Calabasas residents going postal over ZIP code issue

Just for the record, I live in the Lost Hills area of Calabasas, and I am in favor of a ZIP code change to 91302. It always is very confusing whenever I order items online, as most companies want me to use "Agoura Hills, CA 91301" for my mailing address, even though I live in Calabasas.

I think that this would be a logical move to change our ZIP code to 91302. Ronald Aaron Calabasas

Regarding the Calabasas ZIP coded issue, I have contacted my home, auto, health and life insurance companies. I was told that my health, home and auto insurance premiums will go up if our ZIP code is changed from 91301 to 91302. It won't help postal service, either.

This is a perception issue for some of our neighbors who are uptight about having an Agoura Hills ZIP code. There are more important things people can spend their time on. Jeff Enoch Calabasas

Calabasas in the 91301 ZIP code area does not exist we are told when trying to order products, get proper credit card billing, or to attempt anything where automated zip coding is in effect.

We live in Calabasas and have a true problem with many issues related to mail, credit card companies and tax assessment. My bill from the assessor's office lists my city as Agoura Hills-my mortgage statement says Calabasas Hills.

I believe that an overwhelming majority of residents are for the change to the Calabasas ZIP code.

My concern is that the highly vocal and energized minority will somehow misrepresent the citizens who widely favor having our ZIPcode match our city. Before moving to our present residence our address was in Calabasas, 91302.

We never experienced mail issues, nor did our insurance bills for any coverage change when we moved from 91302 to 91031.

Please, let's match the city with the ZIP code. It's as simple as that. Bon Langenderfer Calabasas

When I moved to the area almost 18 years ago, I did not receive my driver's license renewal because it went to the dead letter office. I can't tell you how many other items I haven't received.

Even a bigger nuisance is that I live at 26918 Deerweed Trail. There is also a 26918 Deer Trail in the same subdivision. I get several pieces of their mail a week. I even received a citation from the city about a basketball backboard that was intended for the other address.

And, at a garage sale one day, I overheard a woman from that address discussing how I was going through a bitter divorce. Obviously she was getting some of my mail. Michael McCleskey Calabasas

We would like for the ZIP code in the Lost Hills area to change to 91302. Over the past 11 years we have experienced difficulty in receiving our mail, having goods delivered when ordering from the Internet, utilities listing us in Agoura Hills instead of where we pay our taxes. We even had difficulty getting our kids registered for school, since our utility bill said we lived in Agoura Hills, but our kids were supposed to go to Lupin Hill.

We have trouble with our insurance companies getting it right, since having the wrong city on your policy can make in null and void. When insurance companies plug in 91301 the fight begins, since their system always informs them that this ZIP code is Agoura Hills.

The bottom line is that we live in Calabasas, we vote Calabasas and we pay taxes to Calabasas; therefore, we should have a Calabasas ZIP code. Janice and Harvey Hoffman Calabasas

As a resident of Calabasas with a 91301 ZIP code, I have dealt first-hand with many of the mail delivery issues that stem from having a mailing address that essentially does not exist.

Whether it is an important bill or a mortgage-related document that arrives late or is lost, or mail that is returned, or mail that cannot be sent to us because Calabasas 91301 doesn't exist in any mailing database throughout the country, we deal with a postal service problem on an average of once a week.

Our license plates and auto registration never come in the mail, forcing us to drive with expired registration until we can make it to the DMV to stand in line. Our bank and mortgage company will not print the nonexistent Calabasas 91301 address on our checks, so our checks never match our driver's license which means we usually cannot use them.

Passport and visa documentation must be signed and sent in with an incorrect address, then subsequent correspondence from the government is not sent back to us because our nonexistent address is kicked out by their system.

Jury duty summons are sent via the U.S. mail. If these arrive late or are lost and never replied to, there is a financial penalty of over $1,000. Credit card bills that are delayed or lost in the ZIP code abyss and subsequently not paid on time affect our credit rating. Another little known issue is that having an invalid address can actually give insurance companies a loophole if anything should ever happen to our car or home.

As far as the handful of longtime residents who complain that having the right ZIP code means that their insurance rates will increase, my advice to them is to shop around. My insurance company said there would be no increase to either my property or auto premium if the ZIP code were to change to 91302.

The bottom line is that the postal service is not in the business of providing us with an incorrect ZIP code in order to keep our insurance rates artificially low. Melissa Olen Calabasas

It is important to note that mail sent to Calabasas, CA 91301 will most often not reach its recipient within the time frame expected. Passports, airline tickets and car registration items either arrive late or not at all. Many items arrive with a "return to sender" stamped on them by the U.S. Postal Service. Mail is often redirected, due to the post office itself being unable to locate and process and address such as Calabasas, 91301.

The argument against change is that insurance premiums will be raised. This being said, the argument follows that Calabasas 91301 taxpayers will pay the same amount as other Calabasas residents. Is this unfair?

Residents of the 91301 area code, who are in favor of the change, represent a substantial number of people who expect an efficient system to be in place regarding the delivery of their mail. If residences were sold to these buyers with location on title reading Calabasas, then it should follow that the ZIP code and post office must be Calabasas, not Agoura Hills. Joanne Siracusano Calabasas