Try a “Beware of Dog” sign instead?
They’ve been doing that for ten years. Every year there’s either a new mailman, or the delivery instructions get lost or forgotten. Rinse and repeat.
I missed that last bit- I misread the part I did see as only having spoken to the mailman.
Never mind…
I think there’s an inherent contradiction there that can’t be permanently resolved: You have mail delivery to your address, but don’t want ALL of your mail delivered to your address, just SOME of it. Sooner or later, your specific instructions will be lost or forgotten, and the institutional drive to fulfill its mission will continue unabated.
Absolutely not. It’s his job to deliver to the legally mandated point of delivery. If that is a street box, then any other point has to be decided by the recipient. As a matter of courtesy, carriers often go well out of their way to make deliveries. However, if pabstist has a letter on file at the Post Office telling carriers not to deliver onto his property, then they should not be delivering packages on his property.
The OP implies he’s had a long term carrier who should know this. (Subs know nothing and get told less.) If he’s forgetting your request, keep reminding him. If he’s ignoring your request, then he’s probably getting heat from his supervisor about undelivered packages. Take it up with the supervisor or the postmaster. Find out what the policies are and why a written order is being ignored. (It may be that they’ve been forced to reorganize the route umpteen times and stuff gets lost in transition. You’d be amazed how often routes get changed by outside factors and new regulations from above.)
That keep out sign is not sufficient, IMO. Carriers have to go across keep out signs on a regular basis.
I’m basing this on my experience as a substitute carrier summers during college, but I’ve never read anything about the modern USPS that would contradict this.
If the owner puts up a sign saying “no postmen” then thats binding.
Your “no tresspassing , keep out” is not applying to them because that is taken the same as a closed gate ,fence, or an “unauthorisied access prohibited” sign… The reason is the federal postal law authorises them… they hav a reason to be there… tresspass is entering without good reason…
Also the laws regarding tresspass are state, and the US PS operates with the federal law, so usurps your state law on tresspass.
So read that case, where the judge says simply, “well the law is that the owner has to specifically deny entry, the state of california can’t do it for every land owner”.
… You deny entry, they cannot enter. You just need to tell the ones that use the federal postal law that you are denying entry using that law.
I wouldn’t suggest threatening … that could be read as absurd… humour. just tell them clearly.
This is likely the only real fix. Years ago I had a problem with the mailman leaving my box open. Rain would soak my mail. I went up the chain, making complaints.
The second time I spoke to the local postmaster he suggested taking down my mailbox and getting a box at the post office. He was apologetic, but explained that many of his drivers were independent contractors(?) and refused to do as he asked. Additionally, there was a shortage of drivers.
Why not this?
Think about it from the mailperson’s point of view: how many houses do you think they have on their route? And they may be a substitute for the regular one (you take sick days and vacation on occasion, don’t you?).
So of course they’re going to occasionally forget or just never be told about specific instructions for each house. Just help them out by putting up a small sign at the mailbox reminding them of your preference. $.25 for the cardstock, $1.00 to get it laminated and $1.29 for the pen. Easy-peasey.
This is the right way to handle it. Postpeople come and go, routes change, they can’t remember everyone’s prefrences, etc. It would be better to have a sign inside your mailbox which says what you want:
"Attention: Under no circumstances should packages be delivered to the house. If mail is too large to fit in the box, leave a notice and I’ll pick it up at the PO. "
What about other package carriers like UPS? Do you have a problem with them? You may need to put up a chain across the driveway if you really want to keep everyone out. I’m guessing people think the sign is for unauthorized people, but a UPS driver may think she’s authorized because she’s delivering a package you ordered.
Ok, well that’s a real problem. It’s reasonable to expect mail in the mailbox to not get rained on and someone who can’t remember to close the mailbox is a real doofus.
I still dont understand why he doesnt get a mailbox in town and have packages mailed there instead.
Maybe because the oversized packages are fairly rare, and the majority fit his mailbox just fine?
The case ofFlorida v. Jardines raises some of these issues, but mainly in the context of a police officer bringing a search dog to the front door of someone’s house. I think you can derive from the language, some of which talks about mailmen, that there is not an absolute right of a homeowner to prevent access to his front door, even with a no trespassing sign. How far that applies for a mail deliverer isn’t clear, but having official business, and with no intent except to deliver a package in his official capacity it doesn’t sound like the home owner’s rights would be violated.
I would also wish anyone luck who thinks they have legal recourse if a mail delivery person brings a package to their front door no matter how many signs they put up with whatever is written on them, or whatever instructions they may leave with the Post Office.
So from this thread can we conclude that if the postman wants to walk into your house and put you’re mail on the dining room table, even if you told him not to, that he still legally can?
Read the OP, this is about the postman going to the BACK porch.
Yesbut- he hasnt come back to explain. Why not the front porch?
Maybe what he considered his “back” porch is the one closest to the road/mailbox.
If he knocks twice, yes.
I guess my question should have been about my specific mailman. “Is he an asshole, apathetic, or brave for walking past a keep out sign?” Forget about what’s legal, etc.
BTW, you can see the front door from the mailbox, since ya know, it faces the road that the mailbox is on. BUT HE NEVER GOES TO THE FRONT DOOR! Sorry, I left that part out.
Maybe he thinks he is doing you a favor by putting it somewhere less visible and consequently less likely to get stolen?
“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night nor the desires of customers stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed”
Underlined the oft-missed portion of the USPS creed. ;)