This is an open letter to Luther Parker and the Board regarding what we see as ongoing mail tampering at Deer Ridge.
As a result of this blog, and the efforts of other full time residents at Deer Ridge, we were able to finally force Joe Thomas and the Board to erect private postal boxes like most multi-family residents have.
As a direct consequence of a conversation that we had with the Gatlinburg Postmaster, he saved a postal box pedestal for Deer Ridge so that the property had zero cost for adding this badly needed acquisition.
(The Board and Joey never gives us any credit for this stuff – but we invite you to ask the question directly of the Postmaster for the truth of our direct efforts. Postmaster Scott Genseal told us at the time that if he did not save the one he had currently on hand for us at Deer Ridge, the property would have to wait a year or two for another free one – or would have to go out and buy a new one for several thousand dollars.)
Joe Thomas fought these private mailboxes as long as he could because he doesn’t want to lose any CONTROL at Fiefdom Deer Ridge. Please see our other posting on this subject by clicking Postmaster Says We Have A Right To Demand Individual Mailboxes that I posted on September 20, 2009.
As a result of this forced action, Joey has once again reacted in his typical petty way: attempted retribution against anyone who holds him accountable or interferes with his perceived fiefdom.
The following is a copy of our email about this latest Joe Thomas incident.
To: Luther Parker and Deer Ridge Board
We attempted to get our mail the past two days. Some of it was delivered properly into the new mailbox. However, the postal person is also delivering to the front desk any mail that does not have our unit number.
Obviously, we still have a right of delivery of our mail to the front desk, along with any oversized parcels that come addressed to us at Deer Ridge whether it includes our unit number or not. As
you know, a vast majority of Deer Ridge owners have their mail addressed to 3710 Weber Road without any unit number – and most of this is forwarded by the office staff to their home address.
However, as part of the ongoing harassment and attempted intimidation by General Manager Joe Thomas, he has intentionally and willfully interfered with the timely delivery of our mail, and the mail of other residents at Deer Ridge. We are fully convinced personally that we have not received some of our mail at Deer Ridge as a result of mail tampering by Joe Thomas.
We believe his actions are a criminal violation of federal law and that Joe Thomas is attempting the same violation with regard to every permanent resident at Deer Ridge.
Joe Thomas is attempting to falsely claim that if our unit number is not on the mail, it cannot be delivered to us. It appears he has even returned some of our mail, marking it as undeliverable. Other mail has been held up in his office for no reason whatsoever. This alone is a criminal violation of federal law. When our mail is delivered to the front desk, the office person is fully capable of seeing that the mail is addressed to us and put it in our slot for mail in the office.
Instead, our mail is being routed to Joe Thomas’ desk for “review.” Joe Thomas has no right or authority to “review” our mail or delay its delivery to us.
Please see the attachment with Joe Thomas’ handwritten signature evidencing his illegal actions.
We have already taken these letters with Joe Thomas’ notes and presented them along with an official complaint to the Gatlinburg Postmaster, Scott Genseal, asking that federal authorities fully investigate Joe Thomas for these alleged violations of federal law. As of today, we have also file a formal complaint with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with copies of the below hand written notes by Joe Thomas.
Scott assured us that we, and all other residents, have every right to receive our mail at the Deer Ridge office if it arrives without our unit number and that Joe Thomas’ actions are in fact intentionally delaying our mail. Delaying and otherwise tampering with mail is a federal crime.
This Is A Violation of Federal Law: Destruction, Obstruction and Delay of Mail (18 USC 1700, 1701, 1702 & 1703)
These laws state:
Sec. 1701. Obstruction of mails generally
-STATUTE-
Whoever knowingly and willfully obstructs or retards the passage of the mail, or any carrier or conveyance carrying the mail, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.
The full law on this matter can be viewed by clicking TITLE 18 – CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE PART I – CRIMES: CHAPTER 83 – POSTAL SERVICE
We will not tolerate these actions by a petty tyrant like Joe Thomas – and will do all we can to ensure that it no longer happens to us or to any other Deer Ridge resident. We will also do all we can to see that Joe Thomas is fully prosecuted for these ongoing acts of retribution.
You, as the Board, are responsible for the actions of your employee. Act accordingly. Now. Or, be held liable.
Robert
We recommend that all residents at Deer Ridge double check on their mail to make sure Joe Thomas is not doing the same thing with your mail.
If he is, and he probably is, then I recommend you also file a complaint with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service by clicking Complaint Against Joe Thomas.
You are welcome to reference our complaint we just filed with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Reference number is: 14953047.
By connecting the dots between your complaints and the one we have already filed, the common thread of abuse by Joe Thomas can be clearly identified by the Postal Inspection Service – and they can quickly initiate their criminal inquiry into Joey’s intolerable, despicable actions.
Tags: mail tampering, mailbox, Gatlinburg, Deer Ridge Mountain Resort, Board of Directors, Fire Joe Thomas, mail, Luther Parker, bad management, individual mailbox
With regard to the mail at Deer Ridge, I have had guests of ours who have received delivered items and mail at Deer Ridge without problems.
Once one of our guest did not receive an Express Mail package even though they had notified the front desk. It was returned to the sender three days later by someone in the office. This was a critically important package for a special occasion and was obviously not handled properly by someone at Deer Ridge. If everything goes to Joe Thomas’s desk, my guess is that it got delayed there when it certainly did not need to be approved and reviewed by him.
I have heard stories from several residents about missing, opened, and re-routed mail. I have heard stories where one resident has her electric bill held up and delivery delayed for 10 days or more on a regular basis. I understand that this person believes it is being done intentionally with the hope her electricity is cut off.
My only experience was that some mail of mine was not being delivered even when I had confirmation that it was delivered to the property.
Robert, I am sorry that mail tampering does seem to be a problem at Deer Ridge.
I certainly hope the board addresses this issue with Joe. If they choose to ignore this matter with their employee, then the Post Office might hold the board liable as well.
To any resident or guest who has had mail missing or delayed at Deer Ridge, I offer my understanding of how frustrating this can be. Mail should be something, like breathing, that we should never have to worry over.