Council Tax Increase

Common Law Jurisdiction made this Freedom of Information request to Craven District Council This request has been closed to new correspondence. Contact us if you think it should be reopened.

Response to this request is long overdue. By law, under all circumstances, Craven District Council should have responded by now (details). You can complain by requesting an internal review.

Common Law Jurisdiction

Dear Craven District Council,

I have today learnt via the media that you are increasing Council Tax. I know there is a lot of fake news about (mostly the mainstream news) so I wanted to get the facts from you.

1. Are you increasing Council Tax?

2. If so please release all records related to this including, but not limited to: internal memos, emails, external letters, minutes, policies, audio recordings, video recordings...

3. What recorded information do you have to prove that under Common Law (which IS the law of the land),that any man or woman is obliged to pay Council Tax? I am not interested in statutes and acts etc as they only take force when consent is given and besides the Council Tax act it seems only applies to consenting businesses anyway. Seems to me you are sort of a subscription service.

4. It also seems to me that you are scaling back services in recent years. For example the bins were once done weekly. Please can you release your justification for the increase (if there is one)?

"Bart Joseph"
Yours faithfully,

Common Law Jurisdiction

accesstoinfo, Craven District Council

Thank you for contacting CravenDistrict Council. We confirm that we have received your correspondence.

If you have made a request for information held by the Council, we will formally acknowledge your request as soon as possible. We will also write to you if we need any further information to enable us to answer your request. If we do not need any further information, we will aim to respond to you within the relevant timescale for handling such requests as advetised on the Council's website.

If there is anything that you would like to discuss with us in the meantime, you can contact us during normal office hours on 01756 700600.

accesstoinfo, Craven District Council

Thank you for your request for information received on 16 February 2017. This request will be dealt with in accordance with either the Freedom of Information Act (‘the Act’) or the Environmental Information Regulations (‘the Regulations’) (whichever is appropriate). You asked for:-

As set out in the e-mail below:

You can expect a reply by 2 March 2017 unless I need to come back either to you to clarify your request or the Council needs more time to deal with your request. In this latter eventuality, for requests dealt with under the Act, delays can sometimes arise where the public interest needs to be considered. In the case of requests dealt with under the Regulations, a delay can arise if the Council believes that the complexity and volume of the information requested means that it is impractical to comply with the request by the date specified, or to make a decision to refuse to do so.

If you have any queries about this letter please contact me quoting the reference number above.

If you are not happy with this response you may request an internal review by emailing [Craven District Council request email] or by writing to the Freedom of Information Officer, Craven District Council, Belle Vue Square, Broughton Road, Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 1FJ. Any request for a review should be submitted within two months of the date of this letter.

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner’s Office for a decision. Generally the Commissioner cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted our own complaints procedure. The Information Commissioner’s Office can be contacted at the Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.

Website: https://ico.org.uk/

Thanks

-----Original Message-----
From: Common Law Jurisdiction [mailto:[FOI #390028 email]]
Sent: 16 February 2017 09:00
To: accesstoinfo
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Council Tax Increase

Dear Craven District Council,

I have today learnt via the media that you are increasing Council Tax. I know there is a lot of fake news about (mostly the mainstream news) so I wanted to get the facts from you.

1. Are you increasing Council Tax?

2. If so please release all records related to this including, but not limited to: internal memos, emails, external letters, minutes, policies, audio recordings, video recordings...

3. What recorded information do you have to prove that under Common Law (which IS the law of the land),that any man or woman is obliged to pay Council Tax? I am not interested in statutes and acts etc as they only take force when consent is given and besides the Council Tax act it seems only applies to consenting businesses anyway. Seems to me you are sort of a subscription service.

4. It also seems to me that you are scaling back services in recent years. For example the bins were once done weekly. Please can you release your justification for the increase (if there is one)?

"Bart Joseph"
Yours faithfully,

Common Law Jurisdiction

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Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #390028 email]

Is [Craven District Council request email] the wrong address for Freedom of Information requests to Craven District Council? If so, please contact us using this form:
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Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
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For more detailed guidance on safely disclosing information, read the latest advice from the ICO:
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If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

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accesstoinfo, Craven District Council

1 Attachment

Please see the Council's response to your recent request for information.

-----Original Message-----
From: Common Law Jurisdiction [mailto:[FOI #390028 email]]
Sent: 16 February 2017 09:00
To: accesstoinfo
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Council Tax Increase

Dear Craven District Council,

I have today learnt via the media that you are increasing Council Tax. I know there is a lot of fake news about (mostly the mainstream news) so I wanted to get the facts from you.

1. Are you increasing Council Tax?

2. If so please release all records related to this including, but not limited to: internal memos, emails, external letters, minutes, policies, audio recordings, video recordings...

3. What recorded information do you have to prove that under Common Law (which IS the law of the land),that any man or woman is obliged to pay Council Tax? I am not interested in statutes and acts etc as they only take force when consent is given and besides the Council Tax act it seems only applies to consenting businesses anyway. Seems to me you are sort of a subscription service.

4. It also seems to me that you are scaling back services in recent years. For example the bins were once done weekly. Please can you release your justification for the increase (if there is one)?

"Bart Joseph"
Yours faithfully,

Common Law Jurisdiction

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #390028 email]

Is [Craven District Council request email] the wrong address for Freedom of Information requests to Craven District Council? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/change_re...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offi...

For more detailed guidance on safely disclosing information, read the latest advice from the ICO:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-...

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

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Common Law Jurisdiction

Dear Craven District Council,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Craven District Council's handling of my FOI request 'Council Tax Increase'.

You said "Council’s response

With regards to questions 1, 2, and 4, I can confirm that the Council holds the
information you are seeking. However, Section 22 of the Act exempts this information
from disclosure. This is because the information is intended for publication at a future
date.

