While the USPS sets specific standards and regulations for mailboxes, the homeowner or property owner owns the physical mailbox. This ownership provides the freedom to select the design and location of your mailbox, provided it follows USPS regulations.
Mailboxes owned and maintained by the United States Postal Service ( USPS ) should have the picture of the U.S. Postal Service Eagle or a statement similar to "Property of United States Postal Service" on the side.
The US Postal Service® does not maintain personal mailboxes: The property owner is responsible for the repair of personal boxes.
Collection boxes, including post type, street collection, and relay storage boxes, will not be sold to the public. They must be destroyed by the owning Postal Service entity and sold as scrap. Refurbished collection boxes designated for sale as scrap must be determined to be environmentally safe.
Because it's your land and it is affixed to your land, it legally belongs to you. Thus, if he refuses to move the mailbox, you can remove it from your property yourself. You don't need to call a lawyer or the post office unless the post office put it there rather than your neighbor or the builder.
Assuming a USPS-compliant mailbox is installed and ready for use, it's considered federal property. In other words, the homeowner doesn't legally own his or her mailbox; it's the property of the U.S. government. Prior to installation, however, mailboxes aren't federal property.
No, he can't do that. If you had a mailbox on post office property, or on common areas in your community, only authorized persons can move it. He could actually be charged with a misdemeanor for moving a mailbox without permission.
Yes, it is illegal.
Once you install your mailbox, and it is ready for the receipt of mail, you effectively lease your mailbox to the federal government for the service of mail delivery. Let's not forget that, as long as you have an up-to-code mailbox, receiving mail is a free service.
If you choose not to recycle your mailbox, you risk contributing to the increasing amount of waste and pollution that has a direct impact on our environment. This is especially true for metal mailboxes which are made from non-renewable resources and may end up in landfills, taking years to decompose.
Cluster mailboxes are not always owned by the USPS. In general, the cluster mailbox belongs to whoever initially installed the unit.
Under the mailbox rule, an offer is considered accepted the moment the offeree mails their letter, rather than when the offeror receives the letter in the mail. The mailbox rule also applies to other means of communication, such as a fax, telegram, or email, provided that it is irrevocable once sent.
Mailboxes are considered federal property, protected by rules set by the United States Postal Service. Because of this, only authorized persons (mail carriers and the owner of the property of the mailbox) are legally allowed to place things into and retrieve items from the mailbox.
In a residential neighborhood where you own the mailbox (like a curbside mailbox), you are responsible for repairs. Conversely, if you live in an apartment building, that responsibility will typically fall on your landlord.
Note: The United States Postal Service is not able to help you access mailboxes owned and maintained by private residential building complexes.
Mailbox providers often assign reputation scores to senders based on their past sending behavior. This includes factors such as spam complaints, bounce rates, engagement metrics, and adherence to email best practices.
While the USPS sets specific standards and regulations for mailboxes, the homeowner or property owner owns the physical mailbox. This ownership provides the freedom to select the design and location of your mailbox, provided it follows USPS regulations.
Legally, the space inside of mailboxes is owned by USPS.
Per the U.S. Code, anyone who willfully damages or destroys any mailbox or other similar receptacle meant to receive mail is guilty of a federal offense. The law also prohibits anyone from breaking open a mailbox to destroy the mail inside.
"No part of a mail receptacle may be used to deliver any matter not bearing postage, including items or matter placed upon, supported by, attached to, hung from, or inserted into a mail receptacle.
In a word, no. It is a federal crime to destroy, hide, open, or embezzle mail that is not intended for you. The official crime is obstruction of correspondence, which is a felony.
You may open and manage the deceased's mail as needed. You may forward all of the deceased's mail to a different address. See If You Have a Different Address. You may forward a single piece of mail, for example, to an appointed executor, without going to a Post Office™ location.
The Mailbox Restriction Law
Anyone else who opens the box or puts anything inside of it is a criminal act. The U.S. Postal Service explains that "by law, a mailbox is intended only for receipt of postage-paid U.S. Mail."
Important: Before installing, moving or replacing your mailbox or mailbox support, you will need to contact your Postmaster or mailperson from your local Post Office™. All mailboxes must be approved by the Postal Service™.
It is a Federal offense to tamper with the mail, to steal, divert or obstruct the mail. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1708 Your neighbor has no right to go into your mailbox without your permission or authority.