Who Pays For Destroyed Mailboxes Hit By Snow Plows In New York?

Every winter you see mailboxes that are either holding on for dear life or covered in duct tape after being slammed by snow from a plow.  Who replaces those?

Unfortunately, you do.  But there are some circumstances where they will repair them if they can.

Ever wonder why you see so many fences in front of mailboxes as you drive down the street every winter in New York?  Often you'll see wooden pallets or pieces of plywood that are anchored to the ground to block all the heavy, wet snow from either breaking the mailbox or knocking it completely out of the ground.  They're there because that homeowner probably knows if something happens to it, they're responsible to fix or replace it.

Mailboxes are actually considered an obstruction

It says in New York State's Highway Law, "when the necessities of keeping the highway open conflict with the reception of mail, the latter must stand aside."  In other words, keeping the road clear from snow is more important than making sure your mailbox is standing.  Section 319 of New York State's Highway Law says that mailboxes are technically considered an obstruction and are only allowed to be on the side of the road as a courtesy to the homeowner.

Some municipalities will repair broken mailboxes

At the very least, you should call your municipality if your mailbox is damaged though because they might still do something for you.  Some of them will at least repair the box or make sure that you've got a place to receive your mail until your box can be replaced.