PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Fifteen neighbors gathered inside a home in Tradition's newly built Valencia Parc at Riverland neighborhood to voice their frustrations to WPTV about months of missing mail and a lack of communication from the developer, GL Homes and the U.S. Postal Service.
Some neighbors told WPTV reporter Mello Styles they have not received mail since moving into their new homes in January.
WATCH BELOW: Residents, congressman want answers after 'delivery failures'
"We are not receiving our mail," resident Katie Levin said. "There's some money coming — never received it. … Many of us moved from out of state, so we have a lot of mail forwarded to us."
GL Homes told WPTV it is waiting on USPS to establish delivery service to Valencia Parc's community mailboxes. Meanwhile, neighbors said employees at the post office have been unable to locate their mail.
"They said it is not there. They said they don't know where it is," another neighbor said.
Just hours after WPTV started asking questions on Tuesday, GL Homes sent an email to residents alerting them they would be getting mailbox keys this week. USPS also took action and contacted some residents to reconnect them with their missing mail.
Anita Silverstein said after speaking with WPTV, she got a call from the post office to pick up her missing mail, which included important checks and insurance communication.
"Sure enough, we walk in the door. She told me to go to the separate line — the customer service was friendly — and here is all our mail," Silverstein said.
"There is the check I've been waiting for," said Levin, who also got a call from the post office.
USPS responded to WPTV's inquiry with a statement. However, the agency did not explain what has caused the extended delay in establishing service or a timeline for when service will start.
"The Postal Service is continuing to work hard to resolve any remaining issues with finalizing delivery service to this development," Lecia Hall, a USPS strategic communications specialist, said. "We anticipate completing all actions soon and apologize for any inconvenience customers may have experienced."
Savanah Bustin, deputy communications director for U.S. Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., told WPTV that the congressman has received complaints from five newly built communities across St. Lucie and Palm Beach counties about problems with mail service.
The USPS vendor responsible for activating the mailboxes and issuing locks and keys is backlogged, Bustin said.
"It's unacceptable for residents to go without mail for extended periods. Our office has been working on behalf of multiple communities in the district impacted by USPS delays related to lock and key issues, and overall mail delivery failures," Bustin said. "While this was a nationwide issue, USPS leadership confirmed the underlying cause has now been addressed. We're hopeful internal delays will be resolved more efficiently moving forward."
USPS said Valencia Parc at Riverland residents can pick up their mail at the Port St. Lucie Post Office located at 290 Northwest Peacock Blvd. Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. until the community mailboxes are operational.
