Light At The End