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LOCKING MAILBOXES :
A Capital Improvement or a Fraud in Disguise ?
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Problem with mailboxes is NOT the current hot issue. IT WAS OUR HOT ISSUE TWO YEARS AGO. That's the ONLY reason we agreed on paying extra $60.00 (sixty dollars) for that project which the board pledged to do in the annual meeting on October 23, 2000. I, being naive and unaware of the CCR, was a force behind the 'board' to push for this special assessment of $60.00. Two years passed without a word, without an annual meeting, without a sign of any improvement on the mailbox concern.
At the November 21, 2002 annual membership meeting, after a brief presentation of a letter from the Post Office dealing with locking mailboxes, [previously volunteered president] showed a quick and basic calculation: "with this deal the cost is $75.00 per house; the previous available fund is $2,000.00, so the final cost of each household is $55.00," and asked for a vote. The board never presented in details any concrete arrangement, meeting, or proposal with the post office. A member questioned on $6,000.00 (almost) levied 2 years ago for the locking mailboxes. No answer! Later, I learned that generic pamphlet is available for public at the post office. The cost quoted in the pamphlet ($75.00 minimum) is just a SUGGESTION, not the final calculation.
There was no checking mechanism to verify the votes, the vote tabulation was never announced; just a proclamation "The mailbox vote passed!" My question of vote count was again ignored. Even now, I don't know of the vote count or the percentages. The integrity and validity of the vote are at stake. Then on Jan 8, [previously volunteered president] announced of FREE locking-mailboxes in his e-mail:
Date: Wed, 8 Jan 2003 00:35:00 EST
From: [previously volunteered president]
Subject: Good and Bad news on the locking mailbox's
To: [some members of the association requested to be informed]
I finally got a call from the USPS (post office). They are ready to put in the locking mailbox's. First the bad news [2 staffs] of the USPS came around the neighborhood and checked things out, and for a 98 house division they can only give us 7 boxes (12residence in each) they don't allow empty boxes. We have 11 mailbox Kiosks in the neighborhood so 4 wouldn't be in use. They asked me if we would be able to put all the boxes at one site. I told them this wasn't what was discussed and I couldn't go for that. After several phone calls and some haggling, they offered to install all 7boxes FOR FREE, on the condition we find one centrally located area for all the boxes. I may be able to talk them into two separate area's one for each side of our neighborhood, but I need to know if this is OK with my fellow board members. This would save the homeowners $5390 ($55 X 98) not to mention $2000 for our budget for a total of $7390.00 which could be used to build one or two large covers for the new boxes or put towards improving the areas since it will be a common area for all the residence. This is up to you guys, but I did the best I could since they were unwilling to use our plan that was drawn up. I need immediate responses from everyone as the contractors can install them Thursday or Friday this week or we will have to wait two months until they are in the Federal Way area again. This would help everyone with our new budget instead of paying $145 and another $90 in 6months now it would be reduced to two equal payments of $90. What do you guys think. Email or call me ASAP Thank you [previously volunteered president]
Everybody is confused. If the locking mailbox is free why there is a $55.00 levy on the notice sent out by the CDC at the end of January?
I decided to check with the post office on the locking-mailbox concern. Here are the possibilities:
Buy an USPS approved individual "locking curbside mailbox" and replace the current one
Form the own neighborhood group, buy a "Cluster Box Unit", contract out for installation with the approval of the local US POSTMASTER, so the mail carrier would be able to access those units.
Work with the neighbors and EVERYBODY in that area must sign in the consent paper, then turn in to the US Postal Service. USPS will take care of everything. It must be voluntary; so if a homeowner does not want to pay, the rest have to pitch in to cover the final cost while that homeowner still is assigned a box of the cluster!
A month later, I made a request of proposal for our local cluster of 7 houses. The USPS responded with a form for group signatures and a break down of $179.00 (one hundred seventy nine dollars) per homeowners (seven) and THAT'S A DISCOUNT PRICE. I questioned the $75.00 quote and was explained:
The costs of 8-12-16 units are very close ($900 for 8 unit box, and $1,050 for 16 unit box) so it makes a big different to individual mailboxes. The installation fee is the same $350.00. For the 8-unit box, the total cost is $1250.00 and each of 8 homeowners would pay $156.00 (for our group of 7, we have to pay $179). For 16-unit box, the total cost is $1,400.00 and each of 16 would pay $88.00. This reflect the CURRENT price which is differed from price of the year-old brochure!
Unfortunately, the proposal was fell through because some homeowners did not want to participate and the others did not feel right to pay for someone else's benefits.
Now the CDC staff steps in with a big fanfare:
A couple of owners have inquired about not wanting to participate in the mailbox improvement. If the community approves one of the options per the requirements of the Declaration, it becomes binding on all owners. If there is any special assessment to be collected to pay for them, each owner regardless of need will be obligated to pay as members of the Association. [February 25, 03 letter]
Due to limited information provided by this group of volunteers and CDC staff, the costs of locking mailboxes are EVENLY calculated to lotowners. Accordingly, the cost is $145.00 (one hundred forty five dollars) per household. This amount ALREADY reflects the adjustment of $2,000.00 (two thousand dollars) --or $20.00 per household-- collected "previously for the project" (i.e. in January 2001 assessment). The project, advocated by those volunteers and CDC staff, would cost :
$16, 210.00 ($145.00 @ 98 lots = $14,210.00 PLUS $2,000.00).
