A Hartbeespoort woman has been warned her home would be auctioned of she failed to pay a debt of R3, News24 reported on Friday.
”I think it’s ridiculous – the envelope alone cost them R1,89,” Bettie Hartzenberg said.
Hartzenberg’s debt was in connection with arrears licence fees on an ancient blue Ford tractor.
The letter from Mosiamise Business Solutions, contracted by the North West provincial transport department to collect unpaid licence fees, said Hartzenberg had 22 days to pay the R3.
If she failed to do so, legal action would be taken against her to recover the arrears amount, and this could end in her house being put on auction if all else failed.
”For that money, they will not even find an old spade on the farm to offer at an auction,” said Hartzenberg.
The letter carried a further threat — her future vehicle licences and driver’s licence(s) would not be renewed.
”I cannot understand them acting in this manner because of R3 arrears for an old Ford tractor,” said Hartzenberg.
She acknowledged that the R3 has been outstanding since 2001.
”But I always figured that they would simply add it to the licence fee for the coming year.”
Hartzenberg’s son, who has since taken over the farming operation near Bronkhorstfontein in the Fochville district, has been paying the annual licence fee for the veteran 1972 model Ford tractor.
His mother had, meanwhile, deposited the R3 into the bank account of the debt collector.
Aleachia Erasmus, a manager at Mosiamise Business Solutions, said the letter was sent because the company had no telephone number for Hartzenberg.
”If we’d had a number we would simply have phoned her and reminded her to rectify the matter.” – Sapa