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.

UPDATE!  – FORMAL COMPLAINT FILED WITH POSTAL INSPECTORS – SEE BELOW

The Board and RML need to understand that this property is trending toward more and more full time residences – and the property’s operation needs to reflect this. We are not sure if our mail is being tampered with – but we seem to be having a problem getting all of our mail here. We are already in discussions with the Gatlinburg Postmaster – and from what he has told us, each owner here has a right to their own locked post box where our incoming and outgoing mail is not monitored and viewed by RML prior to it being distributed. We know, we are personally losing mail that is being forwarded to us from our condo in Florida – and we and all other owners have a right to mail control and privacy. The Postmaster recommends a community-wide mail box similar to what we have at our condo in Florida.  Or, we can have individual mailboxes by each of our trash bins. The photo below shows the one that the Gatlinburg postmaster specifically recommended. He even told us that he gets these back from properties so he can give them or sell them to other properties like Deer Ridge – which means we might not have to pay much if anything for this.

Destruction, Obstruction and Delay of Mail (18 USC 1700, 1701, 1702 & 1703) The Postal Inspection Service upholds federal statutes aimed at securing customers’ mail, including those related to the desertion, obstruction, delay or destruction of mail. Postal Inspectors demonstrate their resolve by implementing mail security processes to ensure that customers receive their mail intact and free from outside interference.

The full law on this matter can be viewed by clicking   TITLE 18 – CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE PART I – CRIMES: CHAPTER 83 – POSTAL SERVICE.

As more units get sold to those who use it as a full time home, this will become an increasing problem.

We are considering filing a complaint with the United States Postal Inspection Service as a result of what appears to be mail tampering.  The way mail is handled by so many different people at Deer Ridge has created a major cause for concern – over and beyond the issues of mail privacy. Just this week, we have had to complain to the Joe Thomas that we are not getting our mail – including $150 worth of tickets to a UT Football game.  Now, unless you want to cause a problem – don’t stand in between a UT fan and his football tickets! (Because of this problem, we had to arrange to pick up replacement tickets at the Gate on game day.  A hassle – but at least solvable.  A bigger problem is not knowing what mail was sent that was never received.)

What do other owners think is the best solution for mail control and privacy that is our right?

Luther and Joe, we need these kinds of private mailboxes NOW for all units – to eliminate tampering and to mitigate future claims of unhandled mail by GGRC and RML personnel.

What say you?

——————————————————————

UPDATE!  – FORMAL COMPLAINT FILED WITH POSTAL INSPECTORS

We live at an 84 unit condo complex called Deer Ridge Mountain Resort, Gatlinburg, Tennessee.  We have owned this property for over four years – but just recently became a full time resident.

Currently, mail is handled, and mishandled, by the office staff here…there is one large, unsecured mailbox for all incoming and outgoing mail.  The office staff retrieves all the mail for everyone from the box once it arrives – and the manager of the property appears to insist on reviewing all of the mail before it is made available for handout to the owners.

On many occasions, we, and others here, are also receiving mail that has already been opened by someone from the office. Clearly, our mail is being tampered with…and we believe intentionally misplaced, lost or delayed in its delivery to us.

We believe that the manager, Joe Thomas, is personally reviewing every item of mail and possibly intercepting some of it.  We find him to be highly vindictive against us and other residents here who do not rent out their unit using his property management company.

We understand from the local Postmaster that we have a right to private, securable mailboxes but the manager and the Board of Directors refuse to install proper equipment or allow us to install anything for ourselves.

This is an ongoing problem, affecting many owners, and your help in investigating these issues would be greatly appreciated. Once you contact us, we can give you the names of other owners here who have had the same ongoing, insidious problems.

The manager, Joe Thomas, can be reached at the same address. 3710 Weber Rd. Gatlinburg, TN 37738-6374 / (865) 436-2325