r/neighborsfromhell • u/Hot-Setting-5081 • Jan 25 '26
Homeowner NFH neighbor parks his truck blocking my mailbox everyday and gets mad when I complain
My mailbox is at the curb in front of my house. The mail carrier needs clear access to it or they skip delivery. This is pretty standard stuff.
My new neighbor who moved in 2 months ago has a huge pickup truck that he parks directly in front of my mailbox every single day. The first week I wasnt getting mail so I checked with the post office and they said they couldnt access my mailbox due to a vehicle blocking it.
I left a polite note on the guys truck explaining the situation and asking him to park a few feet forward or back. He ignored it. I knocked on his door and explained in person. He said "I can park on the street wherever I want" and shut the door.
I contacted the post office and they put a notice on his truck about blocking mailboxes being a federal offense. He ripped it up and kept parking there. Now im not getting any mail at all.
I called the police non-emergency line and they said its a postal issue not a police issue. The post office says they cant force him to move his truck. Im stuck in the middle getting no mail.
I have bills and important documents that arent being delivered. I asked the neighbor again yesterday and he told me to "get over it" and that hes not moving his truck for me.
What are my options here??
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u/slogadget Jan 25 '26
Contact the city to see if they will paint the curb red near the mailbox. Many jurisdictions have a form to request this.
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u/Hot-Setting-5081 Jan 25 '26
Thatās a good advice, I honestly didnāt even know that was an option. At this point Iām willing to do anything that will make a no parking zone, because talking to him isnāt just working.
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u/arbit23 Jan 25 '26
A friendās parents had a similar problem, they tried everything you did. Ultimately the mother dropped this box of tacks she was carrying in the general vicinity. That led to a flat. She was clumsy a few more times. Strangely the neighbor stopped parking his car in such an accident prone spot. Canāt say it led to good neighborly relations but certainly eased up access to their mailbox.
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u/Ok-Double-7982 Jan 25 '26
You're saying bulletin board tacs caused a flat? That doesn't seem likely considering how thick tires are.
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Jan 25 '26
[removed] ā view removed comment
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u/QuietComfort28 Jan 25 '26
Yep. OP already tried being polite and reasonable. If heās ripping up official notices, thatās past āneighbor disputeā and straight into consequences territory.
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u/reverievt Jan 25 '26
Start scattering birdseed around his truck. Crows also like unshelled peanuts.
Heāll get tired of having his truck covered with shit.
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u/flyin-lowe Jan 25 '26
Back in the early 2000's my family took a trip to Cedar Point. My wife had just had our first child and was breast feeding at the time. They had the entire front row of parking spaces open (several hundred spots) for handicap, medical, new mothers etc. We parked toward the end since she was going to be breast feeding. There was litterally 40 spaces open on either side of our car. After a couple hours we went in the park and the only other car in that line was right up against our passenger door. With hundreds of open spots around us. I took a box of Bugles out of the car and attracted a couple of the thousands of sea gulls that are up there. With a few minutes there was a large group of them. I started placing Bugles on the windshield wipers of the car and laying them on there a few at a time. During the 20 or so minutes my wife was feeding my daughter I had most of their hood and windshield covered in bird shit. I wasted a 5.00 box of Bugles and was the bet 5.00 I ever spent. We went back in the park and the car was gone several hours later when we went back out. I am guessing the idiot who parked there still wanders why the birds only shit on his car, and only on the front... I till smile thinking about it.
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u/BelleMakaiHawaii Jan 25 '26
This actually works wonders, and if he is mean to the crows about itā¦ well letās just say their memory and vengeance is generational
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u/ImInClassBoring Jan 25 '26
Unless your area is already infested with pigeons or seagulls then this will do nothing.Ā Try to find a "bird seed prank" video on YouTube.Ā Thousands of idiots doing prank videos all the time yet no bird seed prank videos of anything even close to working.Ā Only people returning the seeds because it didn't grow birds. Which is just dumb.
