Fued over mail causing more problems for residents during COVID-19
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Mail is still not being distributed to residents living at multiple apartment complexes in Bowling Green, and some say the situation now worsening due to the coronavirus.
Due to an ongoing legal battle between several apartment complexes and the United States Postal Services, mail is not being delivered to residents at those complexes forcing those living there to go to the post office in person to pick up their mail.
It’s a dispute that has been ongoing since December. It affects apartment complexes targeted at student renters. But not all of the renters are students.
Teresa Penrose, a tenant at Hilltop Club apartments, says she’s worried for her life because she’s diabetic and immuno-compromised.
“I really don’t want to die. I mean I love the Lord and am ready to meet him, but I don’t think this is what he had intended,” said Penrose.
In the midst of a pandemic, Penrose is afraid to go to the post office and interact with other people.
She does not have a car and has been diagnosed with diabetes and currently is suffering from nodules in her lungs.
Yet, the 60-year-old still has to make trips to the United States Post Office to pick up her medication that would have been delivered to her.
“Now, with the coronavirus my doctor says that my immune system is compromised and about a year and a half ago I had multiple embolisms in both of my lungs and so I am very susceptible to getting a lung infection and so the last thing I want to be is out, out and about,” said Penrose.
The attorney representing the apartments, Brian Lowder, says if the apartments accept the single drop off delivery without USPS distributing the mail into individual mailboxes, it could be seen as a sign of accepting the new method of delivery.
“It’s really disappointing, given the other things that are going on in the world with a pandemic, stay at home orders and social distancing that the postal service would not voluntarily agree to do what we think is the right thing during the pendency of this action and that is return to the previous delivery methods as opposed to requiring people to get out of their house and go down to the post office and stand in line in an effort to retrieve their mail,” said Lowder.
Penrose is also disappointed in the way the situation is being handled.
“It’s the frustration of the whole situation which is totally out of whack, doesn’t make any sense, and it’s not just me. I mean, you’ve got people who literally cannot leave their house,” said Penrose.
WNKY reached out to Susan Wright with USPS Corp Communications. The USPS refused to comment on the situation.
Lowder is advising his clients and tenants to report their concerns to the governor’s non-compliance website.
