At most of our Car Boot Sales it is not necessary to apply for planning permission, however because their are structurals and outbuildings at the Par Moor Road site we have to consider paying £335.00 for the application to hold Car Boot Sales.

This is on top of the extensive work to clear the site and make it safe for Mr & Mrs Public. A further problem we have to ask the rating authority if we have to pay rates for our charity sales, remember it was that department who several years ago demanded over £3000.00 for our Car Boot rates at Par Moor Road, their demand and very high rents meant we had to give up the very successful sales.

I kept telling the rating authority they were wrong to charge the rates so I refused to pay! They summonsed and after two further refusals to pay sent two burley bailiffs to our shop Dig & Delve in Falmouth to take all the stock away.

I had been pre-warned this would happen so I had taken out most of the valuable stock out overnight, they handed me the Court papers and inspected the stock.
I said they would not raise the amount outstanding and their reply floored me! They advised a new summons would be brought to my house and they would take goods to the value!
Reluctantly I agreed to pay and the two nice gentlemen buggered off.

Over several months I wrote again and again to the rating authority to complain they had interpreted the ‘end of the day rule’ and that our Car Boot Sales were exempt from rates.
Eventually they phoned to confirm I would get a full refund with interest!

I have got to admit I was a ‘pain in the arse’ to the authoirites who were perfectly jobsworth and polite to me, but did they say sorry we got it wrong? that will be a NO!
More to follow…..
Geoff
x