Some Flathead County residents have complained that their mailboxes are being damaged by county snow plows.
But, the county responds that that’s the price homeowners have to pay if they want plowed roads.
The Flathead County Road and Bridge Department says mailboxes are considered an encroachment on the county’s right of way.
This means landowners are responsible for any damage a plow does to a mailbox. This could be from a plow physically hitting the mailbox or the weight of the snow, that’s being plowed, pushes the mailbox over.
KCFW-TV reports that the number one concern of county maintenance is safety, not mailboxes.
Flathead County Road and Bridge Supervisor Ovila Byrd advises homeowners to move the mailbox back 3 feet from the road surface and anchor it well.