The Right to Pay
with Cash
This message has
been received by ‘Love England’. We hope you will all respond positively and
send messages of support to a brave Englishwoman fighting for her rights!
Hi, my daughter Jane is mounting a one woman campaign against the authorities
refusing to accept cash payments for council tax and other payments. It is a
matter of principle bearing in mind that all card transaction etc can be traced
and big brother is trying to turn us into a cashless society.
In our area they
have refused her cash and consequently she is facing Magistrates - today - in
court.
In fact it is an illegal act to refuse cash which is the legal tender of the
realm however she is placing her neck on the block over this. She has also just
taken out litigation against Ken Livingstone in his official capacity because
they have refused to accept her cash to pay a fine on the congestion charge.
They have threatened her with the bailiffs and all sorts of things. She is now
counter-suing for malicious prosecution.
She has no fancy lawyers - she is acting for herself with the written law of the
land in her hands to
present in her defence. If anyone out there would like to send a message of
support to her you can do so via this link: Jane Sutherland
loveengland1@gmail.com
Dear Val,
I was really delighted to receive your kind message of support yesterday just prior to going off to the Magistrates Court in St Albans. Having never been inside a court room in my life, I was really nervous but I felt SO encouraged by the e-mails. Fortunately, my boyfriend Alan and my fabulous mum, Elizabeth, came with me and are supporting all the way.
St Albans Council was being represented by a slimey little man called Hugh Bedforth (Senior Recovery Assistant apparently) who collared me before the hearing and then tried to intimidate me into handing over the money to him there and then so 'we wouldn't have to go into Court'.
My presentation stated that I had tried to pay my council tax in cash in person every month (I gave dates) which had been consistently refused, even though I had correspondence from the Senior Finance Officer of the Council stating "Whilst we strongly encourage residents to pay by means other than cash and to pay any cash through the Post Office the Council will, relunctantly, accept cash as payment at the Council Offices. it is preferable that we are given notice but that is not a requirement".
After a rather lengthy case with cross examining on both sides, the three Magistrates consulted for about 5 seconds and then told us to leave for 5 minutes expecting me to hand over the cash (which I had waved about rather majestically from the witness box) to the slimeball. I asked for a guarantee that I and anybody else would be able to pay in cash from now on and he catagorically said no. I, therefore, did not pay him the money and upon re-entry into the courtroom, the Magistrates merely placed a liability order onto me which included the cost of the Summons. They said NOT ONE WORD about my case - I was flabbergasted!!! They did not have the courage to address the issue whatsoever and then.... upon leaving, we realised perhaps why! There are notices in the doorway of the Courthouse notifying the public that they no longer accept cash there (except by registered post, which is an additional cost to the payer and therefore unlawful!!)
NOW..... I am appealing the Magistrates decision stating that it was a perverse decision contrary to natural justice as I had in fact tried to pay.
I am also issuing a lawsuit against St Albans Council for malicious prosecution, personal discrimination and false advertising (cash free zone signs - this is not lawful!) asking for compensation for my costs, my time and stress (I had my hair cut today and my hairdresser found my first ever grey hair!!!)
Although I am a private person not used to seeking the limelight (see page 2 of today's Daily Telegraph), I do feel that there is a time when you have to stand up and be heard so I shall go all the way on this. When a tax or fine is imposed then I believe I have the legal right to pay it in the currency of the United Kingdom i.e. pounds sterling, as issued by the Bank of England.
Once again, many thanks for your message of support and for posting my case onto your website. If you have any ideas or advice, I would be very happy to hear.
Kindest regards,
Silvi
SYLIVA JANE SUTHERLAND