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90 days suspended for HCD who blames debt on 'slow business'
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Author:  StuartW [ Fri Oct 18, 2019 8:42 am ]
Post subject:  90 days suspended for HCD who blames debt on 'slow business'
Taxi driver blames council tax debt on ‘slow business’

https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/ ... -business/

Image
Image: Northern Echo

A TAXI driver who has racked up thousands in council tax debt said he is struggling to make payments because business is “going downhill and only getting worse”.

Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court heard that Michael Anderson was given a suspended prison sentence in 2016 for non-payment of council tax in the amount of £2,846.

The conditions of the suspension were that he pay £20 per week until all arrears were paid back – something which he has failed to do, resulting in him being recalled to court twice.

Victoria Nelson, prosecuting on behalf of Durham County Council, said: “In September 2016 a District Judge sentenced Mr Anderson to 90 days in prison suspended with a payment agreement after he was found guilty of culpable neglect.

“Since then he has again fallen into arrears for the outstanding debt and he has made no contributions to this year’s council tax liability.”

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Image: Northern Echo

Sam Brewster, representing Anderson, said: “He is a taxi driver by trade, in Durham where business is slow. He tells me that it is going down hill and only getting worse.

“He said there have been occasions where he has driven around all night and not made a fare. It’s fair to say that money is tight.

“Payments have been missed but they have also been made, if he misses a payment one week then he pays double the week after. He is trying.”

Suzanne Chivers, chair of the bench, said: “It seems to us that every time you’re in court there’s a last ditch attempt to bring the account up to date so it’s not as bad when you’re in front of us.

“It’s not acceptable. If this happens again you will be going out the back door. If I see you in court again I will activate your prison sentence.

“Every body else pays council tax.”

Anderson, of Laburnum Park, Brandon, Durham, was given 90 days in prison suspended on the agreement that he continue to pay £20 per week.

He must also pay arrears within seven days.
Author:  StuartW [ Fri Oct 18, 2019 8:43 am ]
Post subject:  Re: 90 days suspended for HCD who blames debt on 'slow busin
Quote:
“He said there have been occasions where he has driven around all night and not made a fare. It’s fair to say that money is tight."


That's why for the thread title I assumed he was HC rather than PH - sounds more like what the former would do rather than the latter.

But makes it sound like he's cruising all night, and not getting one fare. Doesn't ring true, somehow - if things were that slow I doubt if you'd cruise all night in a place the size of Durham (48,000 population) and, even if it was an option at times, if it was really quiet I suspect he'd queue on a rank, or at least try to get on one.

Which, of course, may be what he was actually doing - maybe driving round trying different ranks, and getting fed up after a while and going to another one.

Although if what he claims is true then I suspect he's just been out for two or three hours some nights and gotten fed up and gone home, rather than going 'all night' without a job.

Anyway, I suspect Durham is very like our town here, so a big uptick in business when the students come back (for a few weeks at least), so presumably business has been a bit better for him in the last few weeks - if he's still not managing, it looks like the writing's on the wall...

And it's not surprising what a couple of comments on the website are focussing on, so I won't mention that. But, and maybe I'm being a bit old-fashioned, isn't it a good idea to at least dress up a wee bit for a court appearance, make it look like you're making a bit of an effort, or whatever?

Maybe it doesn't sway some on the bench (and he may think that dressing up would make him look like he's got a bit of spare cash!), but I'm sure it won't impress others. I mean, he's not exactly a teenager either.
Author:  edders23 [ Fri Oct 18, 2019 10:45 am ]
Post subject:  Re: 90 days suspended for HCD who blames debt on 'slow busin
Just had to pay £732 on penalty charges on my house because it's taking me ages to find a tenant these councils are just getting greedier and greedier
Author:  Sussex [ Fri Oct 18, 2019 9:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 90 days suspended for HCD who blames debt on 'slow busin
Quote:
after he was found guilty of culpable neglect.

In short that means he had the means to pay, but chose not to. [-X
Author:  StuartW [ Thu Dec 30, 2021 3:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 90 days suspended for HCD who blames debt on 'slow busin
This has been in the Scottish news this week.

As regards the trade, the pertinent point is that Councillor Rhiannon Spear is (or was) a member of Glasgow's licensing committee.

Not sure if it's such a big deal, but this thread is the most relevant related news article I could find.


Rising SNP councillor accused of using hate speech being chased for failing to pay council tax bill

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scot ... g-25785730

Councillor Rhiannon Spear, who stood as a Scottish Parliament candidate in May for Argyll and Bute, is one of seven elected Glasgow councillors who have failed to pay their council tax bills on time this year.

