SUPERIOR TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Property owners in the upscale Glennborough neighborhood are suing the United States Postal Service to have their zip code switched from Ypsilanti to Ann Arbor after five years of unsuccessful attempts.
Homeowner Kathy Marx said her community first brought the issue to the post office’s attention five years ago, and it’s been an uphill battle since.
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“We are right in the middle of 48105 zip code,” said Marx. “There’s 48105 all around us and we’re this little carve out. We’re in Ann Arbor Public Schools, Ann Arbor utilities, we get food delivery and everything from Ann Arbor yet we have an Ypsilanti zip code. We just feel like we should be part of our neighborhood.
“We are between 16 and 20 miles away from the post office that services us. They’re driving huge amounts of miles to get to us and then we have to go there to go pick up packages and sign for mail which is hugely inconvenient. Just from a cost-savings perspective it would seem like it makes sense.”
In 2015, Marx and other homeowners in Glennborough filed a request with USPS, which was denied with no explanation. They then tried to file the request on a federal level, which was also denied. USPS told them that they can only file these types of requests every 10 years, so their next opportunity to re-file would be in 2025.
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“We filed a FOIA request and they didn’t come through with that either,” said Marx. “We just felt like they weren’t taking us seriously so we filed suit. There are people who have 48105 mailing addresses that are closer to the Ypsilanti post office than we are, so how does that work?”
The homeowners also spoke with Superior Township supervisor Kenneth Schwartz and U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell about switching zip codes.
“It seems reasonable," said Schwartz. “If you’ve got to go pick up a package and you’ve got to go to the Ypsilanti main office, it’s miles away. To me, it’s (about) convenience more than anything."
Beyond issues with mail, switching to an Ann Arbor zip code could help improve property values and reduce insurance rates.
Marx said she hopes the lawsuit will help jumpstart a conversation with USPS, which has 60 days to respond from the time the suit was filed.
“We’re hoping that they will at least talk to us,” said Marx. “Maybe this will bring them to the table.”