USPS home delivery required?

[mumuv3]

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

My postmaster said I needed to write a letter petitioning the post office to extend the current home mail delivery route to my house. She said I needed to find at least two other homes on my quarter mile, town maintained road that also wanted home delivery. Is it legal for the post office to require me to find other residents before I can receive home delivery? If so, what should be included in the request?

 

[You Are Guilty]

Apparently the names of two other homeowners.

Am I missing something here?

 

[CdwJava]

Look up the "home delivery" page at the USPS website.

USPS - Home Delivery

"Rural Delivery is established through the determination of local postal managers. A rural route should serve an average of at least one residential or business delivery per mile. In addition, roads should be public and must be well-maintained and passable year round. Extensions of rural delivery service should also serve at least one family for each additional mile of travel, including retrace. The requirements for road conditions are the same as those for establishment of the route."​

So, the short answer would seem to be that, yes, they CAN decline to provide you residential service out in the sticks. My guess is that because of the distance that must be traveled, the local postmaster requires two additional drop offs.

 

[mumuv3]

Yes, two other home owners that would like to stop paying for a po box and would like to begin receiving home delivery. However, I am the first house on the street, a stones throw away from a crossroad that is currently serviced with home delivery. My road is a town maintained 1/4 mile cul-de-sac, not 'in the sticks', but within 2 miles from my local post office. Like I stated, they deliver to my next door neighbor. I feel as if they are just being difficult. I did read the USPS statement online, which said that typically, they want at least one home within a service mile...they service another home within 1/8 of a mile. I currently have phone messages in to my neighbors, and I'm sure I'll get others to sign on, but I just do not feel as though it should be neccessary in this situation.

 

[tranquility]

You think it's easier to sue a quasi-federal agency for a writ to mandate they do something than it is to talk to some neighbors and *they're* being difficult?

 

[mumuv3]

I never implied I wanted to sue the postal service. I was hoping someone knew the 'legal obligation' of the postal service so I had correct information going forward with my request. They are indeed being difficult, as I found out several other neighbors also approached the postmaster asking why we do not have home delivery. We were all originally told that 'we do not service that street'....the story then changed to 'as long as another home on the street wants service'....then 'you'll need at least a couple of others to also sign on for service'. None of us was told that others also wanted service or that we had the option of a petition until today. I have paid for a pobox for the past 4 years and was told there was no other option...that is simply not the case. I was looking for actual useful information from others....NOT STUPID COMMENTS. Thank you CdwJava for actually posting something useful. I guess I don't understand why someone would waste their time reading these posts if they only intend on being ignorant.

 

[Zigner]

I never implied I wanted to sue the postal service. I was hoping someone knew the 'legal obligation' of the postal service so I had correct information going forward with my request. They are indeed being difficult, as I found out several other neighbors also approached the postmaster asking why we do not have home delivery. We were all originally told that 'we do not service that street'....the story then changed to 'as long as another home on the street wants service'....then 'you'll need at least a couple of others to also sign on for service'. None of us was told that others also wanted service or that we had the option of a petition until today. I have paid for a pobox for the past 4 years and was told there was no other option...that is simply not the case. I was looking for actual useful information from others....NOT STUPID COMMENTS. Thank you CdwJava for actually posting something useful. I guess I don't understand why someone would waste their time reading these posts if they only intend on being ignorant.

You talk so little to your neighbors that NOBODY compared notes?

...we mourn the good ol' days...

 

[mumuv3]

Zigner...Did you actually read my post? Until TODAY, none of us was given the option of a petition, but told flat out 'No, we do not service that street'. Today I asked them if that was even legal as USPS is a free service to all....I was never told I could have post office delivery without a paid po box, which evidently is also an option. Withholding information is the same as lying in my book. They get paid with tax dollars...I am a taxpayer...I do not appreciate paying an additional unneccesary service fee. I should have been given all of my options when I originally moved to town 4 years ago and directly asked the postmaster what they were.

 

[Zigner]

Zigner...Did you actually read my post? Until TODAY, none of us was given the option of a petition, but told flat out 'No, we do not service that street'. Today I asked them if that was even legal as USPS is a free service to all

It is?

....I was never told I could have post office delivery without a paid po box, which evidently is also an option. Withholding information is the same as lying in my book. They get paid with tax dollars...I am a taxpayer...I do not appreciate paying an additional unneccesary service fee.

I thought it was free?

I should have been given all of my options when I originally moved to town 4 years ago and directly asked the postmaster what they were.

You know how to resolve the situation now...

 

[tranquility]

You wrote:

My postmaster said I needed to write a letter petitioning the post office to extend the current home mail delivery route to my house. She said I needed to find at least two other homes on my quarter mile, town maintained road that also wanted home delivery.

and asked:

Is it legal for the post office to require me to find other residents before I can receive home delivery?

Making me think you sought a legal remedy. I told you the legal remedy:

sue a quasi-federal agency for a writ to mandate they do something

You then asked:

If so, what should be included in the request?

which was also answered:

Apparently the names of two other homeowners.

However, you don't like those answers and argued why you shouldn't have to do what the postmaster said. Even after CdwJava gave you the reason why they had the right.

I was looking for actual useful information from others....NOT STUPID COMMENTS.

Your questions were answered. Also, advice on how you should consider things. The only *stupid* comments were from...well, I'll let the readers decide.

 

[mumuv3]

WOW. I thought this was a legal forum. I thought my original post was pretty straight forward...1. is their request legal? and 2. If so, what wording might I use in the petition (besides the names of 2 other residents wanting service) as to not be turned away yet again. The information from the postmaster keeps changing and I want to settle this sooner than later. ANYONE?

 

[tranquility]

1. Yes.

2. "the names of two other homeowners. ""on my quarter mile, town maintained road that also wanted home delivery"

Info edit:
I guess, rather than demand people answer in the way you want, you could go to google and search for:

usps petition rural delivery

and find as the first hit:

http://www.usps.com/forms/_pdf/ps4027.pdf

 

[mumuv3]

"the Rural Delivery is established through the determination of local postal managers. A rural route should serve an average of at least one residential or business delivery per mile. In addition, roads should be public and must be well-maintained and passable year round. Extensions of rural delivery service should also serve at least one family for each additional mile of travel, including retrace. The requirements for road conditions are the same as those for establishment of the route."

I live within 1/8 of a mile from the next house over, which is currently receiving home delivery. This excerpt clearly from the USPS website states that extentions should service at least 1 family for each additional mile of travel, including retrace. Why then should I need two more families within my 1/4 mile street. (keeping their travel less than 1 mile including retrace) BUT I guess I'm being difficult in not wanting to go door to door soliciting signatures.

I didn't demand anything from anyone. Simply asked for actually information- obviously got only one valid reply and several sarcastic comments. Thank you for wasting my time. This site is obviously a joke- I'll be sure to go elsewhere in the future.

 

[mumuv3]

BINGO!!! If there was an actual USPS form- WHY did they neglect to tell me? I guess because I didn't smile big enough when I asked what procedure I had to follow...instead I was told to write a letter, including certain information, which happened to change each time I went back. Thank you, now I can ask for PS Form 4027.

 

[CdwJava]

Here is the key to the situation:

"Rural Delivery is established through the determination of local postal managers."

That would seem to imply that the local Post Master has the final say in the matter. It may be that his criteria is what it is to make the route worth their time and effort. Whether he or she SHOULD do it is a far cry from whether he or she CAN do it.