KATY, Texas – Some residents at a Katy adult living apartment complex have been without mail for days because of a broken box.
“Now, it’s a felony to go into someone’s mail box, but it’s OK to have this open?” asked Evelyn Serrago who has lived at the apartment complex for a year.
The United States Postal Service will not deliver mail to the breeched boxes at the Villas of Park Grove. Evelyn said she and about 35 other residents affected at the one panel have not received mail for almost a week.
“They may be without their Social Security check, they may be without their bill that they have to pay and they worry a lot, older people fret about those things,” said Serrago.
Management at the Villas of Park Grove said they sent a letter to residents on Wednesday letting them know that they were not sure how long it would take for USPS to fix the lock. The letter notified tenants that they would have to drive to the post office on Park Row in Katy.
“Most people cannot drive to the post office,” said Serrago. “People call on me to drive them, and I can’t say no, I know how important the mail is.”
“I can count 10 people in that panel that don’t have cars and no way of getting to the post office to get their mail, and they’re senior citizens,” said Charlotte Koonch who is one of the residents affected and also doesn’t drive.
The U.S. Postal Service Inspector told KPRC Channel 2 News that after the station’s call, a worker went out to the mailboxes Thursday afternoon. They noticed not only the broken lock, but other mailboxes that were faulty. They plan on fixing the locks tomorrow.
The Villas of Park Grove said while they own the mailboxes, USPS owns the locks. The adult living apartment complex said it plans to send a letter to the post office to accept the mail on behalf of the residents if the lock doesn’t get fixed by Friday.