The Village at Apison Pike
Management at a luxury apartment complex in Ooltewah said they have been notified by the Post Office that it will no longer deliver mail to the complex due to "a hostile environment."
The Village at Apison Pike is on Tradewind Circle in Ooltewah.
Management sent out this notice to apartment residents on Tuesday:
Good afternoon Valued Residents
We wanted to follow up with you regarding the recent issues with USPS. We know many of you have had issues with packages and mail being misdelivered or not delivered at all. We assure you we are aware of these concerns and are experiencing the same with regard to undelivered mail and packages for the office. The Business Manager has called USPS to try to find a solution that will help both the residents and USPS; however, she was met with resistance.
Recently, there have been a couple of incidents of perceived harassment towards the postal workers from residents at Village at Apison Pike. As a result, the Postmaster has stated that they will not be delivering mail here for fear of the safety of their workers. They have stated that they will not be delivered to a hostile environment. Due to these incidents, USPS is unwilling to work with us in finding a solution.
We posted signs in the mail room that stated no one can be in the mail room while the mailboxes are open, but the signs were torn down within 12 hours of being posted. We are working to find a resolution, but our hands are tied—particularly when certain residents are refusing to be patient and follow the rules set forth by USPS.
We are not responsible for packages or mail and have NO control over USPS. We cannot dictate what they do or what they allow. If they decide that they no longer want to deliver mail here, we cannot force them to. Again, we are trying to do what we can, but our hands are tied. We have requested a specific delivery window so that we can communicate those times and residents can avoid going into the postal room. They declined to provide that. We have informed them that they may deliver packages to the leasing office, but they are often delivering after office hours, and we are not available to accept packages. We have requested they use the Parcel Pending lockers, but they have refused.
The postmaster has informed the delivery agents that if anyone walks into the mailroom while they are delivering mail, they are to lock the boxes, leave, and return all mail to the post office for resident pickup. We understand that this is not an optimal solution, but unfortunately, we cannot regulate their behavior. We have escalated this matter with USPS and are awaiting some other provisions, but at this time we do need to remind you that no one is allowed in the mailbox area while the postal worker is in the room. They will lock the boxes and leave. We are trying to prevent you from having to pick up your mail at the post office every day and we are asking that you all please follow the rules.
We do apologize for the inconvenience and truly wish there was more we could do. Again, we have escalated this matter in the hopes of finding a resolution, but in the meantime, if you can select a delivery carrier when placing an order, we suggest you use UPS or FedEx. If you are expecting something that was set to deliver with USPS and has not been delivered, please visit the post office at 9301 Ocoee St. Collegedale, TN 37363, or you may call them at (423) 238-7776.
If you have any questions, please feel free to call the Village at Apison Pike leasing office at (423) 760-4885 or the Ooltewah Post Office at (423) 238-7776. We greatly appreciate your cooperation and understanding.