Mail box key : Who is responsible? Thoughts? - Posted by Andy (NC)

import · September 20, 2007, 11:48am

Posted by Chris (NC) on September 20, 2007 at 14:23:37:

nt == means “no text”

import · September 20, 2007, 11:48am

Posted by Andy (NC) on September 20, 2007 at 11:48:29:

Just sold a home in park on a note Lonnie style.

The person I bought it from had no mail keys, so I had none to give the buyer. Understandably, the buyer wants to check their mail.

I have contacted the park owner/manager to see if he has a copy he can provide or sell to my buyer. Is he responsible under the rental agreement for providing a key? Or am I responsible as the Seller for providing a key? The owner/manager doesn’t answer his phone or return messages, so getting in touch with him or getting him to do anything is very difficult.

One solution I thought of was to split the cost of a locksmith with the buyer. Apparently it will cost about $100 to come out and replace the lock. Also, the locksmith wanted verbal approval from the manager, who is very difficult to reach or get to do anything.

My questions are:
(1) Is this actually my problem?
(2) If it is, what is the most cost effective solution assuming the manager doesn’t have a key or won’t cooperate?

Thanks,

Andy

import · September 20, 2007, 3:09pm

Re: Mail box key : Who is responsible? Thoughts? - Posted by Tony Colella

Posted by Tony Colella on September 20, 2007 at 15:09:24:

Here in our area of NC I find that there are two types of cluster mailboxes, one that is maintained by the USPS and the other that is not.

The actual mailman/woman have no idea and often provide tenants with bad info about who to contact for the key change. You have to talk to someone who actually knows the truth at the post office.

I finally got so fed up with the mailman telling my tenants the wrong info that I pulled the old cluster box down with my truck and put up individual mailboxes. I no longer get the key question and have found out that the mailman much prefers this “cluster” of individual mailboxes with no locks because he doesn’t have to get out of his car to deliver to them.

If this was a lonnie deal I would simply tell the buyer that you recommend a post office box for max safety and be done with it.

Tony

import · September 20, 2007, 1:25pm

Thanks - Problem solved - Posted by Andy (NC)

Posted by Andy (NC) on September 20, 2007 at 13:25:23:

Cool. Talked to the Post Office. Quick easy fix that’s self-serve for the Sellers.

Thanks for the reply (& for calling me back Chris!).

Thanks!

Andy

import · September 20, 2007, 12:28pm

Re: Mail box key : Who is responsible? Thoughts? - Posted by JeffB (MI)

Posted by JeffB (MI) on September 20, 2007 at 12:28:31:

All I can tell you is that the parks I have worked in have mailboxes which are managed by the USPS. If you need a key you go to them, just like a P.O. box inside the post office.

When sellers give me their mailbox key at closing I throw it out. When buyers ask for a mailbox key I tell them to contact the USPS for one. I have enough problems with keys for my homes that I don’t want anything to do with mailbox keys.

I don’t know if this is universally true, but it is the case in large parks in MI.

Jeff