LOXAHATCHEE, Fla. — Residents in Arden have been facing significant mail delivery issues, with many claiming they haven't received any mail for months.
WATCH BELOW: 'This is false advertisement putting these mailboxes out here,' Gary Esposito tells WPTV's Joel Lopez
Residents say the temporary mail pickup location along Southern Boulevard is a far drive, and when you add in the time it takes to wait and line and have your mail sorted out, it results in an hours long ordeal.
WPTV 's Joel Lopez has been investigating this pressing issue since last month after residents reached out to WPTV for help.
“You created this problem, fix it,” expressed John Shaw, a frustrated resident, as he pointed blame at the developer Lennar. Shaw highlighted the confusion surrounding the mail delivery situation: “You see all of these mailboxes along the street, and none of them will get mail. Even the new construction around the corner has mailboxes.”
Shaw and other residents have been persistently asking both the United States Postal Service (USPS) and Lennar for explanations for months regarding the prolonged lack of mail delivery.
After pushing for answers three weeks ago, Lopez discovered a significant oversight: there are more homes in Arden than USPS had initially agreed to deliver to.
On Monday, Shaw and other residents received an email from a local Lennar representative explaining that an agreement between Arden’s previous developer and USPS limited curbside delivery to 2,000 houses. However, new site plans approved by the county increased the total number of residences to 2,334, thereby exceeding the cap, forcing residents to have to get their mail from a pick-up location elsewhere.
“Joel, you and your investigative reporting lead us to where we are today, so if it wasn't for you lighting the fire, I don't think we would be here today at this point,” said Shaw.
He's now considering taking legal action after learning that his home is one of the additional 334 residences that will need to switch from traditional curbside mailboxes to cluster-style mailboxes.
"This is false advertisement putting these mailboxes out here leading the residents to believe, and any new buyers that are coming here, that their mail will be coming here," Shaw stated. When asked if moving residents were informed about the cluster mailboxes, Shaw replied, “No, never mentioned.”
In response to the situation, Lennar provided a statement to WPTV:
“Our understanding from the United States Postal Service (USPS) is that it had an agreement with Arden’s original developer, setting specific parameters for mail delivery within the community—including a cap of approximately 2,000 homes eligible for curbside service. Based on that agreement and follow-up discussions with USPS, approximately 330 homes in Arden will instead receive mail via cluster mailboxes. Lennar is working to minimize inconvenience to affected homeowners and expects to have the cluster mailboxes in place soon.”
Danielle Tocco, Vice President Communications, Lennar Corporation
Another resident, Gary Esposito, plans to join the lawsuit against Lennar, expressing his frustration with the mail delivery situation.
Esposito moved into Arden in November and has yet to receive any mail at his mailbox.
When asked how he feels about the proposed cluster box concept, he stated, "Absolutely not. Why would you put a mailbox in there if you knew the post office wasn’t going to grant door to door?"
In an email sent to residents, Lennar indicated that it could take up to 60 days or more to set up the cluster mailboxes as they need USPS to approve the locations and assign the corresponding addresses.
To alleviate some of the burden, Lennar is offering to reimburse residents for the cost of a P.O. Box at the Loxahatchee Post Office.
"I pay my taxes just like everybody else, it’s really ridiculous; the only people that are suffering is us," Esposito remarked, emphasizing the broader implications of the situation.
Lennar told residents they plan to meet with the USPS district manager to request that homes located on streets already receiving curbside service be permitted to continue this service, even if it exceeds the 2,000-home cap.
USPS provided WPTV with the following statement:
"The U.S. Postal Service, specifically local postal management, is continuing to work closely with the developer of the Arden community property in order to reach a suitable resolution on outstanding matters regarding mail delivery service. We anticipate completion of this outreach shortly, but customers can be assured that pick up of mail and packages will remain an option. Temporary pick up service will continue to be available at the Palm West Post Office at 10299 Southern Blvd, West Palm Beach, FL 33411. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Saturday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Palms West Post Office is closed on Sunday. We appreciate our customers’ patience as we work to successfully resolve this issue.” --- Debra Jean Fetterly, USPS Spokesperson, South Florida
