[GoneFishing]

Originally Posted by Dusty_Star

It would be nice if they gave out the retained 3rd key to each respective owner.

When we had our mailbox lock changed after closing, we went to Lady Lake PO. They gave us 2 keys and said the third key would be in the box when the lock was installed. Sure enough there it was. No problem.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by Garywt

I would say this totally falls on the sellers for not turning the keys and the box number over to you. Why these were not with the house keys blows my mind. Wondering where your house is if it takes 45 minutes to get to Lady Lake.

A lot of sellers will show up at the closing with 1 or 2 mailbox keys instead of 3 because they have lost the keys. The seller's agent should verify this in advance and require the seller to bring a check for $35 to the closing to compensate the buyer for a new mailbox lock. But, some real estate agents do not do their job. It is unacceptable because the agent should know that the buyer is entitled to 3 keys. If the buyer only gets 1 or 2 keys, they don't know if someone has another key to their mailbox.

[nn0wheremann]

Originally Posted by MrLonzo

Closed on my (resale) house in the Villages (Monarch Grove) in June, finally moving in, and having a lot of difficulty with mailbox.

Realtor told me it’s simple to get a key for your mailbox, just take some proof of ownership to the U.S. post office in Wildwood and pick up your key. She didn’t seem to know the location of my mailbox or the number. I went to the PO, and they said they don’t handle TV issues, and that I’d need to go to the Lady Lake PO on Teague Trail. A 40-minute drive, but I went there only to be told they, too, do not handle TV issues, and I’d need to go to the PO on LaGrande Blvd, also in Lady Lake. There, I was told I’d need to pay $35 to replace the lock and it would take up 10 days. I paid the $35, she gave me 2 keys and said to check the lock every day – if it opens, that means the lock has been changed, but didn’t bother telling me the location or number of the mailbox! I finally figured out my mailbox location is at Swallowtail. I showed my keys to the attendant there and she told me they are the wrong kind of key -- they are for PO boxes, not TV mail station boxes. So now what do I do? I don't know who to believe anymore!

I called the PO, sifted through their menu for 20 minutes, and finally got someone to talk to. She told me I’d need to go back to Lady Lake (1.5 hour drive roundtrip) and explain the situation. She said she could not tell me the mailbox number.

What a waste of time when I have so many other moving issues to address! And leaving me confused -- I would think it reasonable that when someone buys a house in TV, they would get a mailbox, the mailbox location, the mailbox number, and the mailbox key when they close, but I received none of these and now have spent many hours over 2 days still with no solution!

Are my expectations too high? And wondering if others have had problems like this?

Contact the Villages sales office to find the mail station and box number assigned to your house. If your ZIP code is 32162 or 32163 go to the post office and tell them the mail station and box number, pay the fee, and they will install a new lock and key. Also, put a weekly hold on your mail delivery and instruct the post office that you will pick up your mail. That gives them incentive to fix the lock.

[Dusty_Star]

Originally Posted by GoneFishing

When we had our mailbox lock changed after closing, we went to Lady Lake PO. They gave us 2 keys and said the third key would be in the box when the lock was installed. Sure enough there it was. No problem.

Do you recall if this was the PO off of 441 or the one off of 25? Thanks!

[Velvet]

I had a hard time getting any of my keys to the house I bought. I closed remotely. I think the agent wanted to be my property manager while I was away. Finally, I wrote on the title company document, they will get paid WHEN all the keys ARE in my hand. Of course they complained about it, but they ended up notifying the real estate company the agent worked for. The keys arrived pronto.

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by Dusty_Star

Do you recall if this was the PO off of 441 or the one off of 25? Thanks!

There is only one Lady Lake main PO……….

[robbroyy]

Go to the post office located next to El Rancherito off of 441. The post office on Teague no longer handles this. I was told by them that this is a common request…they process 4-5 requests per day on average.

[shut the front door]

Originally Posted by robbroyy

Go to the post office located next to El Rancherito off of 441. The post office on Teague no longer handles this. I was told by them that this is a common request…they process 4-5 requests per day on average.

The original post is over a month old. I'm pretty sure the OP has their mail by now.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by MrLonzo

OK, but how are the keys 'issued'? Do you have to go to the PO in Lady Lake?
I'm kind of wondering why the only post office that serves the Villages isn't more centrally located...

They're issued at closing.

[JMintzer]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

They're issued at closing.

You're supposed to get 3 keys. We only received 2. Some only get 1.

If the previous owners don't leave them, you're screwed... And some people lose them...