RICHMOND, Va. -- Since Lake Lewis moved into his home in Richmond's Scott's Addition neighborhood, he's struggled getting his mail.
"It's just been one big nightmare," Lewis said.
When he moved in last June, Lewis said he was told he would likely not receive mail for two to three months since his unit was new.
That two-to-three-month window opened and closed, but he said the mail problem persisted.
Lewis had to travel to a nearby U.S. Post Office to get his mail.
"We weren't notified if we ever had mail come in, so it was almost like, whenever we had time, we would drive to the Post Office to be told there's no mail here. We knew something was wrong because there was a couple times I had clients that had made payments and they sent them, and they showed me pictures of everything that was sent, and it was overnighted, and we didn't get it for like a week later," he said.
Only recently did Lewis start receiving mail consistently at his address.
"As of February of this year, 2024, we started consistently seeing mail come in, but a lot of that mail was post-dated from when we had moved back in June 2023," Lewis explained.
Just when he thought the problem had been resolved, a new one was delivered. Most of the mail he received was not his.
Out of 22 pieces of mail delivered to his home this week, 11 belonged to someone else.
Some of the letters appear to contain checks sent to businesses on Lewis's street. Others are post-marked for different Scott's Addition streets.
"I'm not sure if somebody's just giving us the mail and hoping we do their job, but that's a problem," Lewis said.
According to an October email from Lewis's condo association, where the condo's mailboxes were placed may have caused their mail carrier to have safety concerns.
The email stated grass that separated the mailboxes from a nearby train track presented a safety concern for the carrier.
It also said the Post Office asked for more fencing and lighting to be installed.
It also suggested the mail carrier was not receiving credit for this stop on their route.
The developer did have the grass in question cut to address the concern and installed lamp posts around the building and mailboxes.
Lewis said there's been no explanation as to why the problems persist.
"For the average person, we don't know what their methods are, we're looking at them to deliver our mail. It's as simple as that," Lewis said.
Lewis said he'd brought up concerns to employees at his local post office.
"When I've gone to the Post Office, myself, the other patrons have been complaining. There was an elderly man that was complaining that he hadn't received medicine that was supposed to come in the mail for almost six weeks, and their response was 'Call the Post Office.' Well, we're standing in the Post Office," Lewis said. "At the end of the day, the Post Office should be doing a much better job with this."
Lake, who is friends with a CBS 6 employee, contacted the station with concerns.
CBS 6 reached out to a spokesperson with the Post Office to ask what USPS was doing to correct the issue, as well as what USPS's communication has been with complainants.
"The Postal Service is committed to making each delivery. Most Richmond customers are receiving normal mail and package delivery, including customers who live in Scott’s Addition," a spokesperson replied. "Postal management will review delivery to the neighborhood to ensure customers are receiving normal mail delivery. Customers who have questions about their delivery can contact the local Post Office, call 1-800-ASK-USPS or contact us on X at @USPShelp."
CBS 6 did speak to employees at a few Scott's Addition businesses who said they were not surprised by the mixed-up mail, but said since February, mail has been delivered more consistently.
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