Only exceptional circumstances would result in the Otago Regional Council cancelling a penalty fee for late payment of rates bills, and problems with postal delivery is not one of them, staff say.
That was written clearly on the rates bill, council finance manager Stuart Lanham said.
''That's been our policy for a long time.''
Dunedin businessman Lawrie Forbes complained this week when he was charged a late fee after it took longer than he anticipated for New Zealand Post to deliver his cheque.
Mr Lanham said if people had left paying their rates bill to the last minute they could instantly pay online, at the council offices, or at a PostShop.
He said reasons for waiving late fees were numerous, and situations would be considered on a case-by-case basis.
The council might consider writing off late fees if, for example, the bill was sent to the wrong address or the wrong person, or if someone was in hospital.
A few late-payment fees were waived each year.
Although it had said the previous day that the numbers of late payments were up this year, the council was unable to say yesterday how many people were charged a fee for paying their rates bill late this year, or how many had so far had their late fee written off.