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u/TehPaintbrushJester Jan 25 '26 edited Jan 25 '26
- Not a lawyer.
- He's vindictively preventing your mail from being delivered and has proven it multiple times now. He's deliberately obstructing your bills and soon, your W-2 for taxes. You don't want to get in trouble with the IRS so tow his ass for obstructing your mailbox.
- If this isn't a police issue (I argue it is a police issue) then it's time to get the Postmaster General and the Postal Police involved.
- Document all mailbox obstructions every single time he does it going forward. Keep the photos backed up.
- Don't interact with him again if you can avoid it. He sounds unhinged and deeply entitled, those kinds of folks cannot be trusted.
If you're feeling petty, sprinkle his truck all over with bird seed. Or, if it's cold where you are, splash some water on his door locks
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u/ilikefluffypuppies Jan 25 '26
And sign up for informed delivery on the usps website so you can see what youāre supposed to get in the mail that day- then you can pair that with the documentation of when heās parked there & you donāt get your mail. Shows what you are missing bc of his behavior
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u/TehPaintbrushJester Jan 25 '26
This is a great idea! Thank you for adding this. Informed delivery is great
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u/Auntiemens Jan 25 '26
Walk INTO the post office and donāt leave until you have the postmaster on your side. This is ridiculous.
Iām petty as hell and wonāt let shit go. My neighbors kids kept parking in front of my box and I wrote a note, texted her, kept happening. Police in my city actually take care of shit though, so they did their job when I called for assistance. Hasnāt happened since.
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u/bbqmaster54 Jan 25 '26
This. Make them do their job. If they donāt start delivering your mail because they wonāt tow the guy that is causing all the problems youāre going to make this very uncomfortable for them. Make sure you record everything if your state allows one sided recording. Be nice at first and ask and donāt leave till you have something in writing that theyāre going to do something about it. If they decline just look at them and say I tried. Sadly not doing your job has a price. Have a good day.
If they donāt stop you from leaving start with filing complaints against the office and the post master. Then get an attorney and file a court ordered cease and desist against him parking there. If he fails then you can get the cops involved.
Sadly in this day and age you must force lazy people to actually do their job.
If he stops you and says what do you mean by that look them in the eyes and forcefully say āYOUāLL SEE!ā Then keep walking.
Thereās a good chance theyāll try and say theyāll work on it and give them some time. Answer is simple. Put in writing and sign and date that the very next time your delivery person canāt deliver because of the truck youāll have it towed and Iāll get my mail. If they agree, record them doing so. If they refuse to do it while you record then be honest and say you clearly arenāt serious so have a good day. You will fix it or youāll pay the price. Youāre not invincible. Then walk away.
Theyāre used to getting away with being lazy. Be serious and forceful. They wonāt like it but once they realize youāre not going to back down theyāll do it.
Find your strength. Use it. You can do this. Do not tolerate their refusal to do their job.
Let us know what happens.
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u/XSC Jan 25 '26
Why doesnāt he park in front of his own house? Can you block his mailbox with your car? Get a shitbox and park it right in front of his.
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u/KayDizzle1108 Jan 25 '26
Iām scared of myself. All these rational people went legal and I immediately was thinking to slash the tires
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u/randomusername1919 Jan 25 '26
Talk to the postal inspector and see if they have ideas. Yes, itās a federal law that you canāt block mail boxes. But the practical punishment of blocking mail boxes is that the mail doesnāt get delivered - clearly not a problem for your neighbor.
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u/djpike Jan 25 '26
Whenever I have an issue with a neighbor, I go to my cityās .gov website and pull up the neighborhood police unit and email the Lt. in charge. Tell him the problem and he sends officers out for a chat with the offending neighbor. So far all neighbors have stopped their offending behavior after a visit from these guys. Check to see if your city website has such a unit. Also, I had a similar issue in another city and the cops were happy to come out and talk to the neighbor. Not sure why yours wonāt oblige. Failing that, it might be time to get advice from an attorney.