Image
Image: Robert Perry/Daily Record/Sunday Mail

A rising SNP politician accused of using hate speech is being chased for failing to pay her council tax bill.

Glasgow City Council is refusing to say how much is actually owed by their councillor and SNP’s National Women’s Convener Rhiannon Spear.

The 31-year-old Pollok councillor, who stood as a Scottish Parliament candidate in May for Argyll and Bute, is one of seven elected Glasgow councillors who have failed to pay their council tax bills on time this year.

She is one of dozens of other officials who have not paid or faced court action.

But many of Scotland’s 32 councils refused to give us full details of those who had failed to pay the charges.

Spear, who is also convener of the city’s education committee, is no stranger to controversy.

This year she deleted her social media and apologised after saying Scotland hates the UK – prompting calls for a police probe into her “hate tweet”.

Tweeting after the UK failed to score any points at Eurovision, Spear posted: “It’s ok Europe, we hate the United Kingdom too. Love, Scotland.”

The six other unnamed Glasgow councillors issued with “reminder notices” have cleared their debts.

But the local authority said it was still trying to recover an unspecified debt owed by Spear.

The council has also said a further 36 councillors received reminders about non-payment of council tax since 2018.

In 2018/19 SNP councillor Elspeth Kerr, who quit her role in 2020 amid claims she was bullied by city leader Susan Aitken, fellow SNP councillor Elaine McSporran and Labour councillor Cecilia O’Lone racked up council tax debt that meant they couldn’t vote in budget decisions.

O’Lone, who represents Calton, said sorry after it was revealed she was more than £17,500 in council tax arrears. She previously blamed losing a job and bereavement and agreed to pay back the eye-watering amount owed.

But arrears meant she couldn’t carry out some council functions in 2019/20 as well.

There were no Glasgow City councillors banned in 2020/21. It was claimed the disclosure – made under Freedom of Information laws – was limited to comply with new data protection rules, introduced in 2018.

Carole Ewart, of the Campaign for Freedom of Information in Scotland, said: “These are paid council officials who haven’t paid the tax that helps fund the council they are employed to act for. There are not many more prominent issues that should satisfy the public interest than that.”

Danielle Boxall, of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “This is a double blow for hardworking taxpayers. Residents who play by the rules expect the councillors who represent them to pay their own council tax on time and will be shocked to pick up the tab in the form of higher rates.”

Only one other local authority released details on defaulting councillors including their names.

Aberdeenshire Council said it had sent reminders to three councillors for failing to pay council tax in 2021/22. One has been pursued in the civil courts, where a summary warrant was issued.

It said SNP councillor Victoria Harper was the only current councillor in arrears of over two months for tax owed.

She was also in arrears in each of the last four years.

In 2020/21 she was unable to take part in the budget vote for her failure to pay council tax – the same situation as in 2019/20 and 2018/19.

Aberdeenshire council has issued nine reminders to its elected members since 2018. It has also pursued six cases through the civil courts.

Scotland’s eight other biggest councils refused to supply details.

Edinburgh City Council said it had last taken legal action in 2018/19 to recover around £3000 owed by councillors. But it said releasing the names of the officials would breach “personal data” rules.

In the Highlands officials said one unnamed councillor owed over £1000.

Aberdeen, Dundee and Renfrewshire refused to supply details. Falkirk and Dumfries and Galloway said they didn’t have any councillors who hadn’t paid council tax.

In Perth and Kinross officials wouldn’t even reveal numbers.

Councillors are currently paid a basic pay of £18,604, which was set in April.

Councillors Spear and Harper were contacted for comment.



The above article as presented in the print version of the Sunday Mail:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FHhrX1IWQAE ... name=large

A broadly similar piece in the Scottish Daily Mail:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FHr5ZP4WUAM ... name=large
Author:  StuartW [ Thu Dec 30, 2021 3:52 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 90 days suspended for HCD who blames debt on 'slow busin
So is it a storm in a teacup as regards licensing matters and Cllr Spears' position as a licensing committee member?

Of course, maybe the problem is that we don't know how much Ms Spears is in arrears (it rhymes!), or how old the debt is. All that's been disclosed is that she's been sent a reminder by the council, and that she hasn't yet settled the debt.
Author:  StuartW [ Thu Dec 30, 2021 3:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 90 days suspended for HCD who blames debt on 'slow busin
And, of course, as regards the driver at the top of the thread who was handed the suspended prison sentence for council tax arrears, we don't know whether that had any implications for his badge.

