Post Office responds to our report into multiple complaints

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- If you were waiting for an important piece of mail to arrive, but it never came, would you know what to do? Who would you call? What's the process to file a report with the Post Office? A local Katy woman says she did everything in her power to get her missing envelope delivered. But after waiting over 2 months for it to arrive, she reached out to us for assistance.

Kathy Thornberry said, "My mother recently passed away and we are settling her affairs."

When she needed to take care of her mother's estate, the bank issued cashier's checks in her name, and sent them certified mail. A few days went by, but no checks. She said she was told that certified was taking two weeks from the North Houston hub, out into the Houston suburbs.

But two weeks came and went...

"Now we are at 60 days since those were at the North Houston hub, and so now the Post Office considers them officially lost. You pay extra for certified mail and that gives you a false illusion that it's handled differently." According to Thornberry.

As far as getting the checks reissued by the bank, she told us "Consequently I have to wait 90 days for those checks to expire, and then start the process of getting those checks replaced."

Thousands of ABC 13 viewers have been reaching out to us over the past year regarding their postal issues as well. We've heard you, and started digging deeper as to what's happening with the mail service here in Houston.

After numerous conversation with postal reps, this is what we've learned. Back in In 2012, they initiated the consolidation of mail processing facilities in our district. And when the Barbara Jordan downtown Post Office shut its doors for good earlier this year, the North Houston facility became he only processing center for mail going in and out of Houston. Staffing at the North Houston facility has increased by about 750 employees from February through August of this year. They tell us they're expanding their processing capacity by bringing in state-of-the-art package sorting equipment to help maximize efficiencies. Special postal teams have also been deployed to our area to assist with continuous improvements.

As for Ms. Thornberry and her missing certified envelope, well it was finally found after we started inquiring about it... and was delivered to her personally. Her thoughts on the whole situation?

"The junk mail is more apt to get here then some of the really important pieces of mail that people come to rely on."

Post Office Statement: