Margaret Lawrence, Helderberg
With reference to Hennie Vermaas’s letter (“Refuse removal”, Bolander, September 5), I have been fighting this for many months now, with the same results as him.
When my refuse was not removed for six weeks, I decided enough was enough, and wrote to say that in future I was not going to pay for the weeks my refuse was omitted.
I received the standard electronic response that my email had been received and I would be contacted shortly.
I have never been contacted despite several more emails.
On carrying out this threat my account has shown an arrears of the amounts I deducted.
This has continued and my account is in a substantial amount of arrears.
I have enquired as to the legality of charging for a service not delivered, and have received no reply.
I have been verbally told that it is a compulsory charge which must be paid, whether the refuse is removed or not.
In desperation, I contacted the mayor’s office with a request for the legality of charging for a service that is not received,
I have received no reply, not even an electronic one. I will continue to withhold payment when my bin is not emptied until I get taken to court, as I believe that this is the only way I will get the answers to my question about the legality.
I was a hairdresser in my day, and if I had made an appointment with a client and did not turn up, I feel sure that they would not pay for my services not rendered.
How does the municipality manage to get away with it?
