Small Cabin

Small Cabin Forum
 - Forums - Register/Sign Up - Reply - Search - Statistics -

Small Cabin Forum / Off-Grid Living / What to do about MAIL?!
Author Message
Julie2Oregon
Member
# Posted: 1 Sep 2016 16:05
Reply 


OK, here's a problem in need of an immediate solution and I'm pulling my hair out.

I visited the post office here in my city in Texas to ask them if they could stop and hold my mail until a certain date and then begin forwarding it to Oregon once I'm there and have a street number. NO, they won't. They said I need to stop it here and have it immediately forwarded there.

Well, I don't have that street number yet. And I can't seem to get one until I close and actually own the land/start making improvements. What in the heck do I do in the meantime?!

We're talking a week or two, at the most, after I leave Texas next week. There are NO P.O. boxes or mail facilities near my land. The closest post office or mail facility is 25 miles away. I will have delivery to my property once I'm there.

It's the interim that concerns me, even if it is only about 10 days. And I have no way of forwarding from my old address until I've got that street number for my Oregon address. Help!

MtnDon
Member
# Posted: 1 Sep 2016 16:38
Reply 


Forward to a friend who will send kit on when the dust has settled?

Littlecooner
Member
# Posted: 1 Sep 2016 17:36 - Edited by: Littlecooner
Reply 


Have you discussed this issue with the Post Office that will be delivering your mail in Oregon along with the official that provide house numbers. You indicated you were buying a small lot, less that one acre. I would think that some government function provides these house number ( here it is the 911 people) and the PO in a small town would be willing to hold mail for your pick up for a few days while you install a mail box, which would be my FIRST order of business upon arrival, even before closing on the lot. you can always change your address if it did not close, which I think is a small chance at this time in your move. just my 2 cents worth. without that, MtnDon has about the only answer I can think of that would work. Most GIS, (tax authorities) have the physical address attached to the tax parcels, especially those in a subdivision. Have you looked at that, as they may have an address that would suffice until you construct a drive way. Most standard rules in the country are based on a house number ever 5.28 feet, so that 1000 is a mile from the beginning, 2000 is 2 miles from the beginning, even numbers are on the right and odd numbers on the left. using google earth and the knowledge of the street address of any nearby neighbors, and you could do your own house number that would work for now, may be even forever.

Steve_S
Member
# Posted: 1 Sep 2016 17:40
Reply 


They have a Holiday Hold service right here: https://holdmail.usps.com/holdmail/

Check out:
http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/consumerawareness/a/holdmymail.htm

You can get them to hold it, then when you have the PO or Mailbox roadside, send in a Change of address and 3 days later release the hold... I say three days because if you do too much at once, 100% guarantee it will get FUBAR'd somehow.

You obviously talked to someone who needs another job.

Hope it helps Julie...
Rootin for your Big Move... ALL MY BEST WISHES FOR A SMOOTHY DEAR !!!

toyota_mdt_tech
Member
# Posted: 1 Sep 2016 20:35
Reply 


Julie, go online and get a mailing address. Its usually required before a permit will be issued. I got one for my place online, cost was $45. Got my mailing address.

What county you in?

MtnDon
Member
# Posted: 2 Sep 2016 00:46 - Edited by: MtnDon
Reply 


I believe the crux of the problem is that until she closes on the property and actually owns it she can not legally get an address from the county office. If the folks in the offices there follow the rulebook...

How about a UPS store mailbox as a forward to address? Could that work?

Julie2Oregon
Member
# Posted: 2 Sep 2016 01:16
Reply 


Quoting: MtnDon
I believe the crux of the problem is that until she closes on the property and actually owns it she can not legally get an address from the county office. If the folks in the offices there follow the rulebook...


Yes, that's exactly it, MtnDon. I close on Sept. 15. I should be there on the 12th and could probably get it done sooner, if need be. Cash sale, easy closing.

Yes, I could get P.O. Box or UPS mailbox. I would then have to forward again from that to my new permanent address since the closest is 25 miles away from my land. I'm concerned about switching mailing addresses so often in a short amount of time. But if that's what I have to do then I will.

I really don't know why the post office here in Texas can't just hold my dang mail for 10 days and then begin forwarding permanently. It's the simplest solution. That's what I did when I moved here.

Julie2Oregon
Member
# Posted: 2 Sep 2016 01:25
Reply 


Littlecooner
There's no chance it won't close but, until it does, I have no paperwork saying it's mine except the contract. I looked it up on the tax map and there's no address attached, just a tax ID/lot number. There are some homes on the street and all of the properties are owned but only those with homes have street addresses. I can't make heads or tails out of how the numbers were assigned, either. There doesn't seem to be a logical pattern, except those ending in an odd number are on one side of the street and the evens are on the other side.

