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Although we have not, to our knowledge, had anything stolen from our mailbox yet, my husband and I are very concerned about the recent mail thefts on our street (Emerson.) I know that we do not have a homeowners association, but if this problem continues, perhaps the residents of MM could get together and install locking community mailboxes at the end of each street. (Many neighborhoods that have associations have their mail set up this way.) I know it is less convenient than having your mailbox at the end of your driveway, but walking down the street to get your mail is much less of hassle than being the victim of identity theft or credit card fraud.
By deborah
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Great Idea!!
I FULLY support this idea! Whatever it takes to set it up has still got to be easier than dealing with stolen mail. Does anybody know where we begin? Possibly find out the cost to each resident and, with this information, take a survey of the neighborhood through the next flier to report back to one of the kind folks that manage our web site?
I'm happy to assist and I'll try to find some information...
By Kari on Osage
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NO Community Mailboxes
I manage an HOA in Gilbert. There are 558 homes in this Association, about the same size as MM. These mailboxes are regularly broken into. All it takes is for the theif to pry the back of the mailbox off and then they have access to numerous mailboxes all in one convenient place! Not only are they easier to break into than a mailbox like ours, the Jones', or our neighbor accross the street, but they are a hassle. I continuously have homeowners with lost keys, the boxes are not kept up properly by the Postal Service, I have heard that homeowners are constantly getting the wrong mail, and they are UGLY! I would say definately NO To community mailboxes, but suggest that homeowners purchase a mail box for their property that is more difficult to break into.
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Other options
I agree with another person who posted that community mailboxes aren't the answer. But the mail carrier told me that there are other types of mailboxes that may provide a good alternative. For example, there are the kind that have a locked door with only a small slot in it. That way, a thief can't open the box and, of course, the little slot is too small for a thief to reach into. If you have packages that are larger than the opening in the slot, the mail carrier will simply take it to the door, which is fine since it's less likely to be stolen if it's right next to your front door.
I would advise people to look into one of these if they're concerned about mail theft.
By Aaron on Emerson
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