MAILBOXES
During the winter months the Highway Department will occasionally receive calls regarding damage to mailboxes, either from snow plows directly or from the force of snow being moved by plows. If damage is indeed caused during snow removal operations, it is not done intentionally, but is an unfortunate consequence of snow removal.
Under New York State Highway Law Section 319, mailboxes are considered an obstruction. They are allowed to be within the Highway boundary as a courtesy, as it is understood that they are required for mail delivery.
There is no statutory or legal authority requiring the Highway Department to replace a damaged mailbox. However, as a courtesy, the Highway Department may repair the damage or install a standard plain mailbox so that mail can be received. Any decorative, expensive or otherwise extraordinary mailboxes and landscaping are the responsibility of the resident.
Mailboxes should be placed so that the vertical distance from the road surface to the bottom of the mailbox or it’s support is forty-five (45) inches and the horizontal distance from the front of the curb or edge of road to the front of the mailbox is eight (8) inches.
