MARYVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — A Maryville couple has waited for nearly two months for their local post office to begin forwarding their mail.

They filled out a change of address document in late June and even received a confirmation letter to have their mail forwarded from their old home to their new one. However, some of their mail is still going to their old address and they can’t figure out why.

The Zipnicks said they followed proper procedures with the post office to have mail forwarded from their old home, which hasn’t been sold yet. Additionally, they have gone down the checklist and notified businesses that routinely send monthly statements, but those changes haven’t been caught up.

We interviewed the couple in June when they had another issue with their local post office. This new problem started in late June, it was unsolved until WATE made an inquiry late last week.

Cliff Zipnick is finally getting letters delivered to a mailbox set up on the porch of his new home. He and his wife struggled with the post office for nearly two months over the issue. In June, the Maryville Post Office had insisted their mailbox be set up on the other side of this busy road in front of their home. The Zipnicks, who are disabled, submitted statements to the postal service asking for a special exception. Their doctors sent statements requesting the couple’s individual hardship applications be approved. Eventually, approval came through.

Now the couple is facing a different issue they can’t seem to resolve with their local post office. They own a second home that hasn’t been sold yet, but repeated attempts have failed to have their mail forwarded from this home to their new one.

“Anything that is addressed to our old address is going to that mailbox. It is not being transferred here,” said Arlene Zipnick.

“I just want to get my mail forwarded like anyone else would. We paid for the service. We filled out the applications,” said Cliff Zipnick.

Cliff picked up letters at his old home recently. There should be a sticker on them. Forwarded mail has either a yellow or white sticker with the new address placed on the envelope by the post office.

“We have gone to the Post Office. We showed our IDs, whatever they wanted. We filled out a change of address form. This is a confirmation code that says it is going to be starting to be transferred over here on July 1,” said Arlene.

“It says right on it it is going to be forwarded effective July 1, 2023. And, it’s effective until July 1, 2024. And, they haven’t done it one time at all,” said Cliff.

“So far, this is the middle of August and we haven’t gotten any mail sent from our old address to here,” said Arlene.

The couple visited the Post Office in Maryville but received no answer about correcting the issue.

“We’ve asked them, ‘what is going on why isn’t it being transferred?’ Arlene said. “They say, ‘well, their person in charge of that isn’t here right now.'”

“Here it is two months later, I still haven’t seen a sticker on. I keep going to the other house every day and there is still mail in the mailbox every single day,” said Cliff.

WATE contacted the postal service, we were told the issue had been resolved. Cliff received his first piece of forwarded mail on August 22. Both he and Arlene are pleased with the results.

The post office told WATE that if you move and you want your mail forwarded you must fill out a temporary change of address order. You can either set up mail forwarding by filling out a PS Form 35-75 at your local post office or submit your change of address form online.

Doing that will provide piece-by-piece forwarding for all first-class mail and periodicals, including magazines and newspapers that you receive, but it generally won’t forward junk mail or package services mail.