And Boston Borough Council is just as bad

Just when you thought that Boston BID couldn’t come up with anything to make itself look more stupid than ever, comes news of the issuing of court summonses  for non-payment of the involuntary compulsory levy– including one  sent to a man who has been dead for seven years.
This latest act in the BID farce has been exposed by a former director – local businessman Darron Abbott, who quit the organisation in protest at how it was run.
He writes:  “What a few days BID has planned for the businesses in the town.
“On Friday, Saturday and Sunday we are promised a Christmas extravaganza – the likes of which Boston has never seen before.
“Then, on Monday 3^rd December at 1.30pm several of the BID levy payers will be at the town’s County Court to plead their cases as to why they have declined to pay.
“From what I have heard, there are several business owners who are planning to attend, so the chances are that the matter will be simply adjourned to a later date, as I doubt any one from Boston BID or Boston Borough Council will be bothered to attend to defend.
“I have heard that two of those summonsed by the court will not appear.
“The first is one of my clients who received a summons, and then rang me thinking I was still a director of BID.
“After I explained I had resigned because I was not happy that the BID manager had lost over £10,000 of the levy payers’ money which he had no authority to spend on an event in Central Park that did not happen, they asked me to look at the summons. “Upon inspection it was immediately apparent that the summons was in the name of one of the directors personally - and not the company that owned the premises.
“There were in fact two summonses – as for some reason this property has two account numbers with Boston BID for the same property.
“The client claimed they had never received any previous correspondence from BID.
“I thought that a quick phone call to the ever-efficient BID Manager would sort this out, so I left a message on his answer machine, but there was no returned call.
“Throughout the day I tried on numerous occasions to call again, but got the same answering machine.
“So I decided to contact Boston Borough Council, and was put through to the Business Rates department – only to be asked by another answer machine to leave my name and number and told that someone should get back to me within three working days.
“This meant that I had to ring the council again to insist on actually talking to someone, and whilst discussing the matter it became apparent that the previous correspondence had been delivered to the flat above the business premises and the tenants had not passed it on.
“The court summons was cancelled very quickly and new demands are to be issued with the £94 worth of costs to be forgotten about.
The second person who will not be attending is a gentleman who passed away seven years ago  – yes that’s right … three years before Boston BID even came into existence.
“Everything seemed sorted until I visited another one of my clients on Thursday evening. He had received a letter from a firm of civil enforcement agents appointed by Boston Borough Council.
“So my first job on Friday morning was to ring this firm to find out why they had received this letter for proposed seizure of goods for a property they had vacated two years ago.
“They said they could not help, and that if there was a query I would have to contact Boston Borough Council.
“Then a phone call to Mrs Butler at the council to be abruptly informed it related to a BID levy.
“When I explained that my client had vacated the premises, she confirmed that … yes, the computer showed a date of December 2010.  I then explained that my client had received no correspondence.
“She said that was nothing to do with her and that I should ring Niall Armstrong (the BID Manager.)
“The same answer machine greeted me that that had done earlier in the week, that had not responded to my previous message.
“A phone call then to the BID Chairman, who suggested I spoke to the council as it was their responsibility – and after brief discussion it was apparent he was not interested. Another call to Mrs Butler who said once again I should contact the BID Manager.
“Having explained I had tried this to no avail and the BID chairman had referred me back to the council, Mrs Butler was little more helpful, and explained that all of the correspondence had actually gone to the premises that the council knew had been vacated two years ago –  and this included the court summons.
“She then stated she could do nothing about it I should take it up with the BID Manager.
“What was the point of going on with this, I thought?  So, a phone call to Pauline Chapman at the council and a quick explanation was followed three hours later by message to pay the £36.16 BID levy and forget about the £154.50 costs.
“I am afraid the week’s episodes leave me with even less confidence in the management of BID; the manager has lost the levy payers in excess of £10,000 on a non-event –   and the loss in erroneous court costs above is £250 alone.
“One final question for the time being is about the management of the BID.
“The accounts for the year ended 31^st March 2012 must be filed with Companies House by 31^st December.  These accounts were not presented at the BID board meeting last week. There are no further board meetings planed until the New Near.
“So when will the Board approve these accounts? Will it be a case that the Chairman has learnt from the BID manager and will act unilaterally and sign the accounts without the approval of the board?

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