Rant of the Day v2.

[Pontius Navigator]

Ric, so we take a tape measure.

Our sellers EA was a lesson.

Arranged a second vjewing, we were in for about 2 minutes when he said he had another appointment and had to go.

Pointed out he was being paid to sell us the house. We should have walked away.

[OFSO]

Signed up with another, non Spanish, estate agent today. Mentioned I'd added another €100k onto the price as the French always take €100k off in making a offer. "Yes", she said, "they drive me crazy." She reckons a 'fair offer' would be about 10% lower than the asking price but French always go on €80k -100k below. It's a wonder that up in Frogland they are not all living in squalid hovels built without planning permission surrounded by thieved building supplies.

Capetonian, comments below please !

[Capetonian]

I've only had the experience of trying to sell those bastards a car.

Let's see now. 12 year old car, 200,000 km, advertised :
Black VW Golf Diesel 1.9, 5 door,
Year of manufacture
200,000 km.
New tyres ....

Hello, I'm phoning about the car.
What colour is it?
Black ..
Oh, I wanted a red one.
Is it petrol?
No, diesel.
Oh, I wanted petrol.
How old is it?
12 years
Oh, I wanted a newer one ........

etc.

Where did you get my phone number?
Well, it was in the advert.
So was the answer to everything else you've asked me ........

Not sure whether it's because they are congenital ****, or if it's to wear you down and say OK you can have it for whatever price you name.

Then if they come to look at it, and most don't bother to turn up, they'll walk round as if they've got a bad smell under their nose (which they mostly have), lookig at every tiny paintwork blemish and telling you it will cost €300 to fix that .... etc.

They can sod off ........ loathsome, mean, stupid, greedy, ignorant nation of wankers.

[Ex-Ascot]

The PPF have come up with a good idea. Photo of me holding recent newspaper with date clear. Did this. The date was wrong.

Dear Sir, Absolutely no problem and thank you for your assistance. I attach two photos of me holding up recent newspapers (we do not have daily ones) with my passport. Both newspapers are the latest we have but are since I started corresponding with you. You will note with amusement the second photo has got the year wrong there wasn’t a Friday the 1st in Feb 2018 and our new president pictured wasn’t in power then. You see the problems we have here. The earlier newspaper is correct with date. I also attach my latest speeding fine. The bastards keep catching me and it is a British manufactured speed gun. So unfair. However they are hardly likely to take monies off a dead speeding driver when you have to produce your photo ident driving licence, also attached.

Look why don’t one of you guys just come over here to see us? I will sign any papers you wish. Always cold beers in the fridge and rather grumpy hippos in the lagoon in front.

Hope you can sort this out for me. The fridge is running low.

Stand by.

[ian16th]

I had a letter from those nice people in Newcastle in my South African Post Box today.

I was dated 3rd Jan!

This is one of the more efficient African countries.
But watch this space.

[OFSO]

I just received a communication from HMRC containing most welcome news to me as a UK taxpayer. Satisfactory news in fact, although not unexpected. Said letter also confirms that I correctly submitted and they accepted last years UK income tax return. But why oh why did they send it to my Spanish address which I did not even know they had?

[Pontius Navigator]

I had a letter from those nice people in Newcastle in my South African Post Box today.

I was dated 3rd Jan!

This is one of the more efficient African countries.
But watch this space.

That expel the silence. Some years ago I sold some Mecano gears via eBay to ZA. It arrived. A while I found one more piece. It was the size of an old penny. Posted it never a peep.

[ian16th]

That expel the silence. Some years ago I sold some Mecano gears via eBay to ZA. It arrived. A while I found one more piece. It was the size of an old penny. Posted it never a peep.

If you are into Meccano



I can put you in touch with this guy.

He was a work colleague of mine.

[Pontius Navigator]

Mrs PN insisted I dump my old kit, box but no lid, should have put it in eBay. The gear set was small but made a lot.

