[RP TownTalk] Zip Codes and Property Values -- the Hyattsville Experience

Sat Oct 26 15:10:06 UTC 2013

Chris,

As Jonathan noted in his original post, yes, it will be difficult and will
need a Congressional friend to get done. But it is not impossible to get a
new zip code. Jack Kent Cooke managed to get a new zip code AND change the
community name from Hyattsville/Landover when he built his palace -- Jack
Kent Cooke Stadium. An all new zip code was assigned and the site was
renamed Raljon, after his late son, Ralph, and the son he was trying to
auger into the earth, John. Sports network announcers referred to the area
for several years as Raljon and mail was sent from and to the new zip. All
of that was vanquished by new owner Dan Snyder who returned the zip code to
the Postal Service and resumed using Landover/Hyattsville.

That said, any distance that Riverdale Park can put between itself and
stories like this would be immensely helpful in creating a new, improved
"brand" as you describe it.

http://riverdalepark.patch.com/groups/police-and-fire/p/former-teachers-aid-sentenced-for-molesting-8yearold-student-riverdalepark?ncid=newsltuspatc00000001&evar4=picks-1-post&newsRef=true

Jeffrey Yorke

On Sat, Oct 26, 2013 at 10:00 AM, Chris Currie <crcurrie at gmail.com> wrote:

