A Southland man in court over his unpaid rates has had his appeal firmly shut down after making “outrageous and slanderous” allegations against officials.
The man, who calls himself “living man: david-john: of the house wilson”, filed a challenge with the High Court in a bid to dodge an unspecified debt to the Southland District Council for rates and penalties he owed from between July 2021 and November 2022.
Wilson signed the paperwork with a fingerprint.
Somewhat predictably, his appeal fell at the first hurdle.
Justice Cameron Mander detailed the “scurrilous” accusations contained in the appellant’s paperwork.
Wilson claimed he had suffered a miscarriage of justice because the registrar of the Invercargill District Court had been paid to change documents.
He also made reference to “debt bondage, serfdom and slavery via claim of authority, coercion and deception” and requested that “all fraudulent parties be held accountable”.
Justice Mander said there was no chance of the appeal succeeding.
“An outrageous and slanderous allegation is made against the named Registrar of the Invercargill District Court, that she has been bribed and has altered documents for pecuniary gain or reward,” he said.
“The notice of appeal can only be interpreted as an attempt to make baseless allegations that are without foundation or capable of being substantiated . . . and is plainly an abuse of process.”
The only option, Justice Mander said, was to strike out Wilson’s court action.
“To do otherwise would be a failure by this court to intervene to protect persons from oppressive or frivolous proceedings, and maintain public confidence in the administration of justice by refusing to tolerate the abuse of its procedures.”
Wilson has a month to decide whether to take his case to the Court of Appeal.
