A sovereign citizen who tried to avoid paying municipal taxes using unfounded legal arguments was destroyed by a clever municipal employee.
A copy of the government employee’s email response has gone viral on social media for its brutal attack on the sovereign citizen.
It examines each of the flimsy reasons why the sovereign citizen believes he is exempt from paying council tax like any other Australian.
“I am referring to your letter received on June 26, 2024,” the donkey begins.
“Your letter is somewhat confusing.”
The council official begins by informing the sovereign citizen that the repeated biblical references in his letter have no legal relevance.
“On page 1, reference is made to the ‘Maxims of the Law’ and then various Christian biblical references are provided. Australia is a secular nation and biblical references are not considered part of the law,” they write.
The worker then rejects claims that the sovereign citizen is “subject to a number of things,” including “God’s laws as they apply to the Church of England and the Holy See.”
A sovereign citizen who tried to avoid paying municipal taxes using unfounded legal arguments was torn apart by a cunning municipal employee (pictured)
“I would suggest you research the Reformation and King Henry VIII of England for more information,” they write.
‘No one has been held accountable by the Church of England and the Catholic Church since the Pope refused to dissolve the marriage of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon so that Henry could marry Anne Boleyn, who was already pregnant.
‘Also, while it’s an interesting bit of history, I’m not sure what the Church of England or the Catholic Holy See has to do with[council fines]in 2024.’
The sovereign citizen was later criticised for referring to the Commonwealth of Australia as a “corporation”.
The official said that was nonsense.
“You claim that the Commonwealth of Australia is a corporation, but it is not. This is a common misperception among those who wade through the labyrinths of nonsense on the Internet,” they write.
The employee then mocked the sovereign citizen for copying and pasting parts of an outdated template into his letter to the council.
‘On page 2 there is also a reference to ‘Her Majesty The Queen’. I regret to be the one to report, but Her Majesty died on 8 September 2022. King Charles III is the current monarch of Australia,’ they write.
“I’m afraid this is what happens when you copy things from the Internet without checking them.”
A council worker has branded a reference to an unrelated legal case between Queensland Rail and a major union as “incorrect”.
‘On page 2, a quote from HCA 11, 2015 is used and then the case law is misused to extrapolate to a point that was never intended,’ they write.
“I’m not entirely sure why you would use this to argue that you shouldn’t pay tax to your local council.”
A copy of the official’s email response (pictured) has gone viral on X, for its brutal attack on the sovereign citizen.
The council clerk then verifies the sovereign’s strange interpretation of Section 109 of the Australian Constitution.
“On page 4, you state that Section 109 ‘overrides all new laws since 1900 in any local government law devised by the States,'” they write.
‘Section 109 of the Australian Constitution really only addresses problems of inconsistency that may arise in a federation. No state can have a state law that contradicts or is inconsistent with a federal law.
‘The New South Wales Local Government Act is not inconsistent with any federal law.’
An attempt to claim that municipal tax is a “distribution of goods” is quickly refuted.
“Fees paid to councils under the NSW Local Government Act have nothing to do with a stage in the distribution of property and so this is not relevant case law to your argument,” the employee writes.
The sovereign citizen then receives a quick lesson on property titles and land ownership.
“On page 5, there is also a reference to an old maxim that says ‘people own their land, from the ground to the centre of the earth and all the air above it’. This is actually not correct,” they write.
‘The title deeds issued after 1891 limit the property to 15.24 metres below the surface. The air above it is regulated by state planning legislation. In any case, I fail to understand the relevance of the point you wrongly raised.’
The town hall worker ends his response to the sovereign citizen with a piece of strong advice.
The council employee then ends his response with a blunt piece of advice.
“Unfortunately, nowhere in your letter can I determine why you are contacting the council,” they conclude.
‘I have genuine concerns that you are following false leads and disingenuous people on the internet. Such activity is harmless in itself, but do not give money to any of these people and always independently verify any information they provide you with.
‘The Internet contains all of human history, our collective knowledge and understanding. Please note that it also contains nonsense and people who lie and are hypocrites.
‘If you have any problems and think we can help you as a local council, please contact us.
The post also included a screenshot of a sovereign citizen asking if anyone had used the “Bills of Exchange Law” to avoid paying credit card debt on Telegram (pictured)
‘Please note that if you respond with erroneous and nonsensical demands that you have copied from the Internet, you will not receive a response in the future.’
The post also included a screenshot of a sovereign citizen asking if anyone had used the “Bills of Exchange Law” to avoid paying credit card debt on Telegram.
“We’re in the process of doing that now. We’ll see how it goes,” one replied. “They’re still sending letters, but they’re extending the deadline, little by little. It’s really stressful.”
“I feel the same way. I lost everything… and I’m trying not to let the fear of being arrested take over as the threatening letters keep coming,” wrote another person.
What is a sovereign citizen?
Sovereign citizens believe that government is essentially a massive corporation and therefore illegitimate and without jurisdiction over them.
This concept is often explained to frustrated police officers when they are stopped in traffic or for breaking another law.
“I do not consent” is a common phrase used by sovereign citizens when faced with any form of law enforcement or authority.
Their deep belief in the legitimacy of their cause means they have no concern about hiding their identity from the police.