what to do if your mailbox is vandalized

I'chiliad a tool guy and honey to put tools through the test. When I find a tool that can brand life'due south every 24-hour interval projects easier, I like to share.

Detect the rock at the bottom of the mailbox mail service. This was the second hitting and it's yet standing :)

eddiecarrara

Mailbox Vandalism

Mailbox vandalism was bad in my neighborhood, particularly on my side of the street. I was tired of picking my mailbox off the ground and duct-taping it back on the postal service. My neighbors used to laugh at me because of the duct tape. After duct taping my mailbox about four times, I decided I needed to do something to stop this from happening, just what?

Afterwards vandalism, my neighbors would go out and buy another cheap mailbox, but non me—I was fed up and fought back! I searched for indestructible mailboxes online and came upwards with the perfect solution. Now I have the last laugh as I bulldoze off to piece of work and everyone'south mailbox is on the ground except mine.

At first, I wasn't sure if it would work. Those kids were throwing large rocks and I wasn't sure if only a heavy duty mailbox would terminate it from happening, but I gave it a shot. Hither's my solution.

Indestructible Mailbox by Solar

Assembling My Mailbox

The get-go fourth dimension my new indestructible mailbox got hit, it broke off the post bracket because I only had information technology screwed to a piece of wood. I made a few modifications to ensure this would never happen over again.

1. I found a bracket kit that attached to the mailbox and the post bracket, so I bought 2 wood post adapter plates.
2. I mounted both wood post adapter plates on either side of the wood plate under the mailbox, then drilled two holes upwardly through the center of the mailbox from the lesser, through the postal service subclass, then the wooden plate that is sandwiched between the mailbox brackets.
3. I added a couple of large washers to the within of the mailbox and on the other end of the bolts, at the post bracket. This sucker wasn't going anywhere!

Where to Purchase an Indestructible Mailbox and Bracket

The mailbox and brackets I used are all on Amazon; the mailbox is made by Solar, and the brackets are standard steel mailbox brackets. I apply galvanized bolts for longevity, and I bought them at a local hardware store. The mail subclass I already had, but you tin can find one on Amazon as well.

I added all the products I used in the Amazon advertisements on this page, but like I said, every state of affairs is unique, and you may not demand everything I used. I like to overkill all my projects; I wanted to brand the mailbox as indestructible equally possible, because I hate doing things twice.

If you have any comments, please ask—I have fun helping people with this ongoing problem. I figure if I can come up with a solution for a trouble, why not share what I've learned? Information technology also calms me to know I am robbing some punk kid of his good time. Information technology brings a smile to my face.

The only harm sustained after the outset hit.

eddiecarrara

Fighting Mailbox Vandalism

I take had great success with my new indestructible mailbox. I can't stop the vandalism, but I tin fight back, and that'south what I did.

I wrote a blog on this same topic. Information technology started out equally a place to vent, but then people started asking questions and telling me their own stories. All I wanted to do is rant nigh how I debunked the punk corking my mailbox, but something else happened: I inspired other people to exercise the same, fight back.

• I came dwelling one day to discover my whole mailbox missing. I idea to myself "who does this and why?"
• One guy put lally columns (cement filled steel mail service) on both sides of his mailbox to protect information technology, so someone put an M80 explosive in it to prove a point.
• Another guy told me he bought the same mailbox I did and hung information technology from chains on a large postal service. If you hang a mailbox from a concatenation, information technology will not absorb the bear on—it will swing instead. He never had another trouble after that.

If you're having a problem with mailbox vandalism, you need to become creative with how to arroyo your state of affairs, considering every situation is unique.

This article is authentic and true to the best of the author'southward cognition. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in concern, financial, legal, or technical matters.

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Questions & Answers

Question: If a vandal injures himself while vandalizing your mailbox, are you legally responsible?

Answer: I know it's a federal offense to tamper with a mailbox, so I guess that decision would be upwards to the judge.

