NEWS 25 - WEHT: Evansville, Henderson, Owensboro-Newburgh Residents Can Hold-Off Moving Mailboxes

Newburgh Residents Can Hold-Off Moving Mailboxes

story by Courtney Gousman

NEWBURGH, IN - A plan to move some Newburgh mailboxes from your doorstep to curbside is put on hold.

Union officials say the postal service went about the change all wrong. Postal service leaders tell us customers' rights were violated when these letters were sent out.

NEWS 25 has been investigating this story and has more on the change.

The bottom line: residents do not have to worry about moving their mailboxes.

It all started with a letter sent out by Newburgh's postmaster, requiring 500 customers to move their mailboxes from the house to curb.

Pat Carroll got wind of this letter after our story on NEWS 25 Tuesday evening. Carroll represents the National Association of Letter Carriers union.

Carroll says, asking customers to buy their own mailboxes and post them curbside is wrong.

"Those letters that went out to the customers mandated that they put out the box by a certain date. They were not told what would happen if they didn't put out the box at a certain date," says Carroll.

In fact, Carroll tells NEWS 25 similar letters are being sent out to Ohio County, KY residents.

He says the letter violates postal service rules.

"They need a written authorization or a written approval from the customer to have this change," says Carroll.

Carroll tells NEWS 25 customers do have a choice in whether or not they want to put out curbside mailboxes.

"The customer has the right according to the postal operations manual to decline this and have the mail delivery in the manner that is was, up to their home," says Carroll.

NEWS 25 took this information to the U.S. Postal Service. The regional office admits there were some things wrong with this letter.

David Walton, a spokesperson for the USPS says, "NEWS 25 was kind enough to point out we had erroneously left off the request for signatures so we will be sending out another letter to customers seeking that."

Walton tells NEWS 25 another letter will be sent out to customers, this time asking for their compliance with a signature.

"No where in that letter did we give the impression that customers had to do this. We included a date in the letter so that it wouldn't be open ended."

Walton tells us, that additional letter is expected to go out to Newburgh customers in the next week.

Regulations state, those who don't agree with the changes, will retain their current delivery.

In the meantime, residents do not have to worry about putting out curbside mailboxes.

NEWS 25 Story Tracker

Postal Service Asks Newburgh Residents To Move Mailboxes