How do you obtain key for your post office box as a newbie?

[graciegirl]

We came home and realized that we didn't know our post office box number and didn't have a key. How does that work?

We did find the local paper available at the place the mail comes, for a quarter. I love the Village Sun. Lots of things of interest and enough off the national and international wires to keep abreast. Someone told us that we could stop and start the paper anytime. I thought that was nice. I have to have coffee and a paper in the morning.

We didn't bring or buy new Television sets this trip, being it was just a first settling in. For the ten days we were there we were almost cut off from the world. I was pretty worried about the really dark skies before the rain, they are so much darker in the tropics. I was glad for the paper, it is funny how addicted we are to the instant news nowadays though.

[ldj1938]

At closing you will get two keys and they will get your $100!

[graciegirl]

At closing you will get two keys and they will get your $100!


We closed through the mail and picked up our house keys, no mailbox keys. We had our pictures made for the cards, still nothing said.

Why does it cost a hundred dollars? Or is that a stupid question?

[villages07]

Unless the procedure has changed, you go to "Jane's Outpost" in Lake Sumter Landing, across from the pretty Key West bathrooms. She dispenses the mailbox keys. You probably paid any mailbox setup fee in your closing costs. As I recall, the Post Office won't start delivering to your box until the keys are picked up.

[Muncle]

We came home and realized that we didn't know our post office box number and didn't have a key. How does that work?

We did find the local paper available at the place the mail comes, for a quarter. I love the Village Sun. Lots of things of interest and enough off the national and international wires to keep abreast. Someone told us that we could stop and start the paper anytime. I thought that was nice. I have to have coffee and a paper in the morning.

We didn't bring or buy new Television sets this trip, being it was just a first settling in. For the ten days we were there we were almost cut off from the world. I was pretty worried about the really dark skies before the rain, they are so much darker in the tropics. I was glad for the paper, it is funny how addicted we are to the instant news nowadays though.

Gracie, you can also get the Orlando Slantenal delivered to your driveway every morning at a real reasonable cost.

https://extra.orlandosentinel.com/secure/subscribe2005/

It's not a bad paper as long as you keep a really big grain of salt available for their Op/Ed and any articles about TV, but it is a bit better than the Daily Sun for national and world news. And they have a section devoted to Lake County, which occasionally addresses Villages stuff.

This would be "in addition to" not "instead of" the Sun. Unfortunately, the St, Pete's Times does not deliver here, so you gotta find a machine that's working.

[jojo]

Can anyone answer the question posted earlier? Why $100 for a mailbox key? And do you get it back ever?

[redwitch]

I know that when my mailbox key was lost, the fee was $15 to replace it. ID card $15. Gate pass $15. My guess that is that would be part of the $100. Who knows what else would be included?

[nanci2539]

We are having a home built in Hemingway and will close end of Sept. I have a key (3) and mailbox but it cost me $190! Because we are renting here until we close, our TV rep made it possible for us to have a mailbox now so we could have our mail forwarded to our new address. But I'm now wondering why I paid $190!

Anyone know?

[jerseygirl008]

I closed on my villa 5/23 and at closing asked the question: "Isn't $190 for 3 keys kind of ridiculous?" i was told everybody pays that upfront and when you move you get $100 back when you turn in your keys. So, knowing I'm going to be a "croaker", I commented that I will never get the $100 back. Was told, "administrative costs/cost of running Jane's Outpost, just think of it that way". It was the only bone of contention I had at my closing. BTW, I DID go to closing without an attorney and was pleasantly, happily surprised at how it all went down. My TV realtor, Susan Berman, was awesome for me. Everybody warned the TV realtors are all for the seller. NOT! Susan was wham-bam-thank-you-maam and she got the work done (on my behalf) more efficiently than I've ever seen it done. She really represented me well. I'd encourage everyone to call her if you need a TV realtor who won't waste your time. She's the lady.

[Sidney Lanier]

That's a key deposit, and for 'frogs,' be grateful to live a long life in TV and not have to think about getting the deposit back. We bought privately and did not use a lawyer, nor did the sellers; everything was handled at McLin & Burnsed in their LSL offices, including the keys and the ID cards and traffic gate 'openers.' Also no real estate salesperson and things went extraordinarily smoothly; they really have it down to a science!

[thegreenerside]

Thgy must have raised the key charge $90 to help offset the class action suit, or better yet maybe Morse is getting ready to settle the Buffalo lawsuit and needs to recoup that expense.

[rdmills]

If I remember correctly, (we moved in 2000) the $100.00 was the construction cost of the mail facility. That money is like your bond that pays for the infrastructure. You can always call the help center.

[Autoshow]

The 100 dollars is a one time cost for the mail box,that was explained at the closing

[JohnN]

well, I've not ever had to pay for a mailbox before and $190 sounds a bit steep,
regardless, everyone seems to have their hand in my pocket these days and this is just one more instance, just have to bear with it

[wdwduo]

If you have someone minding your home in TV, they can pick up the PO Box keys for you and forward any mail that makes it to the box. Jane's Outpost stated they'll need a letter from you authoring your agent to pick up the keys. Just did this.
LED

[macgolfnut]

We bought in April and are coming down next week for our walkthrough and the delivery of some furniture. We are really excited about our future life in TV, but this one really came as a shock. I have never heard of anywhere in the country where you have to pay to have your mail delivered. The post office has an easier job because there are no mailboxes in front of the houses, and then we have to pay $190 for the privilege of having to travel to the postal facility? The cost of these facilities should be taken care of with our bond payments. I consider this a major ripoff and I can't believe people haven't had major complaints about it. This was never brought up in our closing. What does Jane's Outpost have to do with the the mail anyway. Any payment should be handled through the US Postal Service, not some private company. BUT THERE SHOULDN'T BE ANY PAYMENT IN THE FIRST PLACE.

[thegreenerside]

macgolfnut - Welcome to The Villages where nothing is free. Wait until you have to pay for your golf as well. We have found that you are nickled and dimed for everything in Florida. The best charge I like is having to pay extra on my Insurance because other people don't have insurance. Make sure you bring your five gallon water jug full of coins to pay the most ridiculous fees.

[zcaveman]

I checked and back in 2001, they hit me up for $100 for Mailbox Fee (one time charge). I never thought to ask what it was for. I guess it was to offset the cost of building the mail stop.

[graciegirl]

I just remembered something that might take the "sting" out of this. If you get a package, such as prescription drugs, the package is kept in a separate air conditioned area at the post office pick up.

Didn't I hear this, read this?