> Since Hyattsville has been bandied about in this discussion, I thought I'd
> pipe in since I worked on the same issue when I was on the Hyattsville City
> Council.  Here are some bullet points in response to what has been said on
> this listserv:
>
> * Hyattsville's "zip code problem" is actually worse than Riverdale
> Park's, for three reasons: 1) Hyattsville is not all in one zip code (it's
> in three), which fragments its identity even further and draws in even more
> area outside the municipality; 2) there are several zip codes that don't
> even touch the City of Hyattsville that are called "Hyattsville" by the
> Post Office, including some of the county's highest crime areas -- making
> the term "another homicide in Hyattsville" a meme of local news coverage;
> and 3) Hyattsville hasn't adopted a municipal name that distinguishes
> itself from the surrounding neighborhoods, as did Riverdale Park.
>
> * Hyattsville's real-estate values are indeed higher these days than those
> in Riverdale Park.  I know, because I've helped dozens of families find
> homes in our community, and some look in Riverdale Park for the express
> reason that they can buy the same house for a good bit less.  But from the
> above, it's evident that this has nothing to do with the zip code issue.
>
> * Being assigned a unique zip code would likely help increase property
> values in Hyattsville or Riverdale Park, but the effect might not be as
> much as some proponents hope for.  There are many other factors that
> influence a community's "brand".
>
> * It is extraordinarily difficult to get the Post Office to change a zip
> code assignation.  There are all kinds of costs involved for the Post
> Office, not just reprogramming everything in their system, redrawing
> carrier routes, etc., but often, it means establishing a new Post Office to
> serve the new zip code.  And it might be difficult or impossible to redraw
> boundaries to keep the requisite number of addresses in each zip code.  On
> the other hand, the Post Office gains nothing in the endeavor at all.  As
> most of us know, the Post Office is hurting financially these days, and is
> closing Post Offices, not opening new ones.  Its resistance to politically
> motivated changes is greater than it's ever been.
>
> * The only way to overcome the institutional resistance of the Post Office
> is to have a powerful Congressional patron who is willing to fight long and
> hard for the municipality.  I made a study of successful campaigns (which
> are rare), and this is what I found are the factors common to them: 1) the
> residents of the municipality overwhelmingly favor the change; 2) it is
> such an important issue for these residents that it can affect their votes;
> 3) that municipality is a key constituency for the Congressional member --
> in other words, he/she might lose an election, or might make an otherwise
> shaky incumbency secure, by accomplishing the zip code change; and 4) the
> member of Congress has a seat on a committee handling appropriations for
> the Post Office and is willing to include the zip code issue in matters
> brought before the committee.  In Hyattsville's case, we likely met (1),
> possibly (2), but not (3) or (4).  Riverdale Park, from what I see here,
> might not even meet (1).  Quite frankly, it's hard to imagine a
> municipality in a one-party county such as ours will ever meet (3), which
> is one reason why such a movement has never been successful here or
> anywhere else in Maryland.
>
> Hyattsville officials, during my tenure, did meet with staff in our two
> senators' and two House members' offices about getting our own zip code,
> and while we were promised some assistance, it was clear that we weren't
> going to get anything that was more than a symbolic effort.  The best we
> were able to wrest from the Post Office is that a couple of the remote
> "Hyattsville" zip codes got other names that became preferred in the postal
> schema.
>
> Hope that info was helpful --
>
> Chris Currie
>
>
> Message: 7
> Date: Fri, 25 Oct 2013 18:13:19 -0400
> From: "Bruce Wernek" <bruce.wernek at verizon.net>
> To: <towntalk at riverdale-park.org>
> Subject: Re: [RP TownTalk] Community Message: Overnight Shooting on
>         Carters Lane
> Message-ID: <014401ced1cf$6a0c75c0$3e256140$@wernek at verizon.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> Speak for yourselves.  The only things pricey I see in Hyattsville are the
> EYA town houses and the historic properties.  We don't have EYA in
> Riverdale, but Caftritz may have similar properties.  We certainly have
> quite a few historic properties here.
>
>
>
> If you care about what's really going on instead of the motherhood go to
> the
> following links and enter 20737, 20781, and 20782 if applicable.
>
>
>
> http://www.zillow.com  ("Zestimate" is more in line with what the property
> is worth because it's based on comparable sales not a seller whose
> underwater)
>
>
>
> https://www.crimereports.com/  (it looks to me like there's a pretty even
> distribution on both sides of Kenilworth to me)
>
>
>
> Truth be told, I think this is much ado about nothing.  Based on the ~20
> minutes of research I've done, I don't think changing the zip code is going
> to have any effect on property values.  Changing the zip code will have an
> effect on a lot of other things (every institution that has your address,
> checks, license, registration, business cards, web sites, etc) and it won't
> be pretty.  I'm guessing it would take years before all of the things
> affected by the change would finally be updated to reflect the new zip
> code.
> You would probably have to call your bank, the DMV, the IRS, the county,
> the
> list goes on, to make sure they change the zip code.  I really don't have
> time for this.  I've got enough to do already.
>
>
>
> I apologize for responding to these emails.  I just wanted to bring some
> reality into the discussion.  You guys can carry on if  you like.  I'm
> done.
>
>
>
> From: towntalk-bounces at riverdale-park.org
> [mailto:towntalk-bounces at riverdale-park.org] On Behalf Of Jeffrey Yorke
> Sent: Friday, October 25, 2013 3:40 PM
> To: Catarina Correia
> Cc: towntalk at riverdale-park.org
> Subject: Re: [RP TownTalk] Community Message: Overnight Shooting on Carters
> Lane
>
>
>
> Catrina hits the nail on the head once again.
>
>
>
> New zip brings with it all sorts of possibilities that include developers
> and creators looking at an old town a new way. Important if you want
> improvements like more shopping, dining and entertainment. Brentwood has
> been trying for years to step it up and it certainly looks like it's
> meeting
> with some success. Here's this afternoon's Bisnow Dining to tell you
> more...
>
>
>
>
> But wait, one more thing for those concerned about saving on tax
> assessments
> using crime-riddled zips: besides the points made by Catrina and others,
> how
> much is 20737 COSTING you on car insurance for car thefts, crime on the
> streets (outside RP) and all the other negative events that are used
> against
> policyholders?
>
>
>
> Note to Town Council: Time to ZIP US UP to 38 -- 20738!!! GET STARTED
> MONDAY!!!
>
>
>
> On Fri, Oct 25, 2013 at 2:58 PM, Catarina Correia <chatareena at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> For what its worth, I would definitely be in favor of pursuing this.  Yes,
> I
> want my home value to increase (or at the very least get back to what we
> paid for it.) There are a number of reasons besides re-sale for this
> including refinancing etc. Our homes are really nice and it kills me that
> they are worth significantly less than the hyattsville homes just up the
> street solely because of the zip code.
>
>
>
> Furthermore, i believe when our house was worth more, we paid less in
> property taxes due to the homestead tax credit (tho i cant be sure - i dont
> handle the mortgage).
>
>
>
> Catarina Correia
>
> Riverdale Park, MD
>
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>

-- 
Jeffrey Yorke
Yorke Property Management, Inc.
Yorke Partners
Jeffrey at YorkeRents.com
301-502-1243
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