Mysterious debit leaves resident fuming
IS it acceptable that the municipality can take money from a resident’s bank account without their permission?
This was the question asked by Jenni Waters when the municipality withdrew a sum from her account without her knowledge or consent.
Last Friday Talk of the Town received a Facebook message from Waters who said she was shocked when she saw an entry for a withdrawal of R422.18 from her bank account that she had no knowledge of. “I noticed it in my monthly debit orders,” said Waters, who called the bank to ask what the debit was for.
“The bank confirmed it was the municipality [who received the money],” she said.
Waters said she had sold a property on George Street in May 2011 and that Neave Stotter had handled the transaction. This is the only place she can imagine the municipality could have got her account details from.
“All municipal debts were settled by Neave Stotter [at the time of the sale], and I received the balance of the monies. Now, seven years later, someone decides that I owe them money,” Waters said.
Concerned that the municipality was able to withdraw from her account without any notification or her authorisation she contacted the paper.
In turn, Talk of the Town contacted municipal spokesman Cecil Mbolekwa to enquire about the incident, but we had not received a reply by the time of going to press.