PALM BEACH SHORES, Fla. — It’s a mystery taking priority in one town, and the mayor is taking action to help deliver a solution.
For months, Palm Beach Shores has been getting complaints from people not receiving important financial documents, even personal checks, and when they put mail into their own box they say it goes missing.
"The unreliable mail service is our residents No. 1 complaint,” said Palm Beach Shores Mayor Myra Koutzen.
Koutzen says she’s been a victim herself.
“I sent a check to a lawyer up in New York back in February, and it has never arrived,” Koutzen said.
The mayor says the problem has been getting worse ... letters and statements aren’t delivered to the right address or delivered at all.
“I had a resident who had their financial statements not appear and they were really nervous about their financial information because they didn’t know where it had gone,” she said.
Then, there’s Bob Dawson. He says his accountant mailed his taxes from Ohio, but he never received the envelope until months later, which forced him to file an extension.
“The way life is today and the scams and everything they’re out there and you worry about people getting your information. Of course on your tax returns you have everything out there,” Dawson said.
The mayor calls it unacceptable. She reached out to the United States Postal Service demanding an action plan to improve the reliability of the town’s mail service.
The USPS released a statement Tuesday:
“The Postal Service appreciates its customers and always strives to provide the best possible service. We apologize for any inconvenience that may have been experienced by customers living in the Palm Beach Shores community. In recent weeks, the West Palm Beach management team has taken steps to improve delivery service. The West Palm Beach Postmaster is committed to researching and resolving all customer issues as quickly as possible, and in the coming weeks will be making direct contact with this community to ensure their delivery issues are being addressed and to encourage community members to contact their local Post Office management team directly if new issues occur. Customers are reminded that, if they need assistance with mailing or shipping concerns, they have a variety of options for reaching us, including contacting a supervisor or manager at their local Post Office, calling 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777) or visiting our website at www.usps.com/help." - Debra J. Fetterly, USPS Spokesperson, South Florida District
The mayor is hoping her town becomes a priority, especially right before the holidays.
“People are relying on us, and it’s so important for communication between family members that what we put in the mail gets there,” Koutzen said.
