What do Homesteaders' do for mail?

[olywa1978]

My new property is COMPLETELY undeveloped and, despite the challenges (that this city-slicker is still getting used to) I'd rather keep it that way. I know a lot of people work on their properties while living elsewhere, but I have nowhere else to go, so I will be living on my property that has NOTHING on it. This means cancelling my po box in Washington and figuring out a mail system where I'll be at (Klamath County, Oregon). One of my neighbors told me that, to get a physical address assigned to your property that it needs to be developed (septic, water, power, etc.). I am flat broke and don't have an extra $20-50,000 laying around to do that. Is he correct? Can't have an address assigned to a primitive homestead? He also said that you can't get a po box there without a physical address. My only option seems to be "general delivery" at the local post office. Has anyone else used this method before? Is it sufficient? I'd rather walk down the road and open my mailbox with all my neighbors, but I suppose driving 10 miles to the post office once or twice a week can be managed. Any other ideas or opinions?

Crap! Sorry, I noticed I already asked a question about this before. I'll read that thread. Still like to hear from others that have done general delivery at the post office though. Sorry! Mike

[FarmboyBill]

See ya shoulda moved to Okla. I know where theres a gal can that used to be used as a mail box, and an old boot, nailed in the shank with the toe up.

When I moved here, the land was just as you say yours is. I stuck a mail box up as soon as the county put in the driveway. I even put it in the wrong place so that my kids would get to go to another school rather than the one they would have actually had to go to by where my place is. Stopped at the po office and told them I was there, and that was it. Didn't even put my name on the box.. Well the PO office Im SUPPOSED to be getting the mail from figured out my ruse, and had the county remove my box from where it was for 30yrs down to my driveway where it is now.

[Trainwrek]

I guess every state or area may be different. I just put up a mailbox when I got here, and nothing was even here. The mail deliverer gave me a number and that was it, i started getting mail delivered. Sometimes I would order something and it would say 'can not deliver, no such address'. But as time went on that happened less and less.

[wwubben]

Go in to the local post office and ask them how you can be served.

[AnnieinBC]

Nothing wrong with a General Delivery to the closest post office until you get a street address assigned to you.

We drive 20 minutes to get to our "local" post office Needless to say, I only go there once a week or so.

[kasilofhome]

Been there

Having worked for a developer for new subdivisions I knew that lots were all labeled with a legal. Such as

Lot 2 block 1 new homesteads 2014
NHN Broke lane
Plat number 45-2014 kenai district

NHN
was short for no house number

Well I took my deed which was not as nice of a legal as the above cause it was not divided and was a whole parcel

Long legal written meets and bounds a page long to read
And a copy of the plat
To the post office and three days latter I had a street address where the closest named road was provided and a note that the box had to be placed somewhere between two existing boxes. Note the existing boxes where like 12 miles from each other's .

I put my mail box up closest to my driveway avoiding a nasty curve for safety of the mailman per the height and other restrictions provided in the letter from the post office.

Worked well.

Warning there a year round open season on mailboxes. So make your post sturdy and get cheap mailboxes...... keep a spare one handy.

And yes, I have used gen delivery....had to show id. Never go more than a week or two between trips to the post office if you go that route. They will hold mail for like 30 days and since rural p.o.are small if you get lots of boxes the will not want there office overstepped with your stuff.


I shipped all my stuff a head of me and tons of boxes beat me to the location the postmaster was not pleased to say the least..... I failed to understand the limited space he had. Just do not make my mistake.

[ChristieAcres]

As others have posted, simply go in to the Post Office and ask for delivery. Best case, they tell you what to do (install mailbox, etc...). Worst case? You get General Delivery. Our property already had an address & mailbox, as there once was a mobile home here some years back.

[Gray Wolf]

Every county/city that I know of has an addressing person who assigns addresses. Contact the planning or building departments that govern your property and just ask them what your address is. It may well already be addressed, but if not, you will need the tax number(s) of your property and they will take it from there. If it's like here, there should be no cost to you.

We have done that for all the vacant property we own just so we could put up legit address signs and make people think there are 4 families living up our driveway instead of just us. It seems to discourage drifters from coming up the drive that don't know us - we get maybe 1 or 2 max. strangers a year now.

[FakeMountainMan]

I didn't need a local address to get my po box, though I was told by someone I needed one. I am in Missouri, and I just handed them my Texas ID and payed the fee.

[katlupe]

When we moved to our homestead (NY State) it was a hunting camp and had been so since 1923. No neighbors nearby, so there was no address for it. I had to contact the post office, and they had me contact whoever it was in charge of 911 addresses (I can't remember exactly who. Maybe the Fire station?). I did not have to develop it in any way, considering it is a big farm house (built in 1850), but had no electric, no septic, no running water, etc. No one said anything about that stuff. If I was you, I'd call and find out first, before believing what someone told you. Most of the time, they are wrong.

[simi-steading]

I was befuddled by mine at first.. even worried that UPS wouldn't deliver to the house..

I have a PO box because they won't deliver to my house. I've found that if I use the 911 street address of my house that the post office won't deliver to, it will still end up in my PO Box..

Now if I have no idea if what ever I am ordering is coming USPS or Fed-EX, I put the street address on it and I'll end up with it one way or another.

[halfpint]

When we were building our house, we were told that we had to put up a mailbox to get an address. Unfortunately they were not delivering on our road yet, and where they wanted us to put a mailbox was on private property and the owner told the PO that no boxes could be put up and they wanted the others that were there removed, so they gave us a PO box. When the PO had to assign addresses for 911 purposes, they decided to also begin delivering on our road (probably to avoid the free PO boxes they were providing) so I was able to get home delivery.

Dawn

[Yvonne's hubby]

I have no idea about how its done in your area, but when I first started building our house here, I just went to the county, told them I needed a physical address, they came out the next day, measured the distance my driveway was from the nearest state road, assigned me a number and that was the end of it. I have never put up a mail box, still get my mail at a po box in town. A lot less mischief happens that way, never have my mail pilfered by neighbors or have kids tearing down my mailbox.

[olywa1978]

Thanks for all the replies everyone! Next time I head down there I will visit the post office and see what they say.

[AZHomesteader]

I had to get a P.O.Box, we dont have mail service where i am at