Are Postal Centers “Government Property”?
 

Our new President sign an executive order mandating mask be worn on government property? Are the postal centers considered “government property”?

Keep your answers non-political! :-)

I think that Post Office buildings and the surrounding area (parking lot, etc.) that are on property that is owned or leased by the Federal Government are considered Government property. But, I don't think the postal centers located in The Villages are leased by the Federal Government, especially the land around the postal center. However, the locked interior space inside the postal center is probably considered Government property because it is controlled by the Federal Government. My opinion.

No the postal stations, even the new post office, are leased.

The property is actually considered an amenity, so it is either property of the VCCDD (north of 466), SLCDD (between 466 and 44), or privately owned by the developer (south of 44). As Retiredguy123 stated, the interior of the postal facility is government-controlled property under the jurisdiction of the Postal Service.

So the root question as I read it is do you have to wear a face mask to check your mail. No. Do the contract postal workers have to wear a mask inside? Maybe, it depends on how this edict from up high is written. If there's only one person inside it would be stupid. If there is more than one worker inside then I would lay odds they'll go back to the Bill Clinton days and close the doors and adopt the policy of "don't ask, don't tell".

Typically, any property that is maintained, operated, and controlled by the Federal Government is considered Government property, even if it is leased. Many of the Federal office buildings in Washington D.C. and other cities are leased property.

As Retiredguy123 stated, the interior of the postal facility is government-controlled property under the jurisdiction of the Postal Service


I think any lessee has the same rights not just the government or who would be foolish enough to lease to the government if that gave the government a proprietary right that could infringe on the ownership of the lessor? For example, I lease a building for my barbershop and call it "my barbershop" and I maintain , operate and control it, but that does not convey true property ownership even though I might refer to it as my property. Bottom line I can probably require a mask as if I owner the property.
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The simple rule that all government property is exempt from property taxes is complicated by the Machinery Act’s treatment of leasehold interests in exempt government property. A leasehold interest is the tenant’s right to use the leased property for the term described in the lease.

RetiredGuy123 wrote "However, the locked interior space inside the postal center is probably considered Government property because it is controlled by the Federal Government. My opinion."

John41 wrote "No the postal stations, even the new post office, are leased."

So, I'm curious. . .

Does the government pay rent and utilities for the space?
What entity of The Villages collects the rent?
Who pays for utilities, electricity, water, and air conditioning?
To what Villages budget is the rent applied?

I doubt that the Federal Government pays rent for the postal stations within The Villages where residents pick up their mail. But, the locked space inside the stations is controlled by the Post Office because it is part of the mailboxes and it is considered Federal property. Even people who have their own private mailbox on their own property cannot use the mailbox to receive anything other than official mail that has postage on it. For example, you cannot have your newspaper or brochures delivered to the box without postage. I think that all mailboxes where you receive your mail is considered Federal property.

The postal stations are not government property. The post BOXES are government property. So as long as you don't put your head directly in the boxes, you should be fine.

:boom:

So therefore it may very well be true

No they are an amenity on villages property, no you don’t need a mask

I don’t understand the point of this post. We do not need someone to dictate what to do when we all know what is the right thing. When you get out of your car golf cart to get your mail, wear a mask. It’s that simple.

I am not wearing a mask to get my freaking mail.

Yes ~

I am.

No they don't pay rent.
If they did pay rent it would be paid to the SLCDD or VCCDD
The utilities are covered in the SLAD (Sumter Landing Amenity Division) or RAC (Village Center Recreation Division) budgets.
If rent or utilities was paid to would be applied to the SLAD or RAD budgets.

It is exactly this reason (SLAD and RAD paying the costs) that I raised the issue, and it was corrected (at least partially) 2 years ago about the air conditioning in the postal facilities. They were running it at 65 degrees (or lower) year-round and leaving the door open when they were working inside the room. This was a waste of energy and an added expense to the budgets that paid the expense. Additionally, this was causing low temperatures in the room which as passed through to the metal frames of the postal boxes causing condensation and subsequent corrosion (rusting) and paint peeling of the mailbox frames.

