Is there a mailbox clearance form before we get NGDVs?

At our office we are beginning to receive the new vehicles, but I have quite a few addresses or even whole streets in certain developments that are unserviceable due to low hanging tree branches near the mailboxes and along the road. Not to mention the basketball hoops and other obstacles, that are currently not an issue with the LLV, but will be with NGDV

I was wondering if there is any kind of official form to request customers to trim the trees and clear the obstacles on their property that would obstruct access to their boxes.

Before anyone asks, yes i asked my postmaster and she suggested to me to just drive through the branches and who cares if the vehicle gets banged up. But I know for a fact some branches are so large or heavy that they would smash the windshield and im sure id be written up for it. So i’m refusing that option. I also dont just want to hold peoples mail without informing them. I want to get ahead of this and warn customers to give them adequate time to accommodate. Any suggestions would be helpful!

There are a couple you could use.

CRG6 said:

Before anyone asks, yes i asked my postmaster and she suggested to me to just drive through the branches and who cares if the vehicle gets banged up. But I know for a fact some branches are so large or heavy that they would smash the windshield and im sure id be written up for it. So i’m refusing that option. I also dont just want to hold peoples mail without informing them. I want to get ahead of this and warn customers to give them adequate time to accommodate. Any suggestions would be helpful!

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I would also request your Postmaster's instructions in writing so that they are documented, given she demonstrates such a high regard for the safety of carriers and Postal Service owned property.

Boulevards and trees shrubs are city jurisdiction if within city limits. PM needs to contact local city and have them dealt with. The other obstacles are customers to deal with and neciats form should be sufficient.

neciat said:

There are a couple you could use.

https://ruralinfo.net/shared-files/104116645/?PS-Form-4056-Your-mailbox-needs-attention.pdf

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Thanks. Yeah i’ve seen all of these and will probably be sending them out en masse to my customers. But none really address the tree branches issue specifically.

jaymacgthree said:

I would also request your Postmaster's instructions in writing so that they are documented, given she demonstrates such a high regard for the safety of carriers and Postal Service owned property.

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Ha yes i’ve considered getting it in writing as well. But ultimately i’ve decided that willingly driving through a large low hanging branch that could potentially break the windshield would be unsafe and know she can’t make me do it. So i just refuse.

Worve said:

Boulevards and trees shrubs are city jurisdiction if within city limits. PM needs to contact local city and have them dealt with. The other obstacles are customers to deal with and neciats form should be sufficient.

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Interesting. So you’re saying that the strip of grass located between the sidewalk and the street are the owners responsibility, but if the tree branches are hanging over onto the street thats the townships responsibility? That doesn’t seem right to me. I would think the owners have to maintain it and if someone were to damage their vehicle on it it would be the homeowners fault.