Letter writer Daniel Kok is indeed correct in his assumption that “having a rental suite is not a crime” (Letters, The Leader, July 24).
The fact that every time he opens his newspaper and sees people attacking Mayor Dianne Watts for not processing the bylaws governing secondary suites should give him a clue as to how many people are concerned about the situation.
Why should we not blame Mayor Watts for not collecting the extra taxes from these secondary suites? This money is owed to the community and is in blatant disregard to the bylaws.
This is a free country, as long as the activity is not criminal. Bylaws for the most part do not regulate criminal acts, but you must abide by them.
If I do not have a dog licence it is not criminal, but is it right?
Non-tax-paying drug dealers are in fact pursued vigorously by the RCMP, but not usually for non-payment of taxes.
Not paying your rightful share of community taxes is unfair to the rest of the community.
Is it right that people with no children should contribute to the education of others? Of course it is.
I get the impression Mr. Kok is quite a young person and has not yet learned that there is a community responsibility that is usually learned when you have a family.
Phil Evans, Surrey
Others have to compensate
Re: Daniel Kok’s letter (“Having a rental suite is not a crime”).
To begin with, you are now only allowed one rental suite in Surrey and only if it is registered with the city.
It is nice for you to have your rental income each month and pay no taxes of any kind for that rental unit. You are now using double services of water/sewer, police services, fire services, and school services if your tenants have children.
The list is long and the other people in Surrey have to compensate for the extra services that you do not pay for, yet you happily accept your tax-free rent each month.
This is actually a crime under the law and listed as victimless crime where no one is injured except the general population of the city.
Hopefully this will clear things up for you.
P. Snodgrass, Surrey