Drop box suggestions

[jklcpa]

I've wanted to do this for a while now. Some of the clients I've mentioned it to thought it was a good idea. My office door is directly to the outside, so I don't want to put a permanent slot in the door. I'm cold enough already and my office is the coolest room in the house. I have a front porch that is covered, but I'm not too keen on having everyone walk up to the front door either. I like to keep the personal part of my house as off limits as is possible, even though that's hard at times. I do warn people that if they stop by unannounced in the summertime, they might be hailing me down from the large mower out in our field.

So anyway, back to the point of the dropbox, I'm considering purchasing a locking mail box from the home improvement store. I looked at the nicer ones, and with the sale price it would run in the $100-120 range before the post and other hardware. What do others of you use?

Here's a picture of the side of my house. I was thinking that I could put the box at the end of that short section of sidewalk is where that hosta is growing, next to the steps railing on the right side.

[BulldogTom]

I would not do that. I would have a slot put in to the side of the house. Those are very sensitive tax docs and you are leaving them outside. If word got around that you had all the information for an identity theif would need sitting in a lock box outside, they would try to steal it.

Maybe would not happen in your neck of the woods, but I would not chance it in CA.

Just my 2 cents.

Tom

Hollister, CA

[Lion EA]

I just searched "locking mailbox" and found hundreds of designs. So, you can pick one that will be obvious to your clients, but not obvious to your mailman! And, that fits your home's style and colors.

I think the most important point is that it allows a really fat package of tax documents to be inserted totally. Although, even more important is that it's securely fastened to your house in some manner that you trust and that will be perceived as trustworthy by your clients. I'm not sure a post would be secure -- even if no one can break into the box quickly, they could cut off the box to steal and break open at their leisure.

That's why I like my mail slot -- the documents land in my locked house. I did consider having the mail slot in the wall of my house so packages land in my front closet to keep out the cold, but decided I can add a flap of insulation if needed (which I haven't). Can you have a mail slot in a door or in a wall with packages dropping into a box fastened inside your house? Instead of a box outside your house where someone could steal the box? Then nothing lands on your dog!

[GeneInAlabama]

With a drop box outside of your home, would you remember to check it every day after tax season is over?

[Guest Taxed]

You have a nice house to run a seasonal business.

If someone is usually home during the day when you are out i would not worry too much about security (unless you are in a high crime area, i doubt it).

The key is to check the box frequently and get stuff out before you go to bed.

My office is in an adjoining building except i have a small porch where my box is. It is bolted next to the main door and I do remove it after tax season.

[michaelmars]

PUT A Slot in your garage door, you won't feel any chills and the docs will be inside, YOu can even add a box to catch the mail below the slot so you don't drive over any papers inadvertently.

[Guest Taxed]

That is a good suggestion. But most metal garage door skins are so thin, i doubt it can hold the weight of a box without some ugly reinforcements.

[JohnH]

Some of my clients deliver documents to me looking like they were left in that drain line just before a huge storm.

[Guest Taxed]

How about the W2s that not only tell what the taxpayer earned BUT also what he had for supper??

[mcb39]

I've wanted to do this for a while now. Some of the clients I've mentioned it to thought it was a good idea. My office door is directly to the outside, so I don't want to put a permanent slot in the door. I'm cold enough already and my office is the coolest room in the house. I have a front porch that is covered, but I'm not too keen on having everyone walk up to the front door either. I like to keep the personal part of my house as off limits as is possible, even though that's hard at times. I do warn people that if they stop by unannounced in the summertime, they might be hailing me down from the large mower out in our field.

So anyway, back to the point of the dropbox, I'm considering purchasing a locking mail box from the home improvement store. I looked at the nicer ones, and with the sale price it would run in the $100-120 range before the post and other hardware. What do others of you use?

Here's a picture of the side of my house. I was thinking that I could put the box at the end of that short section of sidewalk is where that hosta is growing, next to the steps railing on the right side.

