A elderly pensioner was here at my business yesterday claiming that The Adelaide Hills Council at their "service centres" no longer accept CASH as payment for rates?
I was stupefied and replied that she obviously has made a mistake - that cash as far as I knew was still legal tender in Australia - I thought cash had to be accepted for accounts etc. She handed me a copy of the 2009/2010 rating summery from the Hills council:
"Adelaide Hills Council is removing cash as a rate payment "option" in our service centres..." blah blah etc
and then it finishes with
"This is to assist us in providing you with more efficient payments methods to keep out costs down!!" How's that for double speak?
Also they have in their generosity proclaimed a 1% discount if paying by Direct Debit or Billpay - which really IMO means a 1% fine on the poor souls who do not have access to a computer. Rates are becoming obscenely expensive in Australia as these beaurocratic "over-rated" empires grow and demand ever increasing rates to pay their wages pool. This poor lady has always paid some out of her pension monthly so she can manage.
Personally I think it stinks?
Any of you legal eagles here know if it is illegal or unconstitutional to refuse cash for a debt or an account?
