Sunday, September 21, 2008
News

PO’d

Post office closing? Too bad.

By Spencer A. Freeman

The U.S. post office near North Druid Hills Road's juncture with Interstate 85, has been open for more than 30 years and boasts hundreds of post office boxes.

But on Sept. 30, the Executive Park post office will close, and if a change of address causes problems for the many small business owners and individuals who use it, well, too bad.

Atlanta residents Walter and Loretta Jacobs have been customers of the post office almost as long as it’s been open. And like a lot of other customers, they feel abused. But the U.S. Postal Service is a statutory monopoly, basically meaning that federal law protects it from competition. So when customers aren’t happy, they can’t back up their complaints by moving their business elsewhere, the way they could if they felt they’d gotten poor service at a shoe store. According to a 2004 Supreme Court ruling, the postal service can’t even be sued.

In July, the Executive Park post office held a meeting to answer customer questions about closing the branch. One of the biggest concerns was the short notice of the closure.

“We should have been given a minimum of six months notice,” says Loretta Jacobs. She and her husband have not yet chosen another post office, although they have to inform numerous people that they are moving post office boxes.

The post office refused any consideration of opening a temporary location so that box holders could continue to occasionally check for mail after putting in a forwarding request.

“It wouldn’t be so bad if the post office wasn’t closing completely,” says Omotola Ogunfowokan. “But since the post office isn’t going to exist at all, mail is going to be lost completely.” Ogunfowokan has owned a box at the Executive Park office for less than two years, but even he will be faced with the inconvenience of notifying people of his new address. “There are some people I’ve lost contact with, but I’m going to have to find a way to inform them of the change,” he says.

Debbie Chalker, a property tax consultant whose firm has had a box at the branch for almost 10 years, points out that moving the post office will mean more driving for the tenants of Executive Park at a time when most organizations are trying to cut down on gas.

“This is going to be a huge problem for us,” she says. “It is going to be such a hassle to have to leave [Executive Park] and drive to another post office just to pick up mail that was once in walking distance.”

According to statements by postal service officials, the post office staff knew more than a year ago that they would not be renewing their lease, and plans for redevelopment had been made known to the general public for “quite some time.” However, most post office box holders who talked with The Sunday Paper said they were not made aware of the closing until the meeting was announced, and that there were no signs put up in the branch to inform them that it would be closing down. 

A planning commissioners meeting was held Sept. 9 to discuss the purpose and use of the new Executive Park development, and it was decided that plans to begin construction would be deferred another full cycle until November. Members of the planning commission said they would “keep in mind” the issue of keeping the post office open, when it was pointed out that all the new businesses would need postal services sooner or later.

 Although the property owner has now postponed plans for redevelopment, the post office refuses to extend the lease another 30 days to accommodate its patrons.

Chalker’s firm receives hundreds of stacks of mail each day. “We have 20,000 tax bills that come to our post office box, all of which have to be paid in a timely manner,” she says.

So far, the post office has excused its decision not to renew the lease with Executive Park based on the fact that there are three post offices located within two miles of the present site. But, aside from the inconvenience, changing P.O. boxes can also mean taking on unexpected expenses. Those who use P.O. boxes for business purposes will have to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars to change their addresses on checks, driver's licenses, stationary, letterheads, business cards and anything else their businesses rely on for paying bills or filling orders.

The post office said it would refund patrons who paid for their boxes in advance, but most will spend more money than that changing their address and notifying clients and customers.

“I interview many students seeking college entrance via mail, so it’s going to be an inconvenience for them, too,” says Walter Jacobs, an educational consultant.

Rebekah Goblentz has had a post office box at Executive Park for almost 20 years. Goblentz works in real estate and is especially nervous about time-sensitive bills that are mailed to her.

“I’m going to transfer all mail to my office,” says Goblentz, “but what I want to know is why [the post office] can’t extend the forwarding drop date from one year to two.”

Executive Park postal representatives could not be reached for comment to answer questions regarding extending the lease or forwarding drop dates.

There will be a board of commissioners meeting regarding the redevelopment of Executive Park on Oct. 22 at the Mason Mill Center for Seniors and the Disabled on McConnell Drive in Decatur. P.O. box holders are hopeful that their objections may sway the board of commissioners into at least considering keeping the post office open. SP

Photo Editor Spark St. Jude contributed reporting to this story.