Judy, I have the same setup as you; different picture. I have a locked drop box attached to the bottom step that leads to the small deck that leads to my exclusive office door. I have had the box for years, even before the office had its own entrance. I have NEVER had an issue. Clients are confident leaving relevant papers in the locked box. Heck, for years one woman hung her stuff on my front door knob in a plastic bag. Checking the box is not an issue. You will probably find that they don't use it as often as you would like because they usually want to see you. Mine was about $100 on a post which we cemented into the ground at first. It is large and has a red flag that they can put up if the want to. What is the difference if they send it in the mail and it sits in your mail box. This is a lot safer. Our personal mailbox is nowhere near the site of the drop box. (Long rural driveway; mailbox on the main road.) I will try tomorrow to send a picture of mine. Go for it!

[jklcpa]

Marilyn, thanks. I am still thinking the box will be ok for me and as far as checking it for papers, I can do that daily when I go out for the regular mail delivery. We have a decent setback from the road of about 80 feet and live in a fairly quite, semi-rural area, and I can make the box somewhat hidden by putting it a little further back so that the arborvitae (sp?) will hide it from direct view from the road. I, too, have had the plastic bags hung on door knobs, payroll "Dome" books stuffed in the actual mailbox before mail was delivered (thank goodness the postal worker didn't take it!), and this latest was a W-2 stuck in the back corner of the front porch. I haven't had anyone put documents in the gas grill...yet!

[mcb39]

Put it right at the end of the sidewalk, next to the Hosta; facing the sidewalk. Mine is white and ornate looking. I first saw it at a small convenience store that rented movies and they had it for after hours drop offs of return movie rentals. I asked them where they got it and was surprised to find out it came from home improvement store. It has a drop down door with a knob on the front that hides the slot and also has a strong metal clip attached to the door so that I can leave items for them that they need to pick up when I am not there. (Shut the drop down door and nobody can see anything.)

[Jack from Ohio]

My house had a drop through mail slot in the wall next to the door we go in and out of. It is under the porch roof and drops completely inside the house. I don't have to go outside to get the mail, and it is the perfect place for tax clients to drop information.

Search online for mail boxes and you will find hundreds of options that will accent the outside of your house, the documents go inside the house, and they are secure.

[joanmcq]

I just have people put their stuff in my locking mailbox. It's large enough that it doesn't affect mail delivery, and people usually text me when they've dropped stuff off.

[Guest Taxed]

Isn't it against the rules to put anything other than stamped mail in your own mail box??

My newspaper boy got it trouble one year when he was stuffing the newspaper in the mailbox because that plastic receptacle for newspaper broke. I got a notice from the post office!

[Jack from Ohio]

The inside of my mailbox is the entire utility room at my house. The mailman never knows anything is there. There are boxes that install in the wall of the house with a large box inside that the mail or tax returns drop into. No issues here. I have a metal clip and a small plastic table sitting under the mailbox lid for outgoing mail.

[joanmcq]

I know, but the postman doesn't know if I just didn't pick up the mail the day before or if someone stuck something in there. It's a big mailbox, as I mentioned.

[mcb39]

My nearly completed office addition with drop box in place

[Guest Taxed]

Very nice. I like the metal roof.

[jklcpa]

My nearly completed office addition with drop box in place IMG_20121114_114454.jpg

You are going to love that office and the separate entrance. It is similar to my house, which is a ranch with the office stuck on the front. The only difference is the door is on the opposite side. The side I pictured from the driveway makes it look a lot bigger than it is.

[mcb39]

Mine is a ranch and my office was in a very small bedroom on the end. Clients had to come through the brown door; down the hall, past two bedrooms to my tiny little office. It was awful as business grew. We extended out from the original office 12 X 16 feed; added the deck and the private entrance and it is wonderful. Yes, I love it as do my clients and I now have room for a helper as needed. It was a big decision, but I will never regret it.

[mcb39]

Very nice. I like the metal roof.

Keeps the snow sliding off and we will never have to shingle again.

[Guest Taxed]

Is your office handicap accessible?

[mcb39]

Is your office handicap accessible?

No, not at this time. However, they can access the drop box from their car window. At this point, I only have one person who does that and generally, as I have lots of windows, I can catch her and have a little chat before she drops the info.

[ILLMAS]

I see you already have hose running to street, how about just adding a vacuum to it, all your client has to do is place their documents in a tube and put it through the hose, like the banks use to do it.