Page 4908 - Week 15 - Thursday, 8 December 1994

MINISTER FOR HOUSING AND COMMUNITY SERVICES

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY QUESTION

QUESTION NO 1497

Housing Trust - Rent and Maintenance Arrears

(1) How much in bad debts has been written off and how much of this was for (a) current arrears; (b) vacated arrears and (c) maintenance.

(2) What efforts are put into retrieving or tracing this money before it is written off.

(3) How much money owed in(a) current arrears; (b) vacated arrears and (c) maintenance has been recouped by Laurens and Co.

MR LAMONT - The answer to the Members question is as follows

(1) Bad debts written off 91-92 92-93 93-94 94-95

Current arrears $0 $0 $0 $0

Vacated arrears $63,154 $210,556 $2,330,269 $0

Maintenance $0 $22,927 $182,798 $0

$63,154 $233,483 $2,513,067 $0

(2) Prior to 1993-94 debt was written off as unrecoverable due to the age of

the debt. From 1993-94 the write off a debt will be forwarded to the debt

collection agency of the Trust for further recovery action. Once with the

debt collection agency a debt will progress through various stages of

attempted recovery action. Debts will only be written off once they reach a

pre-determined write off stage with the agency.

(3) Monies recouped by Laurens & Co as at 93-94 94-95

Current arrears $0

Vacated arrears $30,279 $13,139

Maintenance $0 $46,621

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