an item on my house, that I purchased can only be used by the post office. Just... bizarre. So here is my take: I do not want anyone rummaging around in my mailbox. I don't want people dropping off information to me and opening up my box and seeing what's inside and possibly taking it. I, too, like many people, have a newspaper box directly below my mailbox. I don't care if people leave things in there. I also don't mind if I tell someone to leave it in the box and they do. The USPS will only prosecute if the homeowner wants them to, or possibly if someone is putting things in everyone's mailbox, so don't worry about your random friend being prosecuted!! Also, OP's friend apparently put the flag up. I have NO idea why she would have done that as everyone here knows that means the mailman takes whatever is in there. Does that explanation help more? Yup. It does. It's just so out of my norm. But yes, I understand. Thanks. |
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Post by Delta Dawn on Mar 7, 2016 19:09:15 GMT
Are you allowed to have a mail slot in the door for the mailman to slide mail through?
Flag up means please take mail.
Flag down means no mail?
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BarbaraUK
Drama Llama
Surrounded by my yarn stash on the NE coast of England...............!! Refupea 1702
Posts: 5,961
Location: England UK
Jun 27, 2014 12:47:11 GMT
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Post by BarbaraUK on Mar 7, 2016 19:09:18 GMT
So here is my take: I do not want anyone rummaging around in my mailbox. I don't want people dropping off information to me and opening up my box and seeing what's inside and possibly taking it. I, too, like many people, have a newspaper box directly below my mailbox. I don't care if people leave things in there. I also don't mind if I tell someone to leave it in the box and they do. The USPS will only prosecute if the homeowner wants them to, or possibly if someone is putting things in everyone's mailbox, so don't worry about your random friend being prosecuted!! Also, OP's friend apparently put the flag up. I have NO idea why she would have done that as everyone here knows that means the mailman takes whatever is in there. Does that explanation help more? Yup. It does. It's just so out of my norm. But yes, I understand. Thanks. We have this mail thing sussed in the UK. We have letterboxes in front doors so all mail is delivered into the house. Parcels are delivered to the door and if no-one is in a card is left and delivery rearranged.  |
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craftykitten
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,304
Jun 26, 2014 7:39:32 GMT
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Post by craftykitten on Mar 7, 2016 19:46:15 GMT
Yup. It does. It's just so out of my norm. But yes, I understand. Thanks. We have this mail thing sussed in the UK. We have letterboxes in front doors so all mail is delivered into the house. Parcels are delivered to the door and if no-one is in a card is left and delivery rearranged. I was beginning to feel like we were in some parallel universe! Why doesn't everyone just have a letterbox? Much easier. |
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Post by jennyap on Mar 7, 2016 22:18:15 GMT
We have this mail thing sussed in the UK. We have letterboxes in front doors so all mail is delivered into the house. Parcels are delivered to the door and if no-one is in a card is left and delivery rearranged. I was beginning to feel like we were in some parallel universe! Why doesn't everyone just have a letterbox? Much easier.Size, I'm guessing. In general our streets in the UK are narrower and houses closer together than in the US, and also nearer the kerb. |
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Post by crazy4scraps on Mar 7, 2016 22:38:46 GMT
Are you allowed to have a mail slot in the door for the mailman to slide mail through? Flag up means please take mail. Flag down means no mail? It depends on where you live and what type of delivery route it is. At our old house in the city, it was what they call a walking route, meaning the mail carrier drives the jeep/van to the end of the block, gets out and walks up to each house going up one side of the street and then down the other side, then moving the jeep/van to the next block. Our house had a US Mail slot in the wall to the porch so all the mail ended up inside the enclosed porch. Larger packages would be put inside the door. At our current house (which is semi-rural suburbs), it's a driving route. The boxes are all on the same side of the street so our mail lady drives her jeep from box to box without ever getting out. Unless she has a package, then she comes up into the driveway and leaves it on our open porch by the front door. Even if we wanted a slot type mail box like we had at our old house, we couldn't have one here. Some people just have their own box on a post, other people have theirs pooled together with several neighbors into a bank of boxes attached to a fence looking thing. When DH was a kid, they had a wooden box with a hinged lid outside their front door for newspapers and packages so they would stay dry, but that was different. ETA: And yes, if the flag is up it tells the mail carrier there is outgoing mail in the box to pick up. Flag down means the box is empty, so if they have no mail to deliver they can just walk or drive on by without stopping. |
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!!!! Ack. Where are my smelling salts. That's so outside of my "normal". Everything is locked up and no one gets in though we do have secret keys in a lock box for emergencies.
