CITY RATES

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 74, 29 March 1932, Page 6

CITY RATES

PAYMENT VERY SLOW TEN PER CENT. PENALTY It was not anticipated that the rush of rates payments just before ths imposition of. the 10 per cent, penalty would continue after the penalty date, but on the other hand steadier payment than has since been made was expected. Callers at the rates counter are almost few and far, between, and though the City Council is reluctant to take legal action for the ' recovery of amounts due, no doubt such action will be taken if payments do not improve. It is probable that a good many who have not paid.their rate's are standing back a little longer in the hope that they may benefit from, the re-enact-ment of the special legislation of last year for the waiving or refund of the additional 10 • per cent, imposed under the main Eating Act for late payment, but if so it may be that they will be disappointed, for the legislation brought down for last year did not say that local bodies must remit the penalty, but merely gave them authority to: do so. Last year the City Council did nbt remit late payment penalties, except in special cases, and though there has been no discussion upon the point, several councillors have expressed the opinion that in the event of special power being again given it should not be availed of. The Mayor, at the last council meeting, expressed doubts as to the wisdom of the legislation. The position under the main Act in regard to the penalty is that a local body may (not must) impose a penalty for late payment, and that that decision becomes operative when public notification of the intention is given. Once the decision has been notified, however, the .amount of the penalty becomes a part of the rate, and then the local body has no power whatever (under the main Act) to remit it except in cases of poverty, and that limited power, as many applicants for relief know only too well, is exercised only after very careful scrutiny. Those ratepayers who are calling at the rates counter and demanding the 10 per cent, shall be struck off again, or that the penalty which they have paid shall be refunded to them, have no authority with which to support their demands at present, and whether the penalty may be ultimately remitted depends first upon the decision of the Government whether last year's special legislation is to be re-enacted for this year, and then upon the council's decision whether it will avail itself of the permissive clauses.