Any cases of licensing committees getting uppity about debt arrears and suchlike?
Author:  Sussex [ Thu Dec 30, 2021 7:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 90 days suspended for HCD who blames debt on 'slow busin
Councillors should pay their council taxes, or resign.

Maybe a new law should be brought in where councillors have to fill in an online form every year, which will send them a link to prove they are up to date with their council tax. 8-[
Author:  heathcote [ Thu Dec 30, 2021 8:39 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 90 days suspended for HCD who blames debt on 'slow busin
Sussex wrote:
Councillors should pay their council taxes, or resign.

Maybe a new law should be brought in where councillors have to fill in an online form every year, which will send them a link to prove they are up to date with their council tax. 8-[


What's the betting she has still been claiming her Councillors allowance and the Council Officers have paid it.
Author:  edders23 [ Fri Dec 31, 2021 7:07 am ]
Post subject:  Re: 90 days suspended for HCD who blames debt on 'slow busin
so not a lot of difference...


...really


second article has nothing to do with our trade

SHE is a politician and He is/was a taxi driver


this should be in the politics section surely ?
Author:  StuartW [ Fri Dec 31, 2021 1:19 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 90 days suspended for HCD who blames debt on 'slow busin
edders23 wrote:
so not a lot of difference...

I meant not a lot of difference between the two articles I posted the other day, not the article at the top of the thread.

(On reflection the graphics are a bit 'in your face' so I've replaced them with the text version of the first article, but have left links to the graphical version of both articles.)

Edders wrote:
...really

second article has nothing to do with our trade

SHE is a politician and He is/was a taxi driver

this should be in the politics section surely ?

Well the article was about politics, obviously, but my point was about Cllr Spears' position on the licensing committee, and how her council tax arrears could affect that. And, as per a subsequent post, how it might relate to how a licensing committee might approach the driver at the top of the thread.
Author:  StuartW [ Fri Dec 31, 2021 1:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 90 days suspended for HCD who blames debt on 'slow busin
Quote:
In 2018/19 SNP councillor Elspeth Kerr, who quit her role in 2020 amid claims she was bullied by city leader Susan Aitken, fellow SNP councillor Elaine McSporran and Labour councillor Cecilia O’Lone racked up council tax debt that meant they couldn’t vote in budget decisions.

So their council tax arrears mean they can't vote in budget decisions, but licensing committee members can still decide who is fit and proper to hold taxi and other licences.

And don't some councils have financial viability tests before deciding to grant some trade licences in the first place?
Author:  edders23 [ Fri Dec 31, 2021 2:03 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 90 days suspended for HCD who blames debt on 'slow busin
StuartW wrote:
Quote:
In 2018/19 SNP councillor Elspeth Kerr, who quit her role in 2020 amid claims she was bullied by city leader Susan Aitken, fellow SNP councillor Elaine McSporran and Labour councillor Cecilia O’Lone racked up council tax debt that meant they couldn’t vote in budget decisions.

So their council tax arrears mean they can't vote in budget decisions, but licensing committee members can still decide who is fit and proper to hold taxi and other licences.

And don't some councils have financial viability tests before deciding to grant some trade licences in the first place?



most politicians are two faced lying cheating jobsworths who think they are very important because they have control of other peoples lives (with the notable exception of the mayor of Melton Mowbray of course) why is her position on the licensing committee any different to that of any other councillor ? I suspect every one of them has a few skeletons in their cupboard !
Author:  StuartW [ Fri Dec 31, 2021 4:44 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 90 days suspended for HCD who blames debt on 'slow busin
edders23 wrote:
...why is her position on the licensing committee any different to that of any other councillor ?

Who said it was, apart from the stuff highlighted in the articles?

Not sure I get the point you're trying to make, but I though my point was pretty self-evident.

For example, as Unite Glasgow said regarding the article, fail to pay your renewal fees on time and you're out of a job:

https://twitter.com/UtUCabGlasgow/statu ... 7513424896
Author:  grandad [ Fri Dec 31, 2021 6:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 90 days suspended for HCD who blames debt on 'slow busin
edders23 wrote:
Just had to pay £732 on penalty charges on my house because it's taking me ages to find a tenant these councils are just getting greedier and greedier

I completed on the purchase of a fat at the end of August. I did a couple of minor refurbs and had a tenant in by the end of October, a whole 2 months. I got charged a 100% council tax premium for the flat being a long term empty property. I pointed out that i had only had the place 2 months but I was penalised because it had been empty for 18 months BEFORE I owned it.
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