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Derek Glover |
‘They’ve said sorry, but I wanted my day in court’
Council issues ‘grovelling apology’ to pensioner harassed over tax
A PADDINGTON pensioner received a “grovelling apology” from the council’s top finance chief this week after a farcical three-year battle over his council tax which culminated in a court summons.
For three years retired accountant Derek Glover has been sending letters, contacting councillors and waiting on hold to the council’s call centre, in a vain attempt to confirm he has not defrauded Westminster Council of £104 in council tax.
At 74 years of age and suffering from multiple sclerosis, Mr Glover says he has been “persecuted” by “petty bureaucrats” in Westminster Council.
On Monday, he was issued with a summons demanding he attend Horseferry Road magistrates’ court at 10.07am on September 17.
He said: “For three years I have been telling them the same thing – over and over again. My life is a full time job – it is hard enough getting through the day. It has been as aggravating as it is frightening.”
Three years ago Mr Glover received a £104.89 cheque from the council reimbursing him for overpayment of his council tax – but when he tried to pay it in he found it had expired.
It took over a year for a replacement to arrive, which he lodged to his account.
Last May, Mr Glover received a letter from the council claiming he had fraudulently cashed both cheques and he should immediately reimburse the council.
Mr Glover, who lives in Chichester Road, Paddington, spent his life “number crunching” as a top accountant for major firms.
He claims mobility allowance on account of his disability and struggles to get by on his £115 a week pension.
He said: “This should have been an elementary piece of accounting. You do not send out a second cheque until you have cancelled the first. The worst thing about this is dealing with the stupid call centre. Westminster Council is thought of as one of the best council’s in the country – but they get it wrong sometimes, and that is because they rely on computers.”
Mr Glover went to Cllr Paul Dimoldenberg’s surgery on Tuesday and on Wednesday the matter had been resolved.
The council’s top finance chief Phil Black phoned Mr Glover on Wednesday morning to offer an unreserved apology.
Mr Glover said: “It was a grovelling apology. But I do not believe it until I have something in writing. It’s a shame in a way because I was looking forward to my day in court – these people need showing up.”
A Westminster City Council spokesperson said: “Having reviewed the situation it is clear that an administrative error took place.
“We have subsequently withdrawn the summons and removed any associated costs from Mr Glover’s account. We offer our sincere apologies for any distress caused.” |
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