NE Harris Co. apartment residents fed up with months of mail disruptions after repeated break-ins

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- Many residents of a northeast Harris County apartment complex haven't received mail in months.

The frustrating situation results from repeated mailbox break-ins at The Selena apartments on Uvalde Road.

"We're just the little people in between the corporation and the government," resident Reginald Riggans, explained.

Riggans has had enough. You would probably be frustrated too if you hadn't received any mail since the end of May.

He says this is far from the first time he's dealt with this problem at this complex.

"Four years it's been on and off with people breaking into the mailboxes... All of the mailboxes are kind of off where if somebody wanted to break in, you know if they have free time and will, there's nobody there watching them. There's no doors or gates or anything to stop them," Riggans said.

The apartment complex is responsible for fixing the broken mailboxes, but even though they've made repairs in the past, break-ins keep happening. Riggans wants management to do something to keep it from happening so often.

As a result of the ongoing problem, Riggans says USPS told him they aren't holding the mail anymore. It's all getting returned to sender.

"They say as soon as they see that address, 250, it goes in the return pile," Riggans said.

Riggans says the biggest frustration this time has been missing two FEMA assistance checks and an important letter to renew his work license.

"I actually got the informed delivery picture yesterday and I'm like, 'That looks like the FEMA check,' but I can't go get it," Riggans said.

ABC13 saw mailboxes being repaired and asked management if they've considered moving the boxes to a safer spot or adding any security.

Management said they've fixed the broken mailboxes and are looking into adding cameras.

USPS said residents can pick up their mail at a nearby post office, but residents told ABC13 they haven't been able to.

The Postal Service also says most tenants are now receiving their mail.

Their full response is below:

The security and sanctity of the mail are of paramount importance to the U.S. Postal Service. This includes ensuring mail receptacles are secured and in good condition at all times. In the case of the Selena Apartments, the condition of the mailboxes did not allow for secure delivery of mail. However, we can report delivery service has recently resumed for most residents, wherever the carrier can do so safely and securely. For apartment complexes such as this one, the property management company is responsible for providing secure mailboxes for their tenants. Local postal management is aware of this ongoing issue and continues to work with the property manager to reach a resolution.

Customers who remain impacted are asked to pick up their mail at the Granville Elder Post Office, located at 550 Maxey Rd., Houston, TX, 77013, from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday-Friday, and 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. on Saturday; closed Sunday. Customers must show proper ID when picking up their mail. The Postal Service continues to provide a means for customers to retrieve their mail and packages but reminds customers that they must pick up their mail at least once a week to ensure all items can be retrieved. We apologize to our customers for any inconvenience they may have experienced.

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