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Post Office Blames Last Week's Snowstorm For Delay In Mail Delivery

CENTENNIAL, Colo. (CBS4)- During snowstorms in Colorado, it's not unusual for services like waste and mail delivery to be delayed. However, some people are still having problems with the Postal Service more than a week after a huge snowstorm blew into Colorado.

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Post Offices are usually packed around Christmas with people mailing letters, cards and packages. Those who rely on the service for important business claim delays can make a huge impact.

Thanksgiving Week Snowstorm 2019
Dennis Faaborg of Denver shovels a sidewalk on November 27, 2019. (credit: JASON CONNOLLY/AFP via Getty Images)

RELATED: Denver Weather Stat: City Measured Most November Snow Since 1994

"Everybody knows Christmas time there are a lot of packages," said business owner Bill Banks.

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Bill Banks (credit: CBS)

Banks owns a roofing company and has been waiting for a large check. He expects mail might be a little delayed this time of year, but when he didn't get mail Friday or Saturday, he started to worry.

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"Something's wrong and it's not the way it's been done in the past."

Banks grew even more concerned when he saw his mail carrier Sunday, but he was not delivering regular mail.

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"I recognized the mail carrier was out in our neighborhood delivering packages, but we hadn't received mail on Friday or Saturday either. So I was wondering are people basically taking their paid vacation during this time and then volunteering to be paid to deliver packages so they are able to double dip legally," said Banks.

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CBS4's Michael Abeyta interviews Bill Banks (credit: CBS)

After three days of missed deliveries, Banks was upset. Without the check he had been waiting for, doing business is tough.

"It means that it's harder for me to pay my employees. I can't pay the bills for the materials and it's harder to be able to start another project buying the materials upfront," said Banks.

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Banks said when he asked about it at the Post Office on Monday, he was told that they were behind but that they hopefully would catch up soon.

"They said, 'Oh yeah we're going to bring more people in and that should help.'"

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A spokesperson for the US Postal Service said, "Residual effects from storms across the country" delayed the mail.

He added, "They made 99% of deliveries Tuesday and plan on delivering the rest Wednesday."

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Banks still hasn't received his check and said in the future he might have to rethink how he gets paid. Maybe he might use UPS or FEDEX or just drive around himself to pick up checks.

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"If I can't depend on the Post Office to deliver the checks that people owe me, I'm in real trouble," said Banks.

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