[MrFlorida]

Mail boxes are in order of your street address, they have stools there.

[Wondering]

Originally Posted by flamilak

My husband and I just closed on our house and we are so excited! The excitement, however, is slightly dampened since we are unable to reach our mailbox and we have come upon several road blocks attempting to fix the problem.
My husband and I are both little people, he is just under 5’ tall and I am just over 4’ tall.
The mailbox assigned to the house we bought is on the top row.
The post office & the District.gov ADA rep both say mail boxes are assigned by The Villages sales center. TV sales center, however says it’s the post office.
Has anyone else come across this problem or maybe you know someone who has.
Thank you so much for any help,
Sandi & Frank

Why don't you ask the mail carrier? He/She may be able to switch your but don't know who controls the keys for the boxes.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by Wondering

Why don't you ask the mail carrier? He/She may be able to switch your but don't know who controls the keys for the boxes.

The keys are controlled by the Post Office, not by the mail carrier or the contractor employees who deliver the mail.

[Deden]

Hope u don't fall.

[OBRight]

I'm just the opposite, I'm 6'7" and our box was on the bottom row. My knees don't flex as well as they once did so many times trying to get the mail I would end up pushing a few pieces out of the box and back onto the floor inside. Luckily when we sold that CYV and purchased a designer home in a different village we got a box in the middle we could both easily reach.

[dewilson58]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

The keys are controlled by the Post Office, not by the mail carrier or the contractor employees who deliver the mail.

They may be, but as stated in #7, our neighbor was able to have their box moved by "the mail carrier". Our neighbor asked "the mail carrier" and it was done.

[JMintzer]

Sorry for the OP's problem. Looks like you've received more than a few suggestions. Some helpful, some not...

That said, my unhelpful post is that we got lucky. We have the "Goldilocks" of mailboxes.

It is in the middle row, dead center, facing forwards, towards the parking lot. Just right...

[jjombrello]

This is what we were told, also. I purchased a collapsible step stool at an RV store that has been very handy for reaching those places that are inches out of reach. Might be worth considering.

[villagetinker]

OP, if all else fails, you could try getting a box at one of the pack and ship stores specifically asking for one that is at a good height, and have your mail forwarded to that location. I would still check your original box at least once a week, it will probably be full of junk mail...

[kcrazorbackfan]

Originally Posted by asianthree

We were told by post office, TV, and the mail person boxes are in order of house addresses and can’t be changed. If there is a problem reaching mail, a step stool is located at mail station. Still won’t hurt to ask

Old people on step stools? That’s an accident waiting to happen…

[DAVES]

Originally Posted by flamilak

My husband and I just closed on our house and we are so excited! The excitement, however, is slightly dampened since we are unable to reach our mailbox and we have come upon several road blocks attempting to fix the problem.
My husband and I are both little people, he is just under 5’ tall and I am just over 4’ tall.
The mailbox assigned to the house we bought is on the top row.
The post office & the District.gov ADA rep both say mail boxes are assigned by The Villages sales center. TV sales center, however says it’s the post office.
Has anyone else come across this problem or maybe you know someone who has.
Thank you so much for any help,
Sandi & Frank

I assume it is the luck of the draw. The people who sort the mail into the boxes likely have it in numerical order. messing with it will likely cause a mess for them. I have a box that is too low and I have a bad back. Truth, I am no longer in business. Someone thinks I need a cremation.
I do not bother to pick up the mail more often than every two days.

You may explore renting a box at the post office.

[asianthree]

Originally Posted by kcrazorbackfan

Old people on step stools? That’s an accident waiting to happen…

Not everyone is old or just maybe in better shape than many. We have 2 step stools at our station and at our other two mail stations. They are step height, wide enough for both feet to fit while standing.

My mom is 90 goes upstairs to bedroom and downstairs to do laundry. A step stool is in her kitchen to get to some cabinets. I have tried to get her to move to one of our homes with first floor bed and laundry, NO, stop treating me like an old person. Not everyone has balance issues.
I certainly have learned not to help unless I am asked here in TV, Or anywhere else

[flamilak]

Originally Posted by MandoMan

I’m tempted to laugh because I’m 6’3”, and while my original box here happened to be on the top row, which I could reach with no problem, I recently moved to another village, and now my box is on the next to lowest row, and I feel like a giraffe trying to reach it and see inside. I’m tempted to laugh, but the fact is, there are plenty of people who are closer to 5’ than to 6’ and simply can’t reach the top row of boxes. There are others with shoulder and neck issues that keep them from reaching that high. Some people using mobility scooters may not be able to reach the top four rows and the bottom two. I don’t recall seeing a stool or step ladder around, but those are not without risks themselves. I certainly would not want my 94 year old dad climbing onto any stool or ladder at all.

I think tall people like me should always watch out for people with your predicament and be willing to help. Don’t be afraid to ask. It’s a good start in making friends.

Thank you very much for that!

[flamilak]

Originally Posted by Dusty_Star

I would try what might be somewhat of a combination of advice. First ask taller people to help you. I am probably mid-size (5'6"), & I love helping shorter people to get items off of shelves or mail boxes. It gives a little lift to my day that I was able to be helpful. While doing this be on the lookout for a tall person with an uncomfortably low box, for them. Then see if they would be amenable to switching. When you ask the postal station employee, if you present the two requests together, then that should make it easier for them to make the switch, rather than having to find an unused lower box. Good luck.

Excellent outlook and wonderful reply.
Thank you!

[flamilak]

Thank you all for your replies!
We will ask the mail carrier, for sure. If that doesn’t work, maybe a light two-step stepstool with a handle.