HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — Residents of an apartment complex in northeast Harris County have gone months without receiving mail, a frustrating situation caused by repeated break-ins at the mailboxes of The Selena apartments on Uvalde Road.
Resident Reginald Riggans expressed his frustration, explaining, “We’re just the little people caught between the corporation and the government.” He hasn’t received any mail since the end of May, and this isn’t the first time he’s faced this issue at the complex.
“For four years, it’s been on and off with people breaking into the mailboxes,” Riggans said. “The mailboxes are in a spot where if someone wants to break in, there’s no one there to stop them—no doors, no gates, nothing.”
Although the apartment complex is responsible for repairing the broken mailboxes, the break-ins continue. Riggans wants management to take stronger measures to prevent these incidents.
Due to the ongoing problem, Riggans says the USPS informed him that they are no longer holding the mail and are instead returning it to the sender. “They say as soon as they see that address, 250, it goes in the return pile,” he said.
Riggans is particularly frustrated this time because he’s missed two FEMA assistance checks and an important letter needed to renew his work license. “I actually got the informed delivery picture yesterday and thought, ‘That looks like the FEMA check,’ but I can’t go get it,” he shared.
When ABC13 visited the complex, they observed repairs being made to the mailboxes and asked management if they had considered relocating the boxes to a safer location or enhancing security. Management responded that they had fixed the broken mailboxes and are exploring the possibility of adding cameras.
USPS stated that residents could pick up their mail at a nearby post office, but residents told ABC13 that they haven’t been able to do so. The Postal Service also mentioned that most tenants are now receiving their mail.