Of course, the post office was, and still is, unwilling to do any maintenance of these facilities or burden any of the costs associated. DPM has limited ability to do any maintenance to the interior of these facilities because they are "government property" and they don't have a key to the rooms. Some arrangements and agreements have been made between the local postmaster and DPM on the maintenance and upkeep of these facilities (at our cost of course) but, in my opinion, it is still not up to the standards we as residents have come to expect for our community. The USPS has yielded little on this matter and their "holy sanctuaries", as they seem to feel they are, continue to be a maintenance issue and in many cases an eyesore and an embarrassment to our community.

This is the most ridiculous thing I think I have read here.

So don’t get your mail

I guess you don't read very many threads?

why don't you go inside and ask???

Money is gov property so when its in your pocket ?..........................Must you

Nah...no need to wear a mask OUTSIDE when you can easily keep your distance from someone. Unless you hang around and chat for a few minutes close to someone there is no need to wear a mask. Even this new variant of the virus does not concern me when it comes to stepping outside the car to get the mail. It takes about 15 seconds to retrieve the mail, OUTSIDE and another 5 seconds to get back in the car. Let's not get crazy about this.

No one is more of a proponent of mask wearing than I am. I have contributed countless posts and videos on this forum on the necessity of wearing masks INDOORS all the time. The only exception is when I'm seated in a restaurant or bar AWAY from others and am actively eating or drinking. If I can not be guaranteed of being seated away from others, I do not patronize that establishment. Since this pandemic started, I have NEVER sat at a dining table with anyone other than my husband, not even family. We called off the holidays in 2020. THAT is how strongly I feel that mask wearing is necessary, INDOORS.

As for OUTDOORS, I make sure I'm not close to anyone so always keep my distance of at least 10 feet and that includes the couple of times I have been to the squares to listen to music. Wearing a mask at the mail center???? Nah.

I Knew Where This Was Going...
 

... after reading Page 1.

Please, folks, please... if you choose not to wear a mask to protect yourself, OK. But I beg you to wear one to protect me, and others like me who if they get infected will become very, very sick or probably die.

That’s not my opinion, but what my doctors tell me. I beg you to do my wife and I the favor of helping to keep us well. Please just wear a mask whenever you’re indoors or even outdoors if you’re near other people

Aren't you glad you have the choice to WEAR your mask anytime you wish? Is this a great country or what?

I agree with 72lions. Even if you don’t believe in masks, put it on for the minute or two that it takes. Be smart!!!!

It doedn:t hurt to wear a mask at the postal centers, gov:t or not, for 100 days.

Are you asking about actual Post Offices or the boxes at each village?
I could be mistaken but my understanding is that Post Offices, even though they are leased, are considered federal property.
The boxes you get your mail at are not classified as federal property.
They are protected by the federal government for tampering purposes.
Just like the mail box in front of your house in most of the country. the home owner owns it but it is a federal offence to tamper with it or the mail inside of it.
As a contractor, whenever we did any work in a post office, I had to adhere to the federal regulations and inspections were directed by the federal government.

What difference does it make? You should be wearing your mask near people.

You mean simply idiotic

It only makes a difference if you want to comply with the President's executive order. The order doesn't say anything about being near people.

Same here! Absolutely ridiculous.

Or if you are more than six feet from the nearest human you are not required to wear one. Seems many forgot about the social distance rule.

So your interpretation is wear a mask even if there’s no one else around. Don’t think so.

:1rotfl::clap2::)

Please state facts not opinions unless you want to hear my opinions which are usually incorrect

Can’t see the forest for the trees... In all of 2020 (March to December), Sumter County had lost approximately 120 to COVID. In the past 3 weeks, we’ve lost another 50. Simple math tells me it’s getting worse not better. Maybe we should just wear a mask and all try to work toward ending this pandemic.

190,621 new coronavirus cases in the US on January 21, 2020 . 188,000 7 day average. Please wear a mask . If your not worried for yourself do it for others ., if someone had the flu , would you want them to come in the post office or any other public place you were at ? Common sense is required here .

What’s China suggest

EVERYONE should be wearing a mask when in public places, regardless if it's a Fed.Bldg or Walmart. it blows my mind how stupid some folks are. IT'S NOT A POLITICAL STATEMENT IT'S CALLED BEING SMART