For more than a year, residents at The Maya apartments on San Antonio’s Northeast Side say their mailboxes have been so busted that regular delivery stopped cold. After someone reportedly forced open the complex’s cluster box unit, tenants say they were ordered to pick up letters, checks and prescription medications at the Broadway post office instead, a trip that can take hours for those riding the bus. When the post office stopped holding residents’ mail in April, renters say some deliveries were returned to sender and critical notices slipped through the cracks.
As reported by FOX San Antonio, longtime tenant Russell Rogers said three master locks on the cluster box were popped, and carriers halted delivery to dozens of boxes, forcing neighbors to trek to the Broadway branch for everything. Rogers told the station he never saw a Medicare/Medicaid notice, which led to his coverage being canceled, and that roughly $202.90 will now be deducted from his Social Security to cover Part B premiums; other residents report that their checks and medications were simply sent back. Front-office staff told the reporter that broader renovations are underway at the complex, but that fixing the mailboxes is not scheduled until September.
Who Is Responsible For The Mailboxes?
According to the USPS Postal Operations Manual, "Purchase, installation, maintenance, repair, and replacement of mail receptacles are the responsibility of the customer." The manual explains that centralized delivery equipment has to meet USPS standards and that carriers can withhold service if a unit is damaged or not secure.
Repairs Promised But Months Away
Front-office managers told FOX San Antonio that a mailroom renovation, including box repairs, is on the calendar for September. Tenants say that timetable is nowhere near good enough. The station found that the post office had agreed to resume holding mail for pickup while the boxes are being fixed, but that temporary workaround ended in April for some residents and important items were returned to sender. Renters describe very real fallout from the gap in service, including missed benefits notices, delayed checks and prescriptions that did not arrive.
What Tenants Can Do
Anyone who suspects mail theft or tampering is urged to report it to the United States Postal Inspection Service, which investigates mail-related crimes and accepts tips online. The United States Postal Inspection Service also advises contacting local law enforcement whenever theft is suspected. In the meantime, USPS offers short-term stopgaps - including Hold Mail, Informed Delivery or renting a PO Box - to lower the chances that time-sensitive notices or medications go missing; see USPS for details on those services.
For now, tenants at The Maya say they will keep leaning on management and the post office until the locks are finally replaced and normal deliveries resume. "Replace the damn locks," one renter told reporters, a blunt message that underscores how something as basic as a working mailbox can become a lifeline, especially for people living on fixed incomes.
