CANNOT SEND EMAIL VIA CGI SCRIPT - "cannot create queue file"

I have been trying to understand why I cannot send email from a Perl Script.  I have added a log funtion as to find out what is up.  The hosting company I am using is a bit touchy about me poking around their log files.  Here's the script:

#!/usr/local/bin/perl -T
 
use strict;
 
our($sec,$min,$hr,$mday,$mon,$year,$wday,$yday,$isdst,$longyr,$vmon,$recipient,$datestamp);
 

#########################
#### CONTROL MODULE #####
#########################
&procinput;
&setvars;
&sendmessage;
########################
########################
########################
 
 
##### INPUT ######
sub procinput {
        ($sec,$min,$hr,$mday,$mon,$year,$wday,$yday,$isdst) = localtime(time);
        $longyr = $year + 1900;
        $vmon = $mon + 1;
}
 
sub setvars {
        $ENV{HOME} = '/home/shearer';
        $ENV{PATH} = '/usr/lib';
        $ENV{IFS} = '';
        $recipient = 'webmaster@get-onit.com';
        $datestamp = ("$mon/$mday/$longyr at $hr:$min");
}
 
sub sendmessage {
        open (MAIL, "|/usr/lib/sendmail -t -X /home/shearer/mgmt/logs/mail.log -v");
        print MAIL "To: $recipient\n";
      print MAIL "Subject: ERROR AT GET ON IT\n\n";
        print MAIL "On $datestamp a request for $ENV{'REQUEST_URI'} caused an error.  The users name was $ENV{'USER_NAME'}.\n";
        close (MAIL);
}

The log entries that are created include the following messages:

05027 >>> collect: Cannot write ./dfi3KJjsRo005027 (bfcommit, uid=1567, gid=1569): Permission denied
05027 >>> queueup: cannot create queue file ./qfi3KJjsRo005027, euid=1567: Permission denied

/usr/lib/sendmail is a link to /usr/sbin/sendmail owned by root.  The hosting company has asked me to use the link.

/var/spool/mqueue is owned by root and the mail group.  permissions to /var/spool/mqueue are 755.  I have not verified that this is the queue indicated in sendmail.cf.  

The hosting company copied my script to a new script with www as the group but that didn't work either.  

It seems to me that 2 things are needed: 1) group permissions for /var/spool/mqueue need to include write and 2) my script needs to be apart of the mail group.

What am I missing?

Thanks