Cary Addresses 'Address' Mix-Ups

Kurt and Kathy Mussina live in Cary, but they have an Apex mailing address.

"You don't really know what to say. Do I live in Apex or do I live in Cary?" asks Kathy Mussina.

Neighbors -- even emergency crews -- are confused.

Amy Beaver lives across the street from the Mussinas. She knows her mailing address is Apex, so when she wanted police to check on a noise she heard Sunday night, she called the Apex Police Department.

"When we got to Apex police, they led us to Wake County police, and Wake County police told us to call Cary police," Beaver said.

It is not just emergency crews that get zapped by the Apex ZIP code. Homeowners do not always get their bills on time, if at all.

Residents said there is a simple solution.

"If we're going to be living in Cary, I'd rather have a Cary address," Beaver said.

Cary leaders are working to eliminate the address mix-ups. Last week, the Mussinas and Beavers found out they are among 3,000 homeowners who can get a Cary address in August.

"We're ready. We wanted to do it four years ago. So it's four years later, but we're ready for it," Beaver said.

So how did all of this happen? The Post Office assigned ZIP codes to the area years ago. Because the houses are actually closer to the Apex post office, they got an Apex ZIP code. The post office did not anticipate Cary's size and reputation would grow as fast as it did.