I had spoken previously with the county clerk about getting a number assigned. Public works does it and she said they usually don't do that until the building permit is issued but they could be willing to make an exception since I need to start some preliminary things. But I obviously need to show that I own the property.

Julie2Oregon
Member
# Posted: 2 Sep 2016 01:26
Reply 


Quoting: toyota_mdt_tech
Julie, go online and get a mailing address. Its usually required before a permit will be issued. I got one for my place online, cost was $45. Got my mailing address. What county you in?


I can't seem to find an online service that does that, Toyota. Do you have the site you used handy? I'll be in Klamath County.

Julie2Oregon
Member
# Posted: 2 Sep 2016 01:45
Reply 


Steve_S
Hmmm, perhaps I can make that work somehow. I'd seen an article somewhere stating that you could pay for premium vacation forwarding that would send your mail to your "vacation" address at a weekly rate. But I can't seem to find that feature on the USPS site. Maybe I need to call the national number and not deal with the Abilene post office.

Thank you for your good wishes! Wrapping up the packing and the pre-emptive car care. I got a new set of tires on the car more conducive to wintry weather, a new battery, and am having the fluids changed and brakes checked. We'll be all ready to set out! Closing here is Thursday morning, the movers are coming Thursday afternoon, then off we go! My son is coming along to help and then I'm flying him back to Texas.

Steve_S
Member
# Posted: 2 Sep 2016 07:51
Reply 


Well Maggie (my GF) has done it that way without issues a few times, seems simple and handy... why confuse things too much, simple is almost always the best solution.

I'm so happy that it's all "on the move" for you Julie... You gotta love that good adrenaline rush when things actually start happening and unfolding before you.

One thing, do not confuse the Post Office... too many changes too fast and the results can be very stressful.

Thelar
Member
# Posted: 6 Sep 2016 15:46 - Edited by: Thelar
Reply 


Hi Julie,

I live in the Midwest, but spend several months each year at my camp in Maine. I have a close neighbor collect my mail and put it in a flat rate box every other week. Then she mails it to my Maine P.O. with my name and care of the Post Master. I then go into the P.O. and pick it up in person. Works great. Hope this helps.

Julie2Oregon
Member
# Posted: 6 Sep 2016 20:31
Reply 


Thelar
Thanks! Yeah, for now, I think the best thing to do is divert to my son's address and give him money for postage to send me anything important. There won't be much.

I've long been paperless on my bank and credit card statements, and my Texas accounts on utilities and such are being closed. My electric company is sending me my final bill via email to pay. Only my home insurance is needing to send me a refund check so he'll have to forward that.

I just wish they'd make things a bit easier at the post office here. Geez. When I moved here, they simply held my mail at my previous post office and then started forwarding when I was settled. Easy-peasy.

Incidentally, there is a person in charge of addresses at the county I'm moving to in Oregon and she was very, very helpful. I'll have my assigned address in no time. Probably about a week after I close on the land. She just needs verification from the planning office that the process has been started and then I have to file for a (no cost) driveway permit. Doesn't need to be constructed, just filed. And I get my official address.

Malamute
Member
# Posted: 7 Sep 2016 23:24
Reply 


You have figured out a way to handle it, but you should be able to have your mail forwarded to your name, "General Delivery" as the address, at the post office in the town you will eventually have mail delivered to. They will hold it for pickup for a certain amount of time after it arrives (two weeks after it arrives?). I did this when I went to Alaska. It worked fine.

Julie2Oregon
Member
# Posted: 8 Sep 2016 09:42
Reply 


Malamute
Actually, your way might be better! I'm a tad concerned about my son's forwarding skills. Somehow, I can't picture him being willing to stand in line at the post office very often. And I'd have to be nagging, which annoys both of us.

Atlincabin
Member
# Posted: 8 Sep 2016 20:37
Reply 


Agree with Malamute. Forward to "general delivery" at the most convenient local post office. Might be worth asking them how long they will hold mail until they return it, but surely for a couple weeks or a month or so. Used to be they would hold it for up to 6 months.

Side benefit is that the p.o. won't forward junk mail flyers etc.!

Julie2Oregon
Member
# Posted: 9 Sep 2016 03:00
Reply 


Sold, and done! Thanks, guys!

Your reply
Bold Style  Italic Style  Underlined Style  Thumbnail Image Link  Large Image Link  URL Link           :) ;) :-( :confused: More smilies...

» Username  » Password 
Only registered users can post here. Please enter your login/password details before posting a message, or register here first.