Apartment living and disappearing mail - what to do what to do?

[sak4kat]

This is the first time in my life I'm living in an apartment with other units connected.  There are a total of 4.  Our mailboxes are all lined up together in the front.  All 4 apartments have children.  Since we live in the back we have a huge backyard for our kids to play in.  The kids up front having no space to run and play.  So they play wherever they can find a couple of feet.  On the side of the building in an ally...in between all the car's where we all park and in the gravel in front of the mailboxes.  Several times our mail goes missing...all the while mailbox's are left open..sometimed even tipped to where they could fall off the post.  Has anyone else had to deal with this?  I'm not one to point fingers but when there coloring books are lined up on the ground in front of the boxes...it makes me wonder if our mail is being used as kiddie craft paper.

[rozphillips]

I live in a house so I don't experience this problem, but if I were you, what I would do is go to the post office and have them hold your mail instead of it being delivered, but it adds something extra to your time because you'll have to go pick it up from the post office.

[autumnsparklemom]

I lived in an apartment while attending college. After a credit card bill was taken and things raked up on the card - that is when I decided to get a PO BOX. Try that. Should help from getting mail stolen...

[sak4kat]

Thank you for the suggestions.  I thought it was illegal for people to mess with other peoples mail?  I can understand mail getting put in to the wrong box on occasion.  When I was a kid my parents always made it a big deal to take mail back to the post office when it wasn't there's.  I wander if there is a limit to how long they will hold your mail?  It's worth checking into.

[coreyw87]

  It doesn't matter where you live you can experience this and I have no idea what the answer is... because if you talk to the parents it usually ends up with someone mad - I don't know if talking to the landlord would help.  Well, best of luck to you.  We had the same problem and ended up having to get a PO box which costs us unnecessary money.

[sak4kat]

Well I'm not sure if talking to the parents will help much.  We've had to consistently tell there kids to get out of our yard and go back up front.  The youngest who is also in my daughters class comes back with my Mom said we're suppose to play back here.  It get's so frustrating when we plant something and they start to bloom and they are in our yard picking at the flowers.  The landlord Unnecessary expense with the post office box is exactly right.  The post office isn't exactly convenient for us so we would be spending even more in gas daily just to collect our mail.  Guess it's just one of life's little annoyance's to deal with. I've heard the landlord before tell up fronters to pick up there dogs messes and but the ignore him...And we get the pleasure of dealing with it when we mow.  While I"m venting....we have a dumpster that others in the neighborhood feel as though it's there right to dump things like windows and electronics.  I'm telling you the theft of services happening around this place drives me nuts.

[camellia0]

You can get a p.o. box or there are mail boxes where you the mailman drops them in, but you have a key to open it. Mite be pricey but it's safe/

[demaina]

I would consider getting a PO box or something to that extent so that your stuff is protected if you aren't home when it is delivered.  Or, if you have a neighbor that stays at home and is willing to get your mail for you when it's delivered, that might be beneficial.

I've never had anyone steal anything from our house but I constantly worry about it if I know something will be delivered when no one is home.  I ordered a bunch of computer parts (about $2000 in total) and the delivery people just left all these little boxes on our front porch.  No clue how long they were there, but I was scared to come home and see this big pile of boxes just sitting there cause it would've been very easy for someone to come take something.

[Nancy5]

Have to agree, talking to the parents won't do any good.  If you don't or can't get a PO box do you know when the mailman comes?  If so, can you possibly be down there waiting for the mail?  It's sad you have to even worry about something so silly as the mail, but some neighbors just don't care what their kids do.  Good luck!

[mstevenson2]

tell the post office and apt maneger

[lynnc35]

I went through this before I moved, I called the post office and I imagine they told the carrier, I was missing all sorts of stuff, but you got to take action, you just can't sit back and do nothing about it.

[work778]

Talk to the postmaster. 

[cloudsoup]

you might be able to get a lock for your mailbox
and leave the extra key with your mail carrier, if you
explain your problem to the postmaster. your landlord
might even pay for it (i doubt it) but i would go through
him FIRST, and if he says no, take matters into your own
hands...

[aggie49]

don't let it get to you florida is the same way we get these stupid mail people who don't no what do with the mail either i have had more mail go missing you need to call the post master general and make a complaint

[ajami]

I would use a lock on your mail box.  I won't tell you the things that I used to do as kid to mailboxes.  But most kids do not really think they are doing any harm, I know I never thought about what I did until years and years later.  I regret them now and wish I can go back and change things.