Computer Glitch Duplicates Addresses, Disrupts Mail

Posted 4:00 a.m. Oct 15, 1997 — Updated 4:00 a.m. Oct 15, 1997

CARY — One-thirteen Lochwood West Driveand 113 Lochwood West Drive. Until late Wednesday afternoon, they weretwo homes with the same address, at least ast far as the post office wasconcerned. The street name Lochwood East Drive was mysteriously changedto Lochwood West Drive on a piece of Wake County software creating duplicateaddresses.

A Cary Planning Department employee discovered the error after homeowners complained about mail mix-ups.

Eileen Bendas lives on Lochwood East Drive. When she had problems gettingthe correct mail, it was a big concern. She runs a small business out ofher home.

"I rely on the mail for checks coming in with payments, for orders,for shipments," Bendas explains, "so, it's a little disconcerting to findout our address has been changed and we didn't know it."

Thanks to the perserverance of the Town of Cary, the postal servicehas corrected the problem. Both Wake County and Cary have policies to preventthese mix-ups from happening in the future. From now on, no new streetnames will be similar, and streets will no longer be named East or Westto prevent mistakes.

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