Tax cheques bounced
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• Neath-based Westermaine took over vehicles from its managing director's nephew without realising that tax discs on the vehicles had been obtained with a dishonoured cheque.
The company had applied for a licence for 14 vehicles and eight trailers before South Wales Traffic Commissioner John Mervyn Pugh at a Cardiff public inquiry. The application was opposed by West Glamorgan County Council.
For the company, Norman Lloyd-Edwards said that managing director David John Price leased the vehicles and then subleased them to his nephew because the leasing company Fad refused to deal with him.
The nephew's company failed and Price took over the vehicles to operate himself. In his innocence Price thought the tax discs on the vehicles were all right being unaware that his nephew's cheque had bounced.
Price said that he had no connection with the nephew's company Uillbase
Contractors other than sub-leasing the vehicles to him. He knew nothing of the financial difficulties until a driver returned and announced that the tax disc had been confiscated from his trehicle because the company had collapsed. He had retaxed all the vehicles.
County council assistant engineer Phil Lowndes said rigid vehicles had originally been operated from the operating venire. Banwen Farm, Neath. Artics were now being used—a material change of use. He maintained that the entrance was ax> narrow for such vehicles. Price said that he would widen the entrance if planning permission was granted and the question of the land ownership was settled, Granting a licence for 12 months, Mervyn Pugh said the vehicle taxation situation still caused him some concern. He felt Price had been careless in the extreme in not discussing tax discs with his nephew.
If it was ever proved the company was running untaxed vehicles the licence would be revoked. "I am giving you this warning loud and clear," he said.
At an earlier hearing the Commissioner revoked the 16vehicle licence held by Hillbase Contractors.