TRUE COST PER HOMEOWNERS FOR 98 LOTS = $165.41 ($16,210.00 / 98)
Searching internet reveals the following information:
| INTERNET VENDORS |
Post |
8 Boxes |
12 Boxes |
13 Boxes |
16 Boxes |
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| http://www.mailboxesresidential.com/ | (included) | 1,045.00 | 1,125.00 | 1,125.00 | 1,145.00 |
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| http://www.mailboxes.com/ | 75.00 | 1,125.00 | 1,175.00 | 1,150.00 | 1,225.00 |
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| http://www.mailboxworks.com/ | (included) | 1,045.00 | 1,125.00 | 1,135.00 | 1,145.00 |
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| http://www.mailboxsolutions.com/cbu2.html | (included) | 1,125.00 | 1,125.00 | 1,140.00 | 1,155.00 |
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There are 11 mailbox kiosks in the Campus Glen neighborhood with different number of mailboxes. One has SIX mailboxes, some have 7, 8, 9, 11, and even 15 mailboxes. Consequently the costs per mailbox will be different for each homeowners depend on the size of their own clusters. The group of 6 mailboxes will have to pay $232.50 (two hundred thirty two dollard and fifty cents) because 8-unit box is the smallest available cluster. The group of 15 mailboxes will have to pay $99.67 (ninety nine dollard and sixty-seven cents). The prices of mailbox clusters are the cheapest ones, the installation cost is from the USPS's information sheet.
Here is the analysis of the true cost of each locking mailboxes (by clusters) :
| Post # |
Boxsizes |
# Lots |
Unit Cost |
Installation |
Final Cost |
Per Lots |
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1  | 8 | 7 | 1,045.00 | 350.00 | 1,395.00 | 199.29 |
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| 2 | 16 | 15 | 1,145.00 | 350.00 | 1,495.00 | 99.67 |
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| 3 | 8 | 8 | 1,045.00 | 350.00 | 1,395.00 | 174.38 |
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| 4 | 12 | 9 | 1,125.00 | 350.00 | 1,475.00 | 163.89 |
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| 5 | 12 | 10 | 1,125.00 | 350.00 | 1,475.00 | 147.50 |
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| 6 | 12 | 9 | 1,125.00 | 350.00 | 1,475.00 | 163.89 |
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| 7 | 8 | 7 | 1,045.00 | 350.00 | 1,395.00 | 199.29 |
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| 8 | 8 | 8 | 1,045.00 | 350.00 | 1,395.00 | 174.38 |
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| 9 | 8 | 7 | 1,045.00 | 350.00 | 1,395.00 | 199.29 |
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| 10 | 12 | 11 | 1,125.00 | 350.00 | 1,475.00 | 134.09 |
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| 11 | 8 | 6 | 1,045.00 | 350.00 | 1,395.00 | 232.50 |
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| ALL |
112 |
97 |
11,915.00 |
3,850.00 |
15,765.00 |
162.53 |
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Truthfully, the project is basically designed to force some homeowners not only paying for their real costs of locking mailboxes, but also paying for SOMEONE ELSE'S MAILBOXES ! . . . There is NO justification / criteria of pooling the costs together.
Then, WHAT DOES THE DECLARATION SAY . . .
. . . . . [N]othing herein contained shall be construed to give the Board authority to conduct a business for profit on behalf of all the Owners or any of them. [Article XI, Section 3, letter 'q']
Is the project, advocated by those volunteers and CDC staff, a Capital Improvement or a Fraud in Disguise ?
YOU MAKE THE CALL ! ! !
I REFUSE OF TAKING PARTS OR SUPPORTING this scheme of cheating and stealing moneys from someones to pay for others, even for myself ! I WILL CHALLENGE any unjusticed charges.
 Withholding information related to the purpose of the special meeting of the members.
On the CDC headed letter dated February 14, 2003 :
The purpose of the meeting is to discuss and vote on possible changes to the mailbox replacement project. New information presented to the Board of Directors by the local Postmaster affects the number of mailbox clusters, their location and the cost.
On the CDC headed letter dated February 25, 2003 :
Each owner should have received a notice regarding a special meeting of the Campus Glen Homeowners Association on March 6, 2003. It will be held at the King County Regional Library on 1st Avenue in Federal Way. The time is 7:00 PM. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss improving the mailboxes in the community to U.S. Postmaster approved locked boxes. The purpose of considering this improvement is due to mail theft and identity fraud that has affected some owners in the community. While this improvement was discussed and approved by the membership at the Annual Meeting last December, new information necessitates the community to become involved to approve the final plan.
The Board of Directors and I, as your manager have been working with the local Post Office station manager recently on the possible options and costs associated with this suggested improvement. At the meeting, each option will be presented to the community and invite your input. As a community you will have an opportunity to vote for one of the available options after hearing their elements. The details of the options are still being worked out and therefore I am unable to describe them to you in this newsletter. Your participation is welcome. This is an opportunity for the community membership to become involved in a positive way in steering the outcome of this issue.
Nothing is included with those letters. It's similar to the "car-sale" tactic. You will get the information if you attend the meeting. You have to make decision AT the meeting! That's is NOT a regular business practice. "Attending the meeting or not" is irrelevant to the requirement of providing appropriate information so the members can have time to study the issues, investigating alternatives before making any commitment to a project. It takes times.
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