Do you think council staff deliberately **** you off

[lizzie]

Arrrrgh - although I have met some lovely ones in my time - sometimes I think some council staff are deliberately buggers because you have no choice but the deal with them - not like you can take your business elsewhere.

We sold a property that settled early last month. New owner got an overdue/reminder notice and rang council (as rates were paid on settlement) only to be told that it was legal fees due to an overdue debt.

What?! So my sol gets a letter from their sol and I ring council to find out what it is for and is it still owing (due to rates being paid on settlement).

Well - she can't talk to me because we no longer own the property ... can't talk to the new owners because it's not their debt ... all she can do is spout the privacy act over and over and over until I tell her to "sssssh" in exasperation and goes spare because I dared tell her to shush.

Eventually, after having the privacy act spouted at me at least four times she gives me a number to call and hangs up ... shessh ... couldn't she have done that in the first place. Ring the number, debt was paid at settlement. Sheesh, couldn't the council officer told me that over the phone? And sheesh, it was only an overdue notice so how dare she tell the buyers it was legal fees for a debt!

And, the reminder notice was sent out a week before settlement - so how come it was sent to the buyers (who hadn't "bought" at that stage)?

 

[Ausprop]

just be grateful it didn't ping your credit record and destroy your wealth creation capability for the next 5 or 6 years, such is the stupidity of our credit reporting system

 

[nhg]

Arrrrgh - although I have met some lovely ones in my time - sometimes I think some council staff are deliberately buggers because you have no choice but the deal with them - not like you can take your business elsewhere.

We sold a property that settled early last month. New owner got an overdue/reminder notice and rang council (as rates were paid on settlement) only to be told that it was legal fees due to an overdue debt.

What?! So my sol gets a letter from their sol and I ring council to find out what it is for and is it still owing (due to rates being paid on settlement).

Well - she can't talk to me because we no longer own the property ... can't talk to the new owners because it's not their debt ... all she can do is spout the privacy act over and over and over until I tell her to "sssssh" in exasperation and goes spare because I dared tell her to shush.

Eventually, after having the privacy act spouted at me at least four times she gives me a number to call and hangs up ... shessh ... couldn't she have done that in the first place. Ring the number, debt was paid at settlement. Sheesh, couldn't the council officer told me that over the phone? And sheesh, it was only an overdue notice so how dare she tell the buyers it was legal fees for a debt!

And, the reminder notice was sent out a week before settlement - so how come it was sent to the buyers (who hadn't "bought" at that stage)?

After working at council, sometimes they are having a bad day, sometimes they are just douchebags.

 

[oc1]

After working at council, sometimes they are having a bad day, sometimes they are just douchebags.

Those "good" days are few and far between

Oscar

 

[Ideo]

Yes. Yes they do.

They are trained to blindly follow rules and regulations that were devised by a 68 year old surveyor 45 years ago.

 

[Macca]

Yes. Yes they do.

They are trained to blindly follow rules and regulations that were devised by a 68 year old surveyor 45 years ago.

I think they are actually all rabid greenies in the grip of the uni utopian mindset with zero practical experience between all of them, on one hand ..........

"Gee land is getting expensive, they should do something about that for us younger people wanting to build house, it's them BB they already have houses and land, greedy aren't they."

Now those greedy BB's want to subdivide and sell their land, we will fix them, lets stop them, "Lets all save the planet by insisting that they don't clear any more land for subdivision"

"Gee, land is dear it is them greedy BB's, they won't subdivide"

"Lets not allow subdividions in suburban areas because they May get wet in 100 years time"

Just depends who you get, but it is never pointed out to them that land was cheaper before because the councils allowed more onto the market when the demand was there.

 

[willair]

I think they are actually all rabid greenies in the grip of the uni utopian mindset with zero practical experience between all of them, on one hand ..........

I think you hit the nail on the head,mix the with a sensitive new age mindset backed up by the legal system with 20 cents in your back pocket then you have real problems,i never ring government -councils on Mondays or Friday middle of the weeks call everyone or madam-sir never have any problem ..

 

[jackbak]

Well - she can't talk to me because we no longer own the property ... can't talk to the new owners because it's not their debt ... all she can do is spout the privacy act over and over and over until I tell her to "sssssh" in exasperation and goes spare because I dared tell her to shush.

Eventually, after having the privacy act spouted at me at least four times she gives me a number to call and hangs up ... shessh ... couldn't she have done that in the first place. Ring the number, debt was paid at settlement. Sheesh, couldn't the council officer told me that over the phone? And sheesh, it was only an overdue notice so how dare she tell the buyers it was legal fees for a debt!

LOL! I actually see this quite a bit but from the other side. I run a business that is heavily guarded by the privacy act (like many are these days) and believe me there's nothing worse than when you explain to someone that the privacy act permits us from giving you this information only to be asked for the same information over and over and over so all you can do is repeat yourself over and over and over. It's government regulations and it frustrates us as much as it's frustrates them because a lot of the time it would be so much easier if we could just tell them the info they are after.

Got to look at it from her perspective, the calls are probably recorded and she can get sacked and/or sued for giving out private info.