When we moved into our house the very first thing I did was change the exterior door locks. The front door received a new deadbolt and locking handle. The back door was keyed to match. Thereafter, a new garage door opener was installed.

There was one lock I didn’t change: the mailbox. Our condo complex has a front gate (entered via keypad or actual key) and a group of mailboxes which use cam-style locks. I figured the former owner changed addresses, the HOA would change the gate lock, and that would be that.

Wrong.

The HOA didn’t change the community key code or re-key the front gate lock. Bad idea overall but here’s the kicker… At my first HOA meeting the President mentioned the former owner was going into our mailbox to fetch her mail. The next day I was back at the locksmith buying a mailbox lock.

A consultation with the local Postmaster revealed that if someone steals or vandalizes mail it is a Federal crime. Simply opening the box to retrieve your old mail is OK. Maybe “not OK” but not worthy of enforcement.

A few days later my wife gets a knock at the door. The former owner, all smiles, asks why we changed the mailbox key (incredible, no?) and if we’d be so kind as to place her mail on top of the mailbox so she could get it. My wife suggested a Change of Address form with the Post Office at which point the other woman replied “oh, you know how long the Post Office gets around to forwarding your mail.”

Yes, I do. About two days once they receive your form.

Did we separate her mail? Of course not. Within a couple of weeks none of her important mail was showing up; I’m guessing she got around to updating her address with the Post Office.

Lesson learned… When you move, be sure and change every lock in your residence down to the mailbox key. What remains is the front gate and a topic for the next HOA meeting.

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