Heights Post Office boxes to be restored

To the more than 30 Islanders who found themselves locked out of their Post Office boxes in the Heights, expect to see them restored soon.

A resolution has been reached. Supervisor Amber Brach-Williams said she has been on the case since complaints began to come her way last week. She has received assurance from Thomas Dillon, an aide in Congressman LaLota’s (R-Amityville) office that all will be resolved within “a few days.”

If you are among those who found your locks non-responsive, your boxes will be restored. You will have to get new codes or keys from the Heights postmaster.

“That changeover will take a few more days to be effected,” Ms. Brach-Williams said. 

But a word of advice comes to those locked out, according to Post Office officials. Before the boxes were locked, customers received notices that would happen; some heeded the notice and made certain they indicated their intent to keep their boxes open. Others, it appears, failed to heed those notice and that’s why their boxes were locked.

Heights residents are allowed to have a box without charge, while others wishing to have Post Office boxes there or to have more than one as is the case with some businesses, must pay attention to notices to ensure they aren’t inconvenienced in the future, officials said.

As for mail that was sent to a locked box, it was returned to sender. Anyone who was expecting such mail should contact those senders once their box is restored and arrange for it to be sent back to them.

If a user fails to respond to a notice sent annually to a box holder, officials said, it can be locked again. It’s vital for users to let the postmaster know if there is an intent to continue to use the box, Ms. Brach-Williams said.

A notice will appear on the Town website notifying the arrangement that has been reached and the importance of speaking to the postmaster to get the box restored and receive a new code or key.