Ratepayers asking banks to hold off adding unpaid ARC rates to mortgages.

'Rebellion' Asks Lending Banks Not To Pay Rates On Behalf Of Protesting Ratepayers.

What Is The Real Figure Of Ratepayers In Default On Rates?

We are faxing the CEOs of all the leading banks requesting them to take no action if the Auckland Regional Council advises them of unpaid rates on properties mortgaged to their banks.

Although the ARC can legally demand payments from the mortgagees it cannot do this before 1st November - but banks can offer to pay before that date if the ARC notifies them of a 'default'.

We are asking the banks not to take this option as most of those in default are making a deliberate and personal protest against the ARC rates policies by withholding all or part of their rates for 7 months after the date on which they were due to be paid.

Based on figures given by ARC officials two weeks ago on 4th February there are over 97,000 ratepayers who have withheld all or part of their rates bill.

We have asked ARC chair Gwen Bull to confirm this figure as ARC officials are now disputing the number of ratepayers in default.

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>