Johan Douglas of Blythedale Beach writes: Referring to Tim Pierre of Durban’s letter ‘On the prowl in Ballito’ (September 14), it seems the license department in Stanger is also on the prowl.
My wife went to the Salt Rock license office to renew her vehicle license. What a rude lady behind the counter!
She seems to thinks she’s doing the public a favour. Anyhow she refused to issue my wife with the vehicle license as there were outstanding penalties owing and my wife needed to pay the whole amount before she could issue the license.
The problem is, the amount shown is R2325, but you cannot issue a cheque for more than R999 to the municipality nor can you pay by card as the office doesn’t have a card facility. My wife was told she had to go to the Stanger office to sort out the charges.
On closer inspection I noticed in bold writing on the document: ‘Clearance certificate/license may not be refused due to outstanding infringements reflecting on this report.
Documents as printed by this system must be issued.’ The penalties and interest incurred are for company garage plates that we had in Richards Bay in 2005.
We sold the business and relocated to Salt Rock in 2006. We were told we must cancel the NRB garage plate and reapply for a NT plate which we did, and later cancelled in 2009.
We have various other vehicles registered over the years in our business name and paid the license fees on these vehicles annually without any problem. Now, in 2018, we are informed these two garage plates have incurred penalties – arrears in license fees and interest – since July 2006 and September 2009 for R655.00 and R975.00.
To date we have never received a statement for these amounts. Now we are charged with these amounts in 2018! Is it allowed by law to charge costs to a client after nine and 12 years without ever issuing statements? I visited the Stanger office to clear this issue myself.
There I was asked by the head of the department to show proof when I cancelled the garage plates in 2006 and 2009. I informed him that by law a business only need keep records for five years. Where does he think I must come up with nine and 12-year-old records?
He then tells his clerk to take my monies for the licence fee but not to issue the disc for the vehicle until I bring proof that I have resolved this issue with Pietermaritzburg head office, as head office added these costs to my account, not the Stanger office.
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