ST. JOSEPH, Ill. (WCIA) — A single mom in St. Joseph said she’s been getting her mail the same way for almost a decade. But last month she got a notice saying she had to make a change.

The St. Joseph post office said they would not deliver her mail anymore until she fixed her setup — leaving her unable to get it for weeks. St Joseph United States Postal Service said the location of the mailbox was too far from the road. Jeanelle Murphy, a St. Joseph resident, said she had to spend nearly $1,000 to move her mailbox, and she’s not alone.

“I posted on the Saint Joe Facebook page and many people wrote back in the country, but also in towns,” Murphy said.

All saying the same thing.

“They’ve never had a problem,” Murphy said. “And all of a sudden, they’re saying you have to change your mailboxes: move it higher, lower, forward, all kinds of things.”

Murphy said she got this note July 21. It said her mailbox was out of code. That mailbox has been in the same spot for at least 9 years.

“‘It needs to be closer to the road,'” Murphy said. “But no further instructions, just that I had to be closer to the road and they said it had to be done by Aug. 10.”

Or else she wouldn’t get her mail delivered to the house any more. She said she started looking for a company to move it, but said she didn’t have enough time to set it up.

“I got a handwritten letter in my mailbox on Aug. 10 or Aug. 11 saying that they were no longer going to deliver my mail,” Murphy said. “They were going to hold it at the post office. And if I didn’t fix the mailbox by August 17, that they were going to send all my mail back to the centers.”

Murphy said she couldn’t pick up her mail because she works from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.: the hours the post office is open. So on Friday, she had someone come out and adjust it for just under $1,000.

Murphy said she was frustrated by the lack of help from the post office. She said she called them to ask for specific guidelines to change the mailbox placement, but got off that call even more confused. Finally, the person who did the project went into the office to get the specifics.

“I’m happy to have a mail delivery, but I don’t think it’s a safe location for the for the mailman,” Murphy said. “It’s so close to the road. People come barreling down this hill right here. He was much safer in my asphalt turnout there than is going to be now.”

WCIA reached out to the St. Joseph post office over the phone for comment, but they said to talk to the USPS State Office. WCIA emailed them twice, but have not heard back at this time.