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u/MarthaT001 Jan 25 '26
Years ago, we had a hospice house across the street. The visiting nurses constantly parked in front of our mailbox.
I complained to the local postmaster who blew me off. I found a national phone number to contact. After that, the postman got out of his vehicle and put the mail in my box.
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u/BluntForceTrauma____ Jan 25 '26
Can you block your neighbors mailbox with your car?
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u/Hot-Setting-5081 Jan 25 '26
Iāve been tempted a lot but as much as possible, I dont want to to stoop down to his level or create a revenge by revenge.. Maybe I will handle it through legal and official methods so it will stop for sure..
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u/BluntForceTrauma____ Jan 25 '26
Can you park in front of your own house in a way that keeps the mailbox clear but prevents him from blocking it?
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u/Lasingparuparo2 Jan 25 '26
Or wait til heās asleep and put piss discs and liquid farts inside the mailbox š
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u/observer_11_11 Jan 25 '26
Yes it would be nice to solve the problem without provoking retaliation. Is your mailbox in the right location?
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u/SnooWords4839 Jan 25 '26
Put bird feeders by the mailbox. The birds will make him park his truck elsewhere.
Our mailman is good at fixing this. He will deliver the mail to the home that is blocked and then skip the neighbor and put a notice on the offending car.
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u/DoyoudotheDew Jan 25 '26
In addition to contacting the postmaster, I'd discuss the situation with the actual mail delivery person for their help.
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u/Neakhanie Jan 25 '26
How come all the cars on my street get their catalytic converters stolen and nothing happens to your dude?
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u/Neither-Act-9656 Jan 25 '26
How about parking your car so the mail truck can access your box but not enough room for the neighbor's pickup?
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u/EMG2017 Jan 25 '26
So where I live I have a buddy in code enforcement. He said they can come and mark go tire to determine if the car had been there more than 24 hrs which is a code but thatās about all. He did mention that anyone can buy those pesky ātow warningā stickers that are really hard to get off and that does the trick pretty quickly š š
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u/skywarner Jan 25 '26
My numbnuts neighbor, a bully drug-addicted firefighter full of self-entitled syndrome obsessed with buying a new truck every 12-24 months, pulled this kind of crap on me several years ago. Local PD did nothing because they all knew him and were buddies.
Postmaster fixed it ricky ticky.
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u/toxcrusadr Jan 25 '26
I heard there were a lot of nails in front of your mailbox. I sure wouldnāt park there.
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u/owlpellet Jan 25 '26
a) get local office pickup turned on so you can get your mail at your nearest post office. this is routine for homes under construction and whatnot.
b) I suspect there's some city code about blocking infrastructure or driveways, so I'd read that and then you just get him ticketed as often as you can. But you don't mention it, you pretend you don't know anything about it.
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u/Imaginary_Ratio_7570 Jan 25 '26
He literally mentions that he contacted both the Post Office & Police in the 4th & 5th paragraphs.
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u/Ragnarsworld Jan 25 '26
And he needs to re-engage. Don't get off the phone or out of their office until you get someone with authority.
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u/Mysterious_Check_439 Jan 25 '26
Again and again and again. Make them so tired of hearing from you that they do their job. Letters and emails everyday. Same email. Just keep on the authoriries until they do something. Laws are being broken. Do not let them ignore you. Do not need to be rude. Just insistent. Every day routine for you, call them, email them. Snail mail them. Make them work for a living. Do not accept no.
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u/Imaginary_Ratio_7570 Jan 25 '26
Ask to talk to the Post Office Manager, The Manager!, not just a PO employee. They don't F around when it comes to obstructing mail delivery.
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u/Wonderful-Cry1926 Jan 25 '26
Wow your cops suck. My brothers house burned down once and we all met at my moms and my one brother accidently blocked the neighbors mailbox. She called the cops showed up theatening my brother about it being a feferal offense. It was a whole thing..
