Property Damage Information

Information Regarding Mailbox and Post Damage During Normal Snow Removal Operations
It is the policy of the Bethel Public Works Department that if any mailbox or post is damaged as the result of snow thrown from a Town of Bethel snow plow, the responsibility for making repairs shall be borne by the property owner. The Department is not responsible for damage caused by snow expelled from the plow as it passes by.

When a mailbox or post is damaged by direct contact from a Town plow, the following will occur:

1. Inspection of mailbox and post to determine cause of damage
2. Determination of who is at fault (improper installation of mailbox or plow operator error)
   
   

Following investigation:

1. The mailbox or post will be repaired or replaced if plow contact occurred
2. The Town does not cover damage from snow discharge; only if the plow makes contact

Decorative or plastic mailboxes that receive direct contact from Town snow plows will be replaced with a standard metal mailbox and wooden post. Plastic mailboxes, or inferior or rotted posts, will not be repaired, as they are not sturdy enough to withstand the force of snow expelled by Town plows.

Homeowners must notify Public Works within seven (7) days from the date of the storm to be eligible for repair or replacement.

Occasionally the Town will make temporary repairs to downed mailboxes. This temporary repair is done only to allow you to receive mail in the meanwhile until the weather improves. It is the homeowners’ responsibility to make permanent repairs at that time. Unless you are notified otherwise, Town staff will not return to replace your mailbox.

It is very uncommon for a plow to make direct contact with a mailbox. The average number of mailboxes that receive direct contact from Town snow plows during a storm is less than one percent. The majority of mailbox and post damage is the result of improper installation or maintenance.
A properly installed and maintained mailbox will withstand the force of plowed snow. It is the homeowners’ responsibility to properly install permanent mailboxes in accordance with our recommendations to avoid this inconvenience next winter. For instructions on how to install a mailbox sturdy enough to withstand the heavy snow loads commonly encountered in Bethel, please see below.

The Town will assist elderly or impaired homeowners with repairing damage to their mailbox or post.

If you need further help following the Mailbox and Post Installation guidelines, please contact the Public Works office at 203-794-8549 or PublicWorks@bethel-ct.gov.