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- Thread starter Nittany Ned2
- Start date
The time or attorneys fees required to prove that the plow drivers were driving over the legal speed limit would be vastly more expensive than just putting up a new mailbox.
... that exact same thing happened to me in Hanover Twsp a few years ago...
...I called the Township office - my post and mailbox where replaced by the township 2 days later...
...and the next day I got a call from the township asking if I was satisfied with the replacement ...
...I called the Township office - my post and mailbox where replaced by the township 2 days later...
...and the next day I got a call from the township asking if I was satisfied with the replacement ...
General rule is that if the mailbox is on the street i.e.the municipality's right of way they are only liable to replace it if the plow hits it, not if it's damaged or destroyed by the snow. If it's on your private property, they are liable. Keep in mind, that local government may have a right-of-way easement on your private property, so you may have to check if that's the case.
Similar thing happened in Lower Paxton Twp. Well they reimbursed me for installing a new one.
I've seen many people who have rigged up a stout shield to protect their mailboxes. Snow plows by their nature are more effective when traveling at high speeds since it results in the snow being thrown further from the road. Imagine if they slowed down every they came to a mailbox. First, it would take forever. Second, there would be windrows of snow along the road and people would then complain about that. Snow removal crews are in a no win situation. Roads obviously need to be plowed but nobody wants the inconvenience which goes along with it. I always laugh when I see people shoveling out the end of their driveways who then flip the bird to the plow driver as he goes by. It's not his fault it's snowing. I'm sure PennDOT and all local municipalities would love to hear any snow removal ideas which would result in the snow vanishing into thin air.
After an incident where the snow plow hit a mailbox and broke it, the local township said that by PA law, the local government is not required to pay for the damage.
However the local government said it was their policy to pay $25, if it was determined the snow plow hit it. In this case, the mail box was damaged and it had paint marks that were municipal vehicle yellow. That clinched the responsibility.
That one local government said that on average, they have dozens of these incidents every year.
I have a troublesome older cousin who used to enjoy playing mailbox baseball with his friends. That is until one of their frequent targets replaced his mailbox post with a length of railroad rail buried in concrete. My cousin ended up with two broken wrists, a broken arm and a dislocated shoulder and promptly retired from mailbox baseball.
I think the 1st thing to check is whether your mailbox met the tolerance or distance from road, Here in South Abington Township, I believe it's 18". The township plow took out my mailbox a few years ago. They sent 2 guys up, measured and said the mailbox was in compliance with the township guidelines and replaced it.
I'd go visit a scrap steel center and see if they have a square 4" steel pipe (round pipe will also work). Set that baby in concrete and then fill the inside with concrete. If/when that plow driver hits it again, he'll damage his blade and it will be irrefutable that it was the plow and not the force of the snow.
Is Louie Freeh driving a snow plow now? Guess that VW gig didn't pan out.
To me this would be the disturbing part....the speed needed to generate the force of snow knocking over mailboxes in a neighborhood posted at 25. Thank goodness there were no people around.
The local turds used to use my yard as a snow dump, until I said I would kick ass. No snow pushed into my yard this year.