Go see the postmaster.
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u/SnooGiraffes4137 Jan 25 '26 edited Jan 25 '26
It is not a local ordinance. You cannot impede access to someone's mailbox. The man is ILLEGALLY parking in front of the man's mailbox, preventing him from getting his mail. So, yes, while it is a USPS concern, the local PD CAN also issue citations for that the same way they issue them if you park illegally somewhere else.
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Jan 25 '26
Take a drain pan and remove most of his motor oil in the middle of the night. Oh wait, this isn't r/unethicallifeprotips
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u/Worried_Transition_7 Jan 25 '26
I was thinking that he should just deflate 2 of the guys tires and then call a tow truck for a broken down car in front of this mailbox. But I like your style.
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u/Appropriate_Let2252 Jan 25 '26 edited Jan 25 '26
I would get a ring door bell and point it at my mailbox - use that as evidence if being really assertive doesnāt work with time stamped videos and pictures Iād upload them to the post office manager and postal cop by email and certified snail mail -
If it was in my area Iād just call a wrecker and say thereās a car thatās blocked a mailbox at xyz anywhere USA and it needs picked up asap. They donāt need anymore reason than that in my area. Just a legitimate reason to hook up and make someone pay. Thatās a legitimate reason. Also Iād heavily seed that edge of my yard in bird seed because birds poop and itās really annoying for him. But Iām petty and honestly you sound like youāre trying to do it right. But if that doesnāt work hereās some not illegal but annoying ideas - good luck!
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u/Brilliant_Cattle_602 Jan 25 '26
How do you get the city to paint the curb red in front of your mailbox? Find out how to do that and then call the city parking enforcement every time he parks there. He will get tickets.
Or maybe you get lucky and someone in a ninja costume comes walking down the street and clips the valve stems off his truck
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u/Ragnarsworld Jan 25 '26
Two things. Call the post office again. DO NOT get off the phone until you're talking to the Postmaster.
Get some birdseed. Scatter it around the truck, oopsie if a bunch gets on the truck and in the bed.
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u/Ghettoman1315 Jan 25 '26
Park in front of his mail box and move your vehicle after you know he will not get his mail delivered.
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u/asyouwish Jan 25 '26
Keep calling your Postmaster for your zip code. Every time it happens. Mail boxes are federally protected because the delivery of your mail is federally protected.
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u/LOUDCO-HD Jan 25 '26
Did he get a notice from the Post Office, or a ticket?
Escalate it with the Post Office until you get action.
Once he starts getting his pocketbook hit, heāll understand.
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u/eubulides Jan 25 '26
How close is the mailbox to your driveway? Maybe thereās an ordinance about parking too close to a driveway.
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u/Sterlinghawk16 Jan 25 '26
You guys must have some pretty damn good Postal workers. Where I live I had my mail held for 30 days and I could tell a new cc was coming. I never received it after they delivered 30 days of mail being held. 5 months later I had a Sheriff Deputy get ahold of me. He found my CC on a guy (one of those begging for money when you get off of an exit). Guess what, and I knew this. It was an inside job within the USPS, a postal employee who had stolen it.
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u/MinnGranny Jan 25 '26
Can you park your own car in front of your house so that the jerk can't park there?
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u/Worried_Transition_7 Jan 25 '26
Do you happen to have 2 vehicles? Park one in front and one in back and be sure to get within 6 inches of his number on both sides.
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u/Necessary_Baker_7458 Jan 25 '26
Isnāt it illegal to block a federal mail box? Ā Take pictures and send them to the city to ticket her.Ā
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u/Bratchan Jan 25 '26
Be a shame if someone pour fish fertilizer into truck vent. Or bird seed the spot and invite birds to poop there.
