Town plows hitting mailboxes
I have seen a lot of mailboxes hit after the recent storms . Does Independence Twp. do anything to reimburse for this? I found mine hit this morning after this little storm.
bky 
Booster90 Good luck.
My Mom's in CT used to cover hers. Matter of fact, they came out and installed it.
mistergoogle Ours was hit in Independence Twp last winter. We didn't look into it, we just replaced it.
Smilingbecs Im in Independence and mine has been crushed 3 out of the last 6 storms (dating bck to last winter.) In my case, it's the county and not the township as I live on 517. My neighbor now has a BRIGHT red mailbox to be more visible. I give that Ferrari-red mail receptacle 1 year, max.
hocusPIf you call them and let them know about it, they should come out and look at it. If the plow actually hit the mailbox they should fix it. If the force of the snow hitting it knocked it down they will not do anything.
jfj dadof2, is that an official policy or are you just guessing? On 517, mine was hit by the tidal wave of ice and snow which destroyed 3 mailboxes. If I shoot someone with a gun, am I off the hook because the bullet, and not the gun, hit that person?
found this - couldn't locate Hackettstown specifically though:
Mailbox Damage by Snowplow Policy
All damaged mailboxes shall be inspected by the Department of Public Works personnel in order to determine whether the mailbox was directly hit by a Washington Township Plow or other snow removal equipment and if in fact the mailbox was properly installed.
If the property was damaged by the weight of the snow alone the Township will not be liable for a replacement. If the property was damaged by a direct hit by Township equipment the post and or mail box, depending on the type of damage, will be supplied but not installed by the Township. The Township will purchase and have on hand a supply of standard regulation mailboxes and posts for your convenience. Anything above and beyond is the sole responsibility of the resident.
If you believe your mailbox was damaged by Township equipment, contact the Department of Public Works at 908-876-3382.
5catmom Does anybody know if there is some regulation or something preventing you from welding I beams together in the standard mailbox holding configuration, and then anchoring them in a couple hundred pounds of rebar reinforced concrete? That's always what I think of doing when I see somebodies mailbox knocked over...
A friend of mine used to do dumb things when he was a teenager with his friends, like knock over mailboxes with a jeep. When that came up in conversation I mentioned my idea for a solution and he said they did actually hit one like that once, tore through the radiator and did some serious damage to the frame (I guess there was some speed involved). He said that was also the last time they tried to drive over mailboxes for fun...
Brendan In CT where my inlaws live, everyone on the main road has some contraption over their mailbox to protect it from the snow wave.
Tracy (mobile) don't know of law but guidelines for mailbox are here
https://www.usps.com/manage/mailboxes.htm
note: Avoid unyielding and potentially dangerous supports, like heavy metal pipes, concrete posts, and farm equipment (e.g., milk cans filled with concrete).
BrownEyesGuy On Rt 57 we were told to contact the state. (State road) Never did because they hit it every time they plow, so would have been a never ending battle.
Good luck!
botheredbyuu2 The heavy snow and salt + the speed of the trucks on Rt. 46 have "killed" many of my mailboxes over the years. In the past several years I have my mailbox on a movable stand. When snow is expected, I just move it about 20' back from the road. Is it a nuisance, YES, but better than constantly replacing the box.
Ms Fishy Mine was shifted a little last year with the weight of snow. This year I'm try to keep room for snow around it.
I'm luck to have a curb to protect it a little.
The worst part is trying to dig a new post hole in frozen ground because the old one was set in poured concrete and they snapped it off at the base.
ianimal Mine was knocked out last year. Town came out to look at it and stated it was the snow that took it out, not the plow directly. They wouldn't cover it. O well... My new mailbox pole is a metal tube set in a bunch of concrete and the tube is filled with concrete. Should be solid for years to come. I would be that even if they do cover the damage they give you a $5 mailbox and a $3 pressure treated pole.