© 2011 Eddie Carrara

Eddie Carrara (author) from New Hampshire on May 28, 2019:

Hullo Sondra,

Sorry about your Dad passing :( merely he sounded like a Rebel :) I bet you could find someone in town to weld you a replacement, some people live and breath for this blazon of challenge!

SondraO on May 25, 2019:

My dad congenital on by burying an sometime metal milk bottle (Big) and sinking a steel piping into cement inside it. The acme of the pipe was threaded where he screwed on a flat eccusion that he then bolted to the steel plate, home made just like y'all have. With the plate affixed he then welded a steel box onto of the plate. Information technology ate m80's for breakfast for four decades. Two months ago, an actual bomb was placed inside and blew information technology apart, and 300 feet into our chiliad. The FBI took everything but the milk jug.!!! My begetter passed away and is not hither to build another one. I wish I could get some other one merely don't take any idea how to weld!! But that box had longevity!!

Eddie Carrara (author) from New Hampshire on January 16, 2019:

The first affair I would exercise is set up the mailbox, and so I would set upwardly a camera to catch them in the human activity. If all goes well you could bring information technology to the local authorities because it'due south a federal offense to tamper with the U.s. postal service.

AMTre on January 15, 2019:

My family moved to a new location in a bit of a subconscious expanse. It seemed nice at kickoff still things quickly changed. Someone was in the swing of hitting and knocking off the mailbox posts!! Seeing this on a regular basis blocks were placed around the post. So the pole eventually stopped getting hit. Yet now my mailbox is knocked off the pole. The bad thing is I lnow its my mailman. What can i do? We just pulled into our driveway. I looked out saw the mailman coming and said oh good hes finally made his manner here. We walked down the driveway after seeing him stop and go. We got there our mailbox was on the footing and no post. Then its rather self explanatory he stopped by to deliver mail he hitting the mail box said forget it and simply mobed on. What can i do?

Eddie Carrara (author) from New Hampshire on May 31, 2017:

Hi Joann,

Solar makes a heavy duty 1/8th-inch steel mailbox, maybe you could notice a mobile welder to attach it to your postal service, or take the box hang from chains so when the kids hit it, information technology just swings out of the way?

joann on May 28, 2017:

Some how I need to find a very stiff box alone I've had 3 from home depot but they all got destroyed fifty-fifty with reinforced bracket please assistance me fight back

Eddie Carrara (author) from New Hampshire on July 25, 2016:

Hi Quizative,

I think if you just get creative with your state of affairs and try to recall out of the box, you can prevent most mailbox disasters, but certainly not all. You lot could put up a motility sensor camera temporarily just to get a license plate :)

Hey MKL,

If they want to kill your mailbox, they'll detect a mode. The Solar mailbox is pretty thick and should withstand an M80, the door may blow off, but that'south about it.

Hi RTalloni,

I remember you're correct, kids out in the country get board and have a lot of idle time. Drinking and mailbox baseball is probably an old pastime for them lol. Thank you for the feedback :)

RTalloni on July 21, 2016:

Neat hub and comments offer more solutions that are certainly worth trying. In driving through the countryside in other states we often see mailboxes that are encased in stone structures. I think the designs are more about this trouble than maybe the homeowner enjoying a bit of a DIY projection with rocks found on the belongings when building a firm.

MKL on July ten, 2016:

We had i of the steel mailboxes, lasted a long time until lastnight. They blew it to pieces! Not sure how to gainsay that i.

Quizative on June 18, 2016:

I wish you had more pictures and step past step what you did. Besides, a website link, especially for the BatGrabber. I couldn't notice information technology. Cheers for all of the ideas guys! Nosotros take a stinker in our neighborhood. Does anyone know of a photographic camera that takes a picture show of the idiot as he swings?!!!

Eddie Carrara (author) from New Hampshire on Dec 28, 2014:

Great story Just like dad, nosotros will try annihilation to to cease mailbox vandalism, fifty-fifty if we get a little crazy with the pipes and steel, lol.