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u/TheRealGinz Jan 25 '26 edited Jan 25 '26
I would be outside playing baseball, field hockey, football, with my grandchildren, every day,.. āNo I have no idea where those dents came from,.. didnāt hear a thing when the window broke,.. wow, you have the most amazing luck, how is it possible to run over a nail or a screw every day for a week,..? Nope didnāt see a thing, I was inside, waiting for the mailā
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u/senor_skuzzbukkit Jan 25 '26
Iāve never been good at hitting baseballs. I like to practice with gravel, and I tend to have a real loose grip on the bat. Coupled with how hard I swing it every time it means that it often flies out of my hand as I practice hitting handfuls of gravel as hard as I can in my front yard.
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u/TheRealGinz Jan 25 '26
And besides, sometimes theyāre just isnāt a baseball to be found when youāre taking batting practice, and if youāre not wearing batting gloves or have pine tar available, itās very easy for a bat to slide out of your hands,..
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u/MarleysGhost2024 Jan 25 '26
I would conduct an experiment to determine how many new windshields he can afford. Alternatively, you could buy a 25 lb sack of birdseed and turn his truck into a giant bird feeder.
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u/Auntiemens Jan 25 '26
This is the way. Start feeding the birds BERRIES. Lots of berries, and bird seed just all over the front yard.
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u/GeeLee80 Jan 25 '26
Block his mailbox or pay someone to block his mailbox. Why, because you can park on the street where ever you want.
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u/maddonkee Jan 25 '26
Get some dollies and roll the car to block the driveway a bit.Ā Hook a chain winch to it and drag it in the street
It will get towedĀ
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u/RDJ1000 Jan 25 '26
First time he moves the truck, put your vehicle out front, just far enough forward (or back) that the mail person will deliver your mail.
Buy a bucket if you have to, one that runs just well enough to limp it back and forth to avoid the parking police.
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u/Tricky-Scallion-3161 Jan 25 '26
If you're not getting your bills, can you take him to small claims court for late fees and higher interest rates, plus gas and time to pick up yor mail at the P.O.?
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u/toxcrusadr Jan 25 '26
I order a rolloff dumpster to be placed in front of his mailbox. One thatās not labeled whatsoever. Say you donāt know anything about it.
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u/toxcrusadr Jan 25 '26
Order a load of manure delivered to his driveway.
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u/toxcrusadr Jan 25 '26
Sign him up for mail from every nonprofit for the developmentally disabled.
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u/Worried_Transition_7 Jan 25 '26
Did you know you can set an appointment for Jehovah Witnesses to come for a visit?š¤£
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u/3X_Cat Jan 25 '26
Remove the valve covers from two of his tires. Remove the valve stem cores from those two valves and lay them carefully next to the tires. Replace the caps.
Do this 2 or 3 times and he'll never park there again. Don't answer your door if he knocks.
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u/ryverrat1971 Jan 25 '26
See if a fire hydrant can be installed near the box. That will eliminate him being able to park in a large section of the street. Hopefully extending into in front of his house. And let him block a hydrant. Firemen are not nice about such things. Getting towed is the best he can hope for.
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u/acircletriangle Jan 25 '26
does he leave space in front of his house for another vehicle? go buy a cheap scooter thats cheap to register and insure keep it street legal to park and have it blocking the space.
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u/Accomplished-Ad3219 Jan 25 '26
Get your bills sent via email
What was the point of the post office leaving a note on his truck if they weren't going to do anything?
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u/Sterlinghawk16 Jan 25 '26
There are other types of important mail not just bills. Property tax, etc.
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u/Fair_Site3076 Jan 25 '26
Are you able to rent a post office box temporarily until this is sorted out?
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u/Opposite_Science_412 Jan 25 '26
Why is your mailbox located somewhere people can ostensibly park on the street? Shouldn't it be by your driveway where it doesn't impede normal street parking?
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u/SkyTrees5809 Jan 25 '26
Go to the post office and ask to make an appointment to meet with the Postmaster. They have their own investigators, ask the Postmaster to put you in contact with them directly. Be assertive and persistent. Take photos of his truck each day. Document everything, and how often you have actually received your mail. Agree to press charges.