This exemption requires the public interest for and against disclosure to be weighed in
the balance. There is a public interest in information being released as soon as
possible. However, I am satisfied that there is a strong public interest in permitting
public authorities to publish information in a manner and form and at a time of their own
choosing. It is a part of the effective conduct of public affairs that the general publication
of information is a conveniently planned and managed activity within the reasonable
control of public authorities, and I am satisfied that in the instance the Council is
reasonably entitled to make its own arrangements to do so.
Paul Shevlin, Chief Executive
Calls may be recorded for training and monitoring purposes
For general enquiries telephone 01756 700600
www.cravendc.gov.uk

With regards to question 3, Section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act allows us to
direct you to information which is already reasonably accessible to you, as it is already
in the public domain. The information that you requested is available in the Local
Government Finance Act 1992 as amended. "

Am I to take it from this that you are increasing Council Tax? When will the information be published?

The Local Government Finance Act 1992 is statute law and not common law. I want to know how you intend to enforce Council Tax in a common law jurisdiction which is what we live in. Statue law is only enforcable with the relevant man or woman's consent.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/c...

Yours faithfully,

Common Law Jurisdiction

Common Law Jurisdiction

Dear accesstoinfo,

In addition the 1992 act if comprehension is correct applies only to consenting businesses.

Yours sincerely,

Common Law Jurisdiction

accesstoinfo, Craven District Council

1 Attachment

Please see attached acknowledgement.

-----Original Message-----
From: Common Law Jurisdiction [mailto:[FOI #390028 email]]
Sent: 22 February 2017 19:40
To: accesstoinfo
Subject: Internal review of Freedom of Information request - Council Tax Increase

Dear Craven District Council,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Craven District Council's handling of my FOI request 'Council Tax Increase'.

You said "Council’s response

With regards to questions 1, 2, and 4, I can confirm that the Council holds the information you are seeking. However, Section 22 of the Act exempts this information from disclosure. This is because the information is intended for publication at a future date.

This exemption requires the public interest for and against disclosure to be weighed in the balance. There is a public interest in information being released as soon as possible. However, I am satisfied that there is a strong public interest in permitting public authorities to publish information in a manner and form and at a time of their own choosing. It is a part of the effective conduct of public affairs that the general publication of information is a conveniently planned and managed activity within the reasonable control of public authorities, and I am satisfied that in the instance the Council is reasonably entitled to make its own arrangements to do so.
Paul Shevlin, Chief Executive
Calls may be recorded for training and monitoring purposes For general enquiries telephone 01756 700600 www.cravendc.gov.uk

With regards to question 3, Section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act allows us to direct you to information which is already reasonably accessible to you, as it is already in the public domain. The information that you requested is available in the Local
Government Finance Act 1992 as amended. "

Am I to take it from this that you are increasing Council Tax? When will the information be published?

The Local Government Finance Act 1992 is statute law and not common law. I want to know how you intend to enforce Council Tax in a common law jurisdiction which is what we live in. Statue law is only enforcable with the relevant man or woman's consent.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/c...

Yours faithfully,

Common Law Jurisdiction

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #390028 email]

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offi...

For more detailed guidance on safely disclosing information, read the latest advice from the ICO:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-...

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

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Andy Smith (Account suspended) left an annotation ()

Vexatious request by a "freeman" on the land.

Common Law Jurisdiction left an annotation ()

Does Andy Smith exist? Is he part of the establishment that takes offence to the truth being asked?

accesstoinfo, Craven District Council

1 Attachment

Please see attached response.

 

 

Common Law Jurisdiction

Dear Craven District Council,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Craven District Council's handling of my FOI request 'Council Tax Increase'.

I specifically told you I am not interested in statutes. Legislation falls under this. I made it clear you should prove your lawful right under Common Law to charge council tax and not any legal right. If you do not know the difference please pass the request to someone who does. Also read about it. It's fascinating.

I don't want to refer this to the ICO, but if you keep on giving me answers that show you either haven't read the question properly or are deliberately answering it incorrectly I will have to.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/c...

Yours faithfully,

Common Law Jurisdiction

accesstoinfo, Craven District Council

Further to the message received on 1 March 2017, a reply to the request for an internal review was sent to "Bart Joseph" earlier that day which described the relevant appeal rights.

No further response will be sent.

Freedom of Information Officer
Craven District Council

-----Original Message-----
From: Common Law Jurisdiction [mailto:[FOI #390028 email]]
Sent: 01 March 2017 21:17
To: accesstoinfo
Subject: Internal review of Freedom of Information request - Council Tax Increase

Dear Craven District Council,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Craven District Council's handling of my FOI request 'Council Tax Increase'.

I specifically told you I am not interested in statutes. Legislation falls under this. I made it clear you should prove your lawful right under Common Law to charge council tax and not any legal right. If you do not know the difference please pass the request to someone who does. Also read about it. It's fascinating.

I don't want to refer this to the ICO, but if you keep on giving me answers that show you either haven't read the question properly or are deliberately answering it incorrectly I will have to.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/c...

Yours faithfully,

Common Law Jurisdiction

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #390028 email]

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offi...

For more detailed guidance on safely disclosing information, read the latest advice from the ICO:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-...

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

hide quoted sections

Common Law Jurisdiction

Dear accesstoinfo,

As you are being deliberately obtuse, I will forward this to the ICO.

Yours sincerely,

Common Law Jurisdiction

Common Law Jurisdiction left an annotation ()

Hello ICO
Sadly I am having to report Craven DC (again).
This time they are deliberately avoiding a question and acting as though I have asked a different question:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/c...
Please can you help?
Thank you
Bart Joseph