Just Similar Dad on December 27, 2014:

My dad had had enough when the family mailbox kept getting striking. He had a custom mailbox made of 1/4 inch steel in the shape of a regular mailbox with a flag and everything. This was WELDED together then WELDED onto a half dozen foot long 1/4 inch thick steel pipe about 6 inches in diameter. We cached this in the ground. My dad figured if anyone ever hit the mailbox again, either the bat or an arm would break, but non the mailbox. It's still standing 20 years subsequently, and probably volition be forever.

I telephone call myself "just like dad" because at present I live in my ain home and my mailbox got hit on Christmas day! So, I got a new 1 and built a muzzle around it using black steel pipe attached to the post. That should discourage anyone!

Eddie Carrara (writer) from New Hampshire on September 06, 2014:

Your welcome Amelia, I had a problem for a long fourth dimension (2 years) since we put up the new mailbox, we have had people try, just no luck on their end,lol. I'm not certain how to stop someone from bankroll over it, maybe a fire hydrant base, lol but I hope you got some good ideas.

Amelia LP on September 04, 2014:

Our neighbors (people that are fifty+ mind you) actually purposely hit ours with their cars and the post bends. We're planning on doing something better and studier, thanks for the info :-)

Eddie Carrara (writer) from New Hampshire on February 11, 2014:

Hi Apw5746, I know the feeling, what'due south the po? Postal service office box?

apw5746 on February 11, 2014:

someone has information technology out for me. i had the darn post and box completely bent and box torn off. for peace of listen, i'1000 headed to the po and pay for peace of mind. i'm tired of replacing them.

Eddie Carrara (writer) from New Hampshire on June 12, 2013:

I think I accept seen your mailbox Wilderness, lol. At our last house, everyone on the street had the problem, then they would supervene upon the destroyed mailbox with another inexpensive mailbox, I decided to go with something a little more resistant to baseball bats from Solar. The next inning, my mailbox was the only one continuing on our street, slightly damaged from the 5lb stone, but even so standing :)

Thanks for the comment Wilderness and the tips, don't feel also bad for the teen with the missing window, lol.

Dan Harmon from Boise, Idaho on June 11, 2013:

Seems that many of us have the trouble. My solution was to use some long steel four" bore rod from worn out pumps. It was corkscrewed and chromed and actually looked pretty nice. Ii of them welded together were most eight feet long.

I welded a 1/2" thick steel plate onto the post, sticking out to mount a cheap mailbox onto and concreted information technology into the ground 4' deep. The mail service office complained because a car hitting it would suffer considerable damage, but didn't make me take it out.

Now, a bat hit the mailbox just right would destroy the mailbox, simply miss just a small amount and striking that steel plate, or worse the post itself, and the bat is coming correct back at you. At that place was absolutely no give anywhere in the supporting post. I did lose one more than box, and noticed a local teen missing a rear passenger window for some time after that, just that was all.

Eddie Carrara (author) from New Hampshire on April 25, 2013:

Hi Jim :) you da man!!

I honey the device and volition add together this suggestion to me article, this is a great tip for people like me who accept an on going problem with punks. The kids aren't always punks, they're jut not thinking, only nun the less, love the idea, and the kids won't take time to recall twice, lol, thanks.

Jim Williams on April 24, 2013:

I just got through reading your article and take a suggestion. You play fire with fire, which is fine, simply maybe up your burn a flake and brand the vandals think twice earlier hit you mailbox.

If y'all have a drive by batting of your mailbox, practise what a friend of mine did. His mailbox was getting smashed almost every week by a drive by batting. Information technology was actually prevailent in his neighborhood. He looked online and installed something chosen a "BatGrabber".