[llondel]

I just received a communication from HMRC containing most welcome news to me as a UK taxpayer. Satisfactory news in fact, although not unexpected. Said letter also confirms that I correctly submitted and they accepted last years UK income tax return. But why oh why did they send it to my Spanish address which I did not even know they had?

That's their subtle way of telling you not to try to conceal any eligible foreign income because They Know.

It took me several years to convince them to stop sending me demands for a tax return, including a couple where I ignored the original demand (and in one case didn't get it and had assumed they'd fixed their records) and then appealed the £100 fine (and i one case the subsequent per-day charge for still not submitting something I didn't have to). I finally offered to send them a paper return for zero UK taxable income, which would have cost them money to process (can't submit a zero return on-line, it seems) and they sorted it.

[Boac]

HMRC have sent me a threatening email for 'underpaying' my tax bill by £18 - it was by an 'authorised' D Debit................ As far as I can tell some dolt swapped the second and third numbers - 24 instead of 42. I am ready for a fight and have started with a not-unreasonable request for an apology.

[OFSO]

That's their subtle way of telling you not to try to conceal any eligible foreign income because They Know.

Very droll. The only asset I have in Spain is my house, my sole residence for 25 years and now kept immaculate in the vain hope someone will buy it. So fairly obviously it's not used for renters and never has been.

Under two different laws - sole residence and over 65 years of age - it's not liable to CGT in Spain, the former provided I reinvest the sale price within 24 months in another property in any country which has a financial accord with Spain, and the latter provided I declare the sale in any country which has an accord with Spain. I know of two local British who sold up and moved back to the UK: paid €80,000 tax each because they were not aware of either of these laws and of course, nobody in Spain was going to tell them !

Oddly enough when I did declare my overseas pension, paid from Paris, HMRC told me it wasn't liable to tax because it was already paid net. Long argument. I knew it was taxable in the UK so declared it there.....

[Ex-Ascot]

Pension reinstated and backdated. I told them to not even think of writing to me in the future. Phone or send an e-mail.

[Wodrick]

Grand

[Rwy in Sight]

Ex A I hope you did so in writing.

Why when I store my camera away from my seat on a plane, I get the best landscape.

[Ex-Ascot]

Ex A I hope you did so in writing.

Why when I store my camera away from my seat on a plane, I get the best landscape.

RiS, yes very funny, what are you doing in Corfu? Being a tourist or what? Next time you fly ask for the bomb aimer's position. Much better view.

[CharlieOneSix]

Filed my self assessment online with HMRC last September - I said they owed me £5.40 in overpaid tax. On the tax return I asked for the refund to be sent to my bank account. Nothing happened. Just got my tax coding from them for 2019-20. No mention there either of the £5.40. Went online to gov.uk/personal-tax-account. We owe you £5.40 it says, would you like to claim a repayment. Prats. I asked for that last September in the box provided on the tax return. Where's my interest on £5.40 please?!!

[Ex-Ascot]

Filed my self assessment online with HMRC last September - I said they owed me £5.40 in overpaid tax. On the tax return I asked for the refund to be sent to my bank account. Nothing happened. Just got my tax coding from them for 2019-20. No mention there either of the £5.40. Went online to gov.uk/personal-tax-account. We owe you £5.40 it says, would you like to claim a repayment. Prats. I asked for that last September in the box provided on the tax return. Where's my interest on £5.40 please?!!

What interest these days? You would probably have to pay them.

[Pontius Navigator]

Next time you fly ask for the bomb aimer's position. Much better view.

Indeed, I have a superb shot right in to Etna, we were about 11k above.

Flew last few years where there was a downward facing camera, better than the movie. Can't remember but it might have been Thomson to Turkey. They switched it off before landing. Maybe the Turks might have thought we were spying.

[Pontius Navigator]

Charlie 16, they owe me £1.20.

Mind you, I have a couple of casual jobs and they assume the same expenses each year so save claiming back.