County not liable for mailbox damage caused by snowplowing

The Daily Inter Lake

The Flathead County Road Department has been barraged with complaints from residents whose mailboxes have been damaged by snowplowing - but there's not much the county can do to correct the problem, according to Public Works Director Dave Prunty.

"By no means are we trying to take out mailboxes," he said, explaining that mailbox damage most often is caused by the force of the snow knocking boxes off posts or denting them, not the plows running over the boxes.

With the recent heavy snowfall in the county, plows have been out more often. State snowplows likewise cause damage, Prunty said.

Flathead County commissioners passed a resolution in 1994 declaring that the county is not liable for replacement or repair of any mailbox damaged in the course of county road maintenance.

The resolution also said new mailbox installations must comply with state Department of Transportation requirements regarding setbacks and road pullouts.

Informational packets about how to properly install mailboxes are available at the county road department or local post offices.