What this thing does is, start you install information technology on your mailbox, on the side that normally takes the bat, and sit back and wait. The device is nothing more than an outer plastic tube, but within that tube are sharp steel band nails attached to an aluminum anchor. When a wooden bat strikes the plastic tubing, it deforms and breaks open, exposing the ring nails. The ring nails then firmly embed themselves in the bat, ripping the bat make clean out of the hands of the vandal. The ring nails dig themselves so deep in the bat that you litterally need a crowbar to remove the bat!

Now, with my friend, he installed this little device and waited. Sure enough, iii days later on, his box was hitting over again by the drive past batters. This fourth dimension, nonetheless, the bat was stuck to the BatGrabber, ripping the bat clean out of his hands, resulting in three cleaved fingers. (That is how they defenseless the people responsible ultimately). Needless to say, his mailbox was never hit again.

Eddie Carrara (author) from New Hampshire on January 13, 2013:

Hey CJay44,

If you were to mount the solar mailbox (I describe in the commodity) by chains, it would totally solve your problem. The mailbox is extremely heavy duty, and when you hang information technology past chains, the mailbox tin can't absorb the hit considering it will swing on the chains. Hope this helps, and thanks for the comment.

CJay44 on January 13, 2013:

My mailbox is hanging on by using wire later on being hit many times by trucks, cars, baseball game bats. etc..

I have two choices:

1) buy a new mailbox and hang it using chains, identify large rocks around the mailbox surface area. Many people by me employ the large rock technique.

2) get a PO box which might be easier, I have to look into this.

Eddie Carrara (writer) from New Hampshire on September 04, 2012:

Ellandriel, I one time had a mailbox built within a cinder block business firm, and so a truck came downward the route, slid on the ice, and turned the cinder cake house into crushed stone, haha, I couldn't win!

Yep Pamela, some stories have a happy ending, but not the kids playing mailbox baseball, lol. Cheers for the comment.

Pamela-anne from Miller Lake on September 04, 2012:

Great hub glad to hear that you were able to gather yourself the indestructible mailbox this story had a happy catastrophe!

Ellandriel from Portugal on September 04, 2012:

Start making them like in Portugal. In the wall of the business firm! In the front end door... well you lot don't see kids hit them hither with baseball bats!

ihih kidding!!!

Eddie Carrara (writer) from New Hampshire on December 01, 2011:

Thank you MM, I know a lot of people search for answers about mailbox vandalism because of the number of visitors that come up to my blog :) Thanks for the vote up.

Movie Master from United Kingdom on December 01, 2011:

I don't have a mailbox eddie, but I still enjoyed your hub and I'm certain lots of people volition find it useful, voting up, best wishes MM

Eddie Carrara (author) from New Hampshire on December 01, 2011:

Thanks Dr Pecker, I had my fair share of information technology, but I got to my tipping point, thought I would share :)

Bill Tollefson from Southwest Florida on December 01, 2011:

Thanks for the Hub article. Keen points. I think in that location is besides much mailbox vandalism that happens. Great you bought this out. I voted it upward and useful.

Eddie Carrara (author) from New Hampshire on December 01, 2011:

Thank you Kimberley, I appreciate the vote up :)

Kimberley Lane from Northward.West.Pacific Coast, USA on November xxx, 2011:

nice article, eddiecarrara. Voted up!

Eddie Carrara (author) from New Hampshire on November 29, 2011:

Hey brittanytodd, I lived in an flat a while agone and that's was the first time I had mailbox problems, I came habitation to my mailbox missing, it was a three family with all individual mailboxes, when I got abode it was gone, my identity was never stolen, and so that was a good thing. Thanks for the vote up :)

Brittany Kennedy from Kailua-Kona, Hawaii on November 29, 2011:

This is a great hub! I wish I had a mailbox in club to try it out (but I alive in an apartment right now). I know a ton of people who are victims of mailbox vandalism. Voted up, etc!

beasleythock1965.blogspot.com

Source: https://dengarden.com/misc/How-to-Stop-Mailbox-Vandalism

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