Envelope eyesore: Benoit's Cove man mad over mailboxes installed on front lawn
The Joyce's front lawn looks like a parking lot with four large Canada Post mailboxes positioned next to their front door.
"That there is an eyesore really," said David Joyce, pointing to the large block of metal boxes in front of him as he sips coffee on his front porch.
Canada Post has added more and more mailboxes to the front lawn in the decade Joyce has lived at 496 Main Rd. in Benoit's Cove.
Safety hazard
Most of his neighbours in the small west coast Newfoundland community park in front of his house to get their mail, blocking in the Joyce's vehicles. The family said it has seen many accidents take place.
"I bought a brand new car for my daughter," Joyce said.
"That got run into right off the bat. My truck has been run into, the car has been run into and several minor accidents and a lot of close calls."
The major eyesore is also a safety hazard, Joyce said, since there is a fire hydrant next to the mailboxes.
Can't Sell
The family has tried to sell its home in the past, but with the difficult real estate market and the boxes on the front lawn, they haven't had any luck.
"We were going to go and sell the house and move into cottages in Corner Brook, which would be more convenient for us. I mean, we have tried but you can't (sell)," he said.
Joyce is fed up and wants Canada Post to remove the town mailboxes and move them to a better location.
Move those mailboxes
Joyce has been talking with his Humber Arm South town council members and they suggested a new spot in the community for the mailboxes that is away from residential property.
Joyce said he approached the mail delivery system about his concerns and Canada Post said he would need to pay to have the large mailboxes moved.
"They say that the piece of property the boxes are on is owned by the government because it's less than 33 feet from the centre of the road," he said.
Joyce reached out to Canada Post representatives several times pleading with them to move the mailboxes to a new location.
A local representative visited Joyce and his family on Thursday, after being contacted by CBC, and told them they will be relocating the community mailbox site to a new location this fall.
Canada Post said it is working with the municipality of Humber Arm South to find a new site.
