11 July (Part 1) - “Devious Bastards”
At some time in the first half of the 1970s, Hart District Council summoned me
to Aldershot Magistrates’ Court for not paying my Rates. I most definitely had
so I thought it might be fun to let them do it and show up with my bank statement.
However a few days before the hearing I decided to double check my payment
with the bank; in the 1970s you could walk in to a bank unannounced and talk to
someone. All was well, the money had really gone from my account with correct sort code etc.
Unfortunately I had overlooked or hadn’t noticed that I banked at the same
branch as the District Council and the manager tipped off the Council that they
were about to make fools of themselves. I remember feeling deprived of an
opportunity to make monkeys out of Council bureaucrats. I imagine one Bonkers
reader is feeling much the same.
At the end of last month I briefly mentioned
Bexley Council taking an elderly gentleman to Court alleging he had not paid
one of the three Council Tax installments due so far when he had ample evidence
that they were wrong. He too opted to see them in Court. You may as well read his report verbatim
I decided against taking my bank statements to the council offices in favour of
having my day in court so that their incompetence could be made public. Well it
didn’t turn out that way; they have another trick up their sleeve to cover their arses.
Upon arriving at Bexley Magistrates’ Court I was directed by
reception to an area at the end of a corridor. Already there was a bloke and two
women engaged in conversation and then later another woman arrived and
explained to the others that she was late due to traffic.
Then one of the women went and sat at one of two tables placed at the end of the corridor and called me over. After looking at my bank statements she phoned her
office then wrote on my summons “Withdrawn”. She then informed me I didn’t have
to attend court as though she had done me a favour.
So anyone wrongly accused of non-payment of council tax by Bexley Council will find it impossible to get
justice at the Magistrates Court to which they have been summoned. Devious Bastards.
The woman then asked me if I would be at home all afternoon to which
I replied yes so she said she would phone me. Did she? NO.