Rent arrears accrued despite updating council
COUNCILLOR HAS CALLED FOR ARREARS WRITE OFFS FOR TENANTS
A Louth County Councillor claimed that some council tenants were faced with large bills for rent arrears, despite having updated the local authority on any changes to their income.
Cllr. Tomas Sharkey told the March meeting of Louth County Council that he was aware of tenants who were shocked to receive bills for arrears which had accrued even though they had submitted details of their changed circumstances to the council some time before.
He told members that there were tenants who were upfront with the housing office about, for example, increased income, but their rents had not gone up even after they provided the relevant details. In some cases the details they submitted appeared to have been mislaid. But they were then landed with bills for arrears.
‘We cannot then go to people looking for money when they don’t have it. You cannot get blood from a stone.’
Cllr. Sharkey said that some arrears bills were hundreds, even thousands.
‘We will have to look at write offs for some of these bills.’
‘People may have had the money at the time, when they contacted the council about their change in circumstance, but they don’t have it now,’ said Cllr. Sharkey.
Director for Services, Joe McGuinness said the housing unit were currently analysing a ‘cohort of accounts’.
He added that this involved a ‘detailed analysis’ of rental arrears, and looking at the various reasons why these accounts were in arrears.
He said that they had put a lot of staff resources into conducting the review.
The Director said this analysis was not yet completed, and he would prefer not to comment to the council until the results were available.
The latest figures published show that there are €5,163,932 owed in rentals arrears, a substantial increase over the last year.
The vast majority of arrears owed are those which are greater than twelve weeks old.
The local authority have been working with tenants who are in arrears.
There are also 1,098 tenants who pay their rent by ‘ household budget.’ Fiona Squibb.
THE LSPCA are investigating an increase in the number of cat deaths in the Dundalk area.
LSPCA Inspector Fiona Squibb told the Argus: ‘It has come to my notice lately a lot of cats are being found dead. Now some have been knocked down and that has been obvious and killed.
Some very kind members of the public have found them and taken to vets. One was found out Castleblaney road and just sitting by the side of the road. It was injured, in fact had to lose its leg as result.’
She added: ‘ There was another taken to the Avenue Road Vets. Thankfully the owners were found and are looking after their cat and very grateful that someone was kind enough to actually go to the trouble of calling the vets to get help.’
She highlighted a ‘disturbing case’ in the last few weeks when two cats were found dead together along the Ecco road.
‘How could two get hit at once? Never in 16 years have I seen it. One was a tabby and white,the other black and white. I have seen many car injuries but these looked very suspicious.’ Council Litter warden Stephen O’Connor helped her to dispose of the cats in this instance.
‘ These are only a few of the cases there were others. Some where we cant find owners.’
She appealed: ‘Please get your cats neutered. They may still wander but it does help as they dont need to be travelling all over looking for females.’