NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — A frustrated Newport News man has been trying to get into his broken mailbox for weeks. Now, he's turning to News 3 for help.
We continue to follow through on problems with the U.S. Postal Service.
News 3 met up with Jeffrey Hill and got a firsthand look at the damage. You could see mail spilling out of mailboxes at the Oyster Point Place Apartments in Newport News.
“It’s an obvious sign that whoever's job it is to maintain and take care of this is not doing their job,” said Hill.
Hill is beyond frustrated. First, he said he has been waiting for a key to open his box since early October. Then, he said someone crashed into the mailboxes, causing serious damage.
Watch related coverage: Postal employees accused of stealing over $1M in business checks
Hill reached out to News 3 on Instagram back on Dec. 2. As of Dec. 19, nothing had been fixed and there were still broken mailboxes and exposed mail.
“It’s the holiday season and people have different things like letters coming in,” said Hill.
We reached out to USPS and they issued the following statement:
"The security and sanctity of the mail are a top priority for the Postal Service. For mail to be delivered to these clusterbox units (CBUs), the boxes must be secure and in working condition. Installation, maintenance and repair of CBUs are generally the responsibility of the property owner. Following installation of new CBUs or repairs to the damaged CBUs, the Postal Service can initiate a work order to create locks and keys for the mailboxes. Property managers with questions about CBUs should contact management at their local Post Office or call 1-800-ASK-USPS."
Watch related coverage: Norfolk postal employee accused of stealing mail
We reached out again about Hill’s particular situation and we received the following statement:
"The property manager at this apartment complex is responsible for installation, maintenance and repairs of clusterbox units (CBUs), including providing mailbox keys to customers. Delivery will resume when the new CBUs are installed and in working condition.
Regarding the customer mentioned in your inquiry, postal management in Newport News will contact the customer to refund his money since mailbox locks at this complex are the responsibility of complex management and answer any questions about his delivery."
News 3 went into the leasing office at the apartment complex. A woman working inside said she had no comment about the situation involving the mailboxes. She took the reporter’s cell phone number and email and said someone would get back to us, but so far, we haven’t heard anything and left another voicemail.
Hill said he’s waiting for important documents and a check. He says this situation is adding extra stress to his family.
“Come on now, you can fix this easy. Simple issue, should have a simple solution,” said Hill.
