What are property owners’ wintertime mail box responsibilities?
The County Department of Highways would like to remind property owners that during the winter months, snow and ice removal is the priority operation for maintenance forces. While it is unfortunate that encounters with rural delivery mail boxes occur, it is an unintended consequence of providing safe driving conditions for those traveling along maintained routes.
Property owners occasionally contact the Department requesting that they be reimbursed for damaged or broken mail boxes. While any damage is an unintended consequence of clearing snow and ice, there is no statutory or legal responsibility which grants a property owner any right to place a mailbox within the Right-of-Way. While property owners’ may have an informal license, this does not endow the owner of the mailbox any legal rights in the highway when needed for highway purposes.
Highway Law Section 319 supports this policy as does an opinion from the Attorney General stating that, “The owner has no right to interfere with the speedy and efficient removal of snow by placing the mailbox in such a position as to cause this result, and no liability results on the part of the public official charged with the duty on snow removal if such box is so placed that it may be injured by proper highway maintenance.” Property owners’ may reduce the risk of mailbox damage due to snow and ice removal by ensuring their mailbox is properly erected. The US Postal Service may be consulted for general mailbox guidelines.
The Department appreciates your understanding in this matter and would like to remind all property owners that clearing the highways of snow and ice during the winter months is done with the intent of providing safe passage for motorists who use the transportation system. The Department undertakes this mission so that everyone may travel safe, well maintained highways during the winter months.

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1. How should I approach a snowplow or sander?
2. What are property owners’ wintertime mail box responsibilities?
3. What are property owners’ snow disposal responsibilities?
4. Why does the county highway spread salt before a storm?
5. Why doesn't the county plow come by my house more often?