An Independence plow last year took my mailbox clear off the post and ran over it. The mailbox was reduced to (I'm not kidding) 1/4 inch thick, completely flat! It looked like a work of art! I thought of presenting it to the Road Dept, but it was easier just to replace it and move on.
It was only the second time in 20+ years the plow removed my mailbox.
TU The boxes get knocked down due to the plows going fast and a "pillowing" turbulance is generated in front of the plow, as they travel down the roads, gaining speed ( and increasing this turbulance ) as they get close to the sides of roads in an effort to clear as much snow as they can, this turbulance knocks out the mail boxes as it passes close to them.
The post office has a "sketch" which outlines the distance the mailbox is supposed to be from the road ( allowing carrier to service box for their vehicle )..if box is installed according to the guidelines.....the town or whomever knocked it down would be responsible.
I have been thru this twice with town......the 1st time they replaced it "after " I pointed out it was exactly where it was supposed to be ( after they stated it was to close to road )....and the 2nd time when I pointed out the pole the took out was pressure treated , yet the pole they replaced was not . It has not been knocked down since.
Our taxes ultimately pay for the insurance they are required to carry..
Steven 
I lived in New Hampshire for lots of years and there were areas where the mailboxes were suspended from chains to avoid this problem. See the attached photo for an example. You can place the post even further off the road and make the horizontal arm longer.
RAD first you have to call the town to get the regulations for mail box placement and then get the speces from the US mail service foe mail box place ment and if your box was properly place the town should repair or replace it good luck
Caged Animal Ours were placed on the road by the state, so distance has to be correct. They still knock them down. One time knocked them clean off the stand. Mail laying in the snow. No one gives a damn.
Darrin The town is trumped by the United States post office...they define the distance.
the install that is utilized in New Hampshire is likely the best to avoid further damage.
.
hocusP: Howdy, Neighbor!
I put that up after the last one got mangled by the plows last year. They still managed to clip it anyway.
RedMailBox The plows rarely hit the mail boxes. Sometimes yes they do. However, the weight and speed of the snow being thrown off the plow does damage the mailboxes. Most towns do replace mailboxes that have been damaged.
Bobb Second time in 2 years! Thanks to the Independence Twp Road Dept. I'l miss mail delivery until I can get another mailbox installed. There is no need to plow the curb, just the roadway.
RT 57 the other day too. My mail was in my box, soaking wet and with tires marks. Not sure what that was all about. Neighbors box was knocked sideways. They were all wide open. Hate people that don't give a damn about anyone but themselves.
TU.....really? Perhaps they should skip your street! I'm sure the road dept intentionally destroys your mailbox.
outsider Outsider, it's not like thats not a possibility.............not saying thats definitally the case, but I knew of town guys that would run down whole streets just for fun
outsider - Get real. Not that they don't care about my mail, most people are self-centered and say "f everyone else, I'm the most important person around". HATE THAT!
from discussion in January........
The boxes get knocked down due to the plows going fast and a "pillowing" turbulance is generated in front of the plow, as they travel down the roads, gaining speed ( and increasing this turbulance ) as they get close to the sides of roads in an effort to clear as much snow as they can, this turbulance knocks out the mail boxes as it passes close to them.
The post office has a "drawing/sketch" which outlines the distance the mailbox is supposed to be from the road ( allowing carrier to service box for their vehicle )..if box is installed according to the guidelines.....the town or whomever knocked it down would be responsible.
I have been thru this twice with town......the 1st time they replaced it "after " I pointed out it was exactly where it was supposed to be ( after they stated it was to close to road )....and the 2nd time when I pointed out the pole the took out was pressure treated , yet the pole they replaced was not . It has not been knocked down since.
Our taxes ultimately pay for the insurance they are required to carry..
fussylady $7? no way... you need the box and post most likely... and depends if you had a nicer box that you'll want to replace.
It seems to me if you are constantly having this issue it may be time to invest in something stronger. Sink a pipe into the ground and fill it with concrete, mount your box to that. There is no way snow should knock it over, and if a plow does hit it, it is his own fault, what if it was a car or a pedestrian?
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