A South Florida condo association has not received their mail in months. No bills, no holiday cards, nothing. Are you entitled to get your mail? It’s why one man called Help Me Howard with Patrick Fraser. John utters the words many condo residents have said. John Connell: “Too old to be jerked around.” John is not kidding regarding his problem. John Connell: “First of all, I’m not getting mail since April. Three hundred and fifty-nine units. Probably over 1,000 people.” The reason the U.S. Postal Service had to stop delivering mail is obvious. John Connell: “The locks are broken. Put the main key in here. They pulled these out. One fell off on the postal worker.” Mailboxes are missing doors or pried open. John says the postal service said let the association know it was a big problem. John Connell: “They informed our HOA to replace the mailboxes. They didn’t do it.” The run-down mailboxes fit a pattern at Heritage Circle. Porch screens are missing or ripped. Lights are broken or gone. The fountain is sprinkled with trash. John Connell: “I mean, you know, it’s embarrassing to bring people over here.” So run down, Deerfield Beach has fined the association for not maintaining the property. John Connell: “We owe the city of Deerfield Beach $200,000, almost $250,000 in fines.” But topping the list of headaches for residents: No mail, no bills, no Christmas cards, and who knows what else the thousand people here are not getting. John Connell: “People weren’t getting their medication, their passports. It goes on and on.” John says residents were told a special assessment they paid would be used to buy new mailboxes, and one was purchased at one of the 22 buildings, but it was not approved by the postal service, so it just sits here. John Connell: “It’s just real confusing. We don’t know what to do. We can’t get any information from anybody, a straight answer.” Well, here is one answer we can deliver John. Legally, are you entitled to get mail? Howard? Howard Finkelstein: “Yes, you are, but not necessarily delivered to you. The post office obviously cannot put mail in damaged boxes., so until they are fixed, you have to go to the post office to get your mail, and in most cases, the association has to pay for the new mailboxes.” I emailed and called the Heritage Circle condo president. He wouldn’t respond. I contacted the postal service. They told me the cluster mailboxes would be installed in a week. Instead, they did it the next day. Their spokesperson, Debbie Feterly, said most times the association is responsible for repair and/or replacement. But under a new program called Delivering Conversion Initiative, USPS paid for the cluster boxes. She added, having them in one location at the complex is more cost-effective than the carrier stopping and delivering mail at 30 individual locations. John Connell: “From everybody at Heritage Circle, thank you, Help Me Howard.” John can now get a few Christmas cards, but even if he doesn’t, he got his present. John Connell: “I never thought I’d wish for mailboxes for Christmas, but thanks to Help Me Howard, we have new mailboxes. Thank you, Help Me Howard.” I am not sure we deserve credit. John. I think it was a coincidence we called and a few days later the postal service delivered the mailboxes. And I did speak to the attorney for the association, who said trying to get the boxes was complicated, but they’re grateful the postal service paid the $30,000 to $40,000 those boxes would have cost the association, ’cause now the association has to deal with a quarter million dollars in fines for the run-down condition of the complex. Stamped a problem unsolvable? Don’t return to sender. Address it to us, ’cause we’ll never just mail it in. With this Help Me Howard, I’m Patrick Fraser, 7News. CONTACT HELP ME HOWARD:Email: [email protected]: Patrick Fraser at [email protected]: 305-953-WSVNBroward: 954-761-WSVN