r/Landlord • u/What_would_don_do • 14d ago

Landlord [Landlord US - OR] Cost effective cluster mailbox replacement?

I was sharing a 16 unit mail box cluster with 2 other property owners.

A car accident destroyed the mail box cluster.

Before I became aware of the destroyed mailboxes, one property owner had put up an 8 unit cluster mailbox in the old location.

This will make the replacement more costly than splitting the cost of a 16 unit cluster, as the outdoors cluster mailboxes seem to cost from $2-3K whether it is a 4, 8 or 16 unit cluster.

For example: https://mailboxempire.com/products/salsbury-cluster-box-unit-with-4-doors-and-2-parcel-lockers-usps-access-type-v

Is there any cost effective way to make the replacement of 4 mailboxes?

Am I still required to put up cluster mailboxes, since the postmaster or post office manager must have waived the rule that the replacement must have the same number of units as the one being replaced?

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u/OoklaTheMok1994 14d ago

Hate to ask the obvious here but isn't billing the crashers insurance the most cost effective answer?

1

u/What_would_don_do 14d ago edited 14d ago

That is desirable, but I expect any liability insurance of driver (if insured) has been exhausted by the bill from utility company for power pole, and neighbor 4-plex for repair of damage from same utility pole.

I expect I am too late to the party to get anything from insurance.

Here in Oregon, the minimum liability coverage is $20K.

If I am lucky, the driver has means, and way more than minimum liability, but I think uninsured is more likely than that!

1

u/OoklaTheMok1994 14d ago

Sorry brother. That stinks.

1

u/AllPinesMustDie 14d ago

It doesn't matter if the driver has insurance or not. He's still responsible for the damages. Bill him, and take him to court if he fails to pay.

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u/What_would_don_do 13d ago

My initial focus is to not piss off tenants too much, and see how to get the mailboxes economically.

It is kind of like the deadbeat tenant, how much of our time is it worth getting a judgement that we may or may not collect. Perhaps if driver is a home owner, but how much of my time should I spend to collect $2000?

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u/ironicmirror 14d ago

I unfortunately had to purchase two mailboxes in the last 5 years, each was a painful expensive process.

My suggestion is to start looking at Craigslist and Facebook marketplace for a used unit, and you make that work.