USPS Home Delivery Re-instatement

[wolves69]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? WV

In 2008 my wife and I purchased a home in town in WV. The USPS demanded that we set up a curbside mail receptacle in our back yard facing a non-paved alley so the mailman wouldn't have to walk to the front. Being ignorant of the rules and laws at the time, we complied (I was stationed in Korea). All other houses in the area have home delivery, and nobody has a curb-side box.

Lately, we have asked the post master if we could change back to the home delivery since, that is what was there before, nobody else had to change, and the box was put in a back alley and not anywhere near the front door or street. The alley runs perpendicular to the side of the house, but doesn't connect to the street where we are addressed. In essence, the mailman is not delivering mail from the main street but taking a short cut.

The postmaster contends that the back of our house is the front, and since her predecessor made the arrangements, the box will not be moved since the route was previously established. We even offered to move the box to the main street, but that was not an option for her.

Is there any recourse to getting the delivery to curbside box in the back of our yard reinstated to the front door like it was for the last 75 years?

From current receptacle to front door is 35ft. From the last house on the street to proposed new site, was 19 feet.

 

[Just Blue]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? WV

In 2008 my wife and I purchased a home in town in WV. The USPS demanded that we set up a curbside mail receptacle in our back yard facing a non-paved alley so the mailman wouldn't have to walk to the front. Being ignorant of the rules and laws at the time, we complied (I was stationed in Korea). All other houses in the area have home delivery, and nobody has a curb-side box.

Lately, we have asked the post master if we could change back to the home delivery since, that is what was there before, nobody else had to change, and the box was put in a back alley and not anywhere near the front door or street. The alley runs perpendicular to the side of the house, but doesn't connect to the street where we are addressed. In essence, the mailman is not delivering mail from the main street but taking a short cut.

The postmaster contends that the back of our house is the front, and since her predecessor made the arrangements, the box will not be moved since the route was previously established. We even offered to move the box to the main street, but that was not an option for her.

Is there any recourse to getting the delivery to curbside box in the back of our yard reinstated to the front door like it was for the last 75 years?

From current receptacle to front door is 35ft. From the last house on the street to proposed new site, was 19 feet.

I really don't see the big deal with curbside.

 

[wolves69]

Curbside

The current delivery was based on an improper mandate from the USPS in 2008. The current box is a real inconvenience and is in the back yard where we do not transverse and we plan to put up construction where it is (which would cut off the mail carrier route anyway). The preferred delivery would be to the front door as it was previously, or to the actual street-side curb which was a good compromise in my opinion. But the USPS Postmaster won't budge, and is currently holding mail, so this needs a resolution.

 

[FlyingRon]

The resoulution is to put the box in where the postmaster requires for the short term at least.

The fact others have door delivery means SQUAT to you. If your service was started after the curb/clustering requirements went in, you must use the curb or clustering. There may be other local rules and regulations in place regarding placement on the road. The USPS doesn't have the authority to preempt these.

Sorry but there is no requirement that the box be installed on the street the mail is addressed. I've got two houses and one is in a cluster across the way from me (it's actually not on ANY road) and my other house it is in the road behind my house like yours which is distinct from my mailing address.

The step is to file a WRITTEN formal complaint with your postmaster. If that doesn't result in a decision favorable to you you can make an official complaint here:

Vice President and Consumer Advocate
United States Postal Service
475 L'Enfant Plaza, SW., Washington, DC 20260

 

[wolves69]

Part of the problem was the curb/clustering. Our private residence was the only one singled out for their change and nobody else. Part of the USPS regulations state this, but we didn't challenge it within their 90 day time frame (we didn't know this until after). In my opinion, we are trying to work with the government, but the local postmaster is being unreasonable and won't hear our proposal. I'm looking for a recourse or some other avenue to get redress and/or advice. I've tried using the customer service on-line questionnaire, but all they did was submit it back to the local postmaster.

There are no local ordnances dealing with boxes, except it cannot be placed on public grounds but on private land, so we do have an option for placing it else where.

 

[quincy]

Part of the problem was the curb/clustering. Our private residence was the only one singled out for their change and nobody else. Part of the USPS regulations state this, but we didn't challenge it within their 90 day time frame (we didn't know this until after). In my opinion, we are trying to work with the government, but the local postmaster is being unreasonable and won't hear our proposal. I'm looking for a recourse or some other avenue to get redress and/or advice. I've tried using the customer service on-line questionnaire, but all they did was submit it back to the local postmaster.

There are no local ordnances dealing with boxes, except it cannot be placed on public grounds but on private land, so we do have an option for placing it else where.

I'm sorry but what part of FlyingRon's response didn't you understand?