The no mailbox issue
Hiya. I know this has been a topic in the past but I feel like I need to bring up another issue regarding my apartment not having a mailbox.
I live on the top floor of a brownstone. There are four apartments in the building an my landlord lives in the garden apartment. We do not have individual mailboxes so it goes into my landlord’s box and then she distributes our mail into our baskets in the hallway. I really don’t care if she see my stuff. Late bills, reminders to go to the gyno, scary letters from the IRS. Whatevs, we all have our things. My issue is that sometimes I don’t get my mail. Sometimes she doesn’t distribute the mail until she feels like it. Like, when she gets back from a trip or when she sobers up.
Sometimes very important things never show up. A paycheck, medication for my dog, a prescription that I really needed. And in these cases, who is responsible? I mean, it very well could have been USPS messing up, but when the mail has to go through someone else’s hands, doesn’t that make them liable as well? This is my dilemma, and I feel like t his is really, from a legal standpoint, a far more of a serious issue. It’s a fine line between mail fraud and, “oh, I forgot to put this in your basket.”
And for those of you that would suggest a PO box, that just isn’t that easy. Changing a mailing address that you’ve had for years is a lot of work. And so is having to go to wherever that post box location might be. I mean, c’mon, we’re New Yorkers, when do we ever have that extra time to go to some place to collect what will most likely be junk mail.
Sooo… It would be interesting to see how people feel about this. Do some landlords feel uncomfortable being liable or other people’s mail? If I knew it was all happening on the up and up I would be ok with it.
What thinks y’all?
Guest User | 8 years and 4 months ago
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shahnandersen
in General Discussion 8 years and 4 months ago
I’m not sure this is accurate. An existing climbing condition can be grandfathered. But if this is a new installation, I believe that the post office will insist that it be a ground level.
mozeeatupu | 8 years and 4 months ago
Mail people have no issue coming up my stoop and filling 6 mailboxes in our vestibule.
If you have 4 separate legal addresses within one street address, such as apt numbers, that is recognized by USPS your LL can install USPS approved mailboxes at the common building entrance.
But if you have more than 1 entrance then the LL would most likely choose whatever is most convenient for them.
Guest User | 8 years and 4 months ago
Thank you for your response. I wasn’t aware of the fact that mail deliverers will not climb stoops, etc. I guess this is a better option than an ugly metal box.
resident2 | 8 years and 4 months ago
In a class A multiple dwelling it is a legal requirement for the landlord to provide you with a private mail box. Both DOB requirements as well as the USPS requires it.
That said the USPS will only deliver to one location at each mailing address. The post office personnel will not and do not have to deliver under the stoop and up the stoop. Most will not walk up all the stoops.
So where to put the 4 gang mail boxes? There is no point in installing them inside the vestibule up the stoop, the mail deliverers will not walk up the stoop. There is rarely space that is accessible under the stoop and outside boxes attached to the side of the stoop always end up a water logged nightmare as well as running into Landmark issues if it is in a landmark district.
Hence the one basket under the stoop and the distribution problem…..
A change of address to a P.O Box is not that difficult and if privacy and reliability of your mail is important to you a walk to P.O Box once or t wice a week should not be that difficult.
But you do have a choice; unreliable delivery or your going to get your mail, junk and all.