Larry Purifoy has lived at his home in the Hunter's Creek subdivision for a number of years.

As with most subdivisions, the community was built by a developer, but normally after 2 years, the county takes over the maintenance of the roads.

After receiving $500 from each homeowner for their services, the county did just that, but Purifoy and other residents still aren't happy.

"Now they're telling us that we have to spend another thousand or so dollars to move our mailboxes," Purifoy said.

That's right their mailboxes. You see, homeowners were required by the developer to install brick laid mailboxes, so they went in right next to the road.

However, according to County Commissioner Kenny Mallard in order to take over the roadway maintenance, the county requires all mailboxes be 5 feet off the roadway

"When construction needs to be done on the roads, we can go in there with the equipment and effect all the construction that needs to be done," Mallard said. "With the mailboxes right next to the road then they're in the way"

And now that the road has been assumed by the county, the roadwork is coming this summer, but not until the mailboxes get out of the way.

"It has escalated to the point that I think they're holding us hostage on our road work," Purifoy said.

There is another option: the county could remove them.

"I'm not wanting to go out and tear down peoples mailboxes, that is certainly not the desire we want to have," Mallard said. "But how do we effect and maintain the roads?"

But for Purifoy, he just wished someone would have clued him and his neighbors in on the rules before the permanent structures were installed.

"I think it was an undisclosed ordinance," Purifoy said.

An ordinance, undisclosed or not, that's going to cost homeowners some cash.