Katy neighbors haven't received mail for 3 months since someone crashed into the community mailbox

KATY, Texas (KTRK) -- Relief should be coming for neighbors living in a Katy subdivision. For months, they have been unable to receive mail near their homes. This comes after a driver crashed into their community mailbox in the Castlerock neighborhood, left broken and unusable.

Neighbors told ABC13 that a driver crashed into the cluster boxes on Vander Wilt Lane, which serve people living in about two dozen homes. VanMor Properties, the subdivision's HOA, confirmed the cause of the damage.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Postal Service said that the condition of the mail receptacles does not allow for secure mail delivery, and all impacted customers have to pick up their mail at the nearby post office on Park Row Drive.

"Most of us in the neighborhood work. So the weekend is really the only time we can go before noon on a Saturday, and it's crowded. It's hot, and it's a pain," one neighbor said. "I don't understand what the holdup is. It's a box. Just put up a new box."

"It's been extremely inconveniencing. There's usually a long line and sometimes the mail, they can't find it. They tell you they can't find it unless you have a tracking number," another neighbor said. "My biggest fear is with the holidays coming up. We're going to lose packages."

USPS is aware of the issue and told ABC13 that it was the HOA's responsibility to repair the mailboxes.

"The purchase, installation, maintenance, repair, and replacement of mail receptacles are the customer's responsibility, or apartment property management companies and homeowners' associations (HOA), where applicable," Kanickewa Johnson, with USPS Southern Area, wrote.

A spokesperson for the HOA said the delay was caused by a misunderstanding between which party was responsible for making repairs.

"When the cluster boxes were first knocked over by a vehicle, we received a report from the Patrol Constable that he was completing the incident report and had contacted the post office. He was advised that a technician would be out to repair the boxes that week around mid-September," Lisa Brannen, with VanMor Properties, wrote. "When nothing was done, we were then told that the post office no longer made repairs to the boxes and were only responsible for replacing damaged locks. At that point, we had to solicit bids and get approval from the Board for the repair expense."

Brannen said the company that will repair the boxes has ordered parts, and the work is tentatively scheduled for Nov. 15. She claimed all e-mail and phone requests made by homeowners have been returned with updates.

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