DENVER — Homeowners are keeping a close eye on something they thought was safe and secure in Denver's Lowry neighborhood. According to a letter from their homeowner's association, someone stole the key that can open every mailbox kiosk on every street.
The problem is not everyone involved can agree on whether there was a theft or whether more mail has the potential of being stolen.
"There should only be one master key that is in the hands of my postal worker, so how is it lost," said Sherstin Lommatch, a Lowry resident.
But according to a Lowry Community Master Association letter sent to all residents, it's not lost, it's stolen.
The letter read in part, "The Post Office asked the LCMA to communicate to Lowry residents that a mailbox kiosk master key has again been stolen, resulting in the unauthorized opening and emptying of at least two mailbox kiosks in Lowry last weekend."
According to the HOA, a postal service manager notified them on July 6 that at least one of the thefts occurred on July 3. The association then sent out emails on July 9, warning residents of the potential for mail thefts.
But here's where the delivery gets a little hung-up.
According to the U.S. postal Inspection Service, the federal agency hasn't "received any viable reports of a current stolen key resulting in the unauthorized opening of mailboxes in the in the Lowry area, and the Lowy Community Master Association notice is therefore inaccurate."
UPSIS spokesman Eric Manuel confirmed with Denver7 that they are not disputing the claim, but until an official report about the matter lands on their desk, no investigation will occur.
Caught in the middle of all this, are the Lowry residents who have been on guard for more than a week, watching for a thief with a master key opening their mailboxes.
"I would think that a simple solution would be a master key change," Lowry resident Betty Dayoub said.
But again, no such solution is available until the postal inspector gets the same message the HOA got from the local post office.
