I HAVE also been a victim of the Municipality’s debt policy with prepaid electricity.
The Municipality, according to the Municipal Systems Act, may recover arrear municipal rates and taxes, owed by the owner, from a tenant.
When I went to buy prepaid electricity of R500, the Municipality smartly deducted part of my landlord’s arrears, leaving me with a minimal amount of electricity.
One would expect them to at least inform the tenant, in writing, of the intention to recover these funds from the landlord.
In normal jurisprudence, one individual cannot be held responsible for another individual’s liabilities, irrespective of whether there is a relationship such as owner/tenant.
Let this be a warning to the public of double jeopardy: with prepaid electricity sales, tenants are at the tender mercy of both uncrupulous landlords and the Municipality!
Kevin
