The Sheepshead Bay Post Offi ce. Photo by Josephine Galbraith
COURIER LIFE, FEB. 26-MAR. 4, 2021 19
BY JESSICA PARKS
Sheepshead Bay residents
and post offi ce box holders
are still struggling to obtain
their mail since the building
housing their local post
offi ce caught fi re nearly two
weeks ago.
A spokesperson for the
United States Postal Service
previously told Brooklyn Paper
that post offi ce box holders
from the Sheepshead
Bay Post Offi ce on E. 18th
Street could pick up their
mail at the carrier annex a
block away — but readers reported
arriving at the site to
discover signage stating the
contrary.
“They are not accepting
the mail or PO Box mail. Big
signs on the door,” said area
resident Josephine Galbraith
in an email. “Have no idea
where the PO Box mail is and
no idea who to contact.”
Employees at the 2370 E.
19th Street annex allegedly
told Galbraith they’d never
received her mail and suggested
she visit the fi re-damaged
mail emporium, which
Galbraith found closed with
no signs providing further
information.
“Went back to Sheepshead
Bay and it was shut down. No
PO Box information on the
door,” said Galbraith. “It is
really disgraceful that there
isn’t even a sign in the window
letting us know where to
go.”
In addition, Brooklynites
residing in the 11235 zip code
told Brooklyn Paper that regular
mail delivery has been
inconsistent since the fi re,
which has led to the loss of
time-sensitive documents,
like tax forms and bills.
Another resident said he
hadn’t received any mail on
Feb. 12, 13, 16, 17 or 21 — and
he is able to see just what he
is not getting based on the
USPS’s Informed Delivery
email service, which sends
registrants scanned images
of the mail they should expect.
“I am missing many
pieces of mail including
checks and 1099 tax forms,”
he said.
Other locals said they’re
still waiting on the release
of their mail still inside the
post office, as well as additional
information pertaining
to the pick-up of mail delivered
to post office boxes.
“Right now, no one from
the post office has given
us notice nor do they know
when the PO Box mail will be
open,” said Michael von Ahnen.
“Some of us are expecting
our tax checks among
other important mail that
we need to respond to.”
The confusion comes
nearly two weeks after the
second floor of the E. 18th
Street building burst into
flames early Feb. 12. Though
the blaze was quickly subdued,
damage caused to the
post office halted deliveries
for at least a day.
And while no mail was
harmed during the fi re,
USPS spokesperson Amy
Gibbs could not say defi nitively
when parcels inside
the damaged building would
be delivered.
As of Feb. 23, Gibbs said
post offi ce box holders can
pick up their mail in the back
of the Sheepshead Bay Post
offi ce. Mail pick-up is available
on weekdays from 11 am
through 4 pm and on Saturdays
from 10 am to 3 pm.
Gibbs did not address locals’
complaints, nor did
she say when the post offi ce
would reopen again fully.
SNAIL MAIL
Sheepshead Bay residents report sporadic
mail delivery, pickup since post offi ce fi re
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