Town Council doubles needy family’s debt for failing to pay conservancy fees

A needy family in Singapore was thrown into more debt by their Town Council after they couldn’t pay Service and Conservancy Charges for about two years, from August 2015 to April 2017.

Activist Gilbert Goh shared the family’s plight on his Facebook page and shared a photo of an arrears letter the family received which shows that they owe $718.75 in conservancy charges.

Shockingly, the Town Council charged the family a penalty fee of $249 and legal fees of $721.05 – increasing their total fees to $1688.80.

The Town Council warned that the family would have to make payment “within 10 days from the date of notice” or to contact the office.

If they fail to do so, legal action would be initrates against the family.

Goh says that the family has been struggling with under-employment and is trying its best to cope with the high cost of living in Singapore.

He quipped, referencing PM Lee’s National Day Rally speech on the government’s plans to increase cashless transactions in the country:

“There is simply no more cash (for many of us) to go cashless any more.”