Where I live, the complex is made up of a bunch of separate three-story buildings with two apts on each floor. Each building has its own set of mailboxes built into the wall at the bottom of the main staircase. Well, about two weeks ago, on a Thursday, my property management put a note on my door saying theyre going to be replacing our mailbox center with new bigger ones. So for 2-3 days we will be without a mailbox, we have to pick up our mail at the rental office, which is ½ mile away. Ok fine. I decided to just wait until the next Monday to get my mail, figuring I wouldnt get much mail over the weekend, and thereby only having to stop in at the rental office one time. Why do I only want to have to stop there once? See, I work 8:30 -5. The rental office opens at 9 and closes at 5, so the only time I can stop by there is during my lunch break. I get an hour for lunch, but I live 15 minutes away form work. So Id waste half my lunch hour picking up my mail. No big deal if I only had to do it this one time.
So I stop that Monday. Sign on the door, with a little clock set at 2 pm. “Will Return At” written above. Groovy. I go stop at my apt and see that the mailboxes are finished, all installed, shiny and new. Next day, Tuesday, I stop and theyre there this time. I get my mail, and I ask if well be getting new keys for the new boxes. She said, yes, but theyre not finished yet. Oh, ok. So then I wait until Friday to get my mail, and the door is locked, again little Will Return At sign. The clock was set at 1 and it was 1:10. The mailman pulls into the lot and he comes up to the door, and lo and behold, the door opens from inside. The mailman hands me my mail, and I get my other stuff in the office that was waiting. I ask when the boxes will be done, its been a week now. They say theyre waiting until ALL the mailboxes at each building have been replaced before they hand out the keys. ??? I mention that its not convenient for me to keep stopping here. They apologize and say theres nothing they can do. ???
The next week, last week, I had to stop there on Monday to re-sign my lease for another year. I couldnt pick up any mail at that time because the mailman had not showed up yet. Then I tried to stop on Wednesday but the dreaded Will Return At sign was up again. When I returned to work, the rental office called me and said they had my mailbox key and my mail, could I stop today and get it, they want to make sure everyone has their keys at the same time? I told them no, because they close too early. Could they stay open that evening until I arrived? Hahahaha Heavens no! May we have permission to enter your apt and just place your mail and new key directly inside the door? Knock yourself out.
Ok so, new key is there, that means beginning last Thursday, I should have my mail in my new mailbox. Yes? No. So I wait until this past Monday now to pick up my mail. Will Return At. BASTARDS. Tuesday, while I was at my sisters house for lunch (shes closer to my work than my own apt), I get a call from my rental office. Um, DuckIsEvil, we have a LARGE stack of mail waiting here for you, is there any way you can stop by and pick this up? (said all nasty and annoyed) Not right now, No. Well we’ll be open until 6 tonight and tomorrow, so stop by as soon as you can please. Ok. Tomorrow, Wed., I have a class right after work, so I can’t stop then, so I try to get my mail that evening. [I knew they would call me that day because it was the 30th and rent was due tomorrow. My rent statement is usually MAILED to me.] I arrive at 5:23, to a locked door. Sign says: Out On Property, meaning they were showing a potential new tenant an apt. Could I have waited 20 minutes or so for the woman to return? I suppose. But if I had, I may have done some physical damage to her, so I think it was best for all concerned that I peeled out of the lot, furious.
Now I have to stop there this afternoon, and I swear to G_d and all that is holy that if I see a Will Return At sign, or Out on Property sign, I may just blow a gasket.
Can they DO this to people? Isnt it a Federal Law that they have to provide me with a receptacle for my mail? I dont want to cuss people out, I need to maintain a relationship as Ive re-signed to live there for another year I dont want to be the bitchy tenant, and have nothing get fixed around my apt out of spite.
Deep breath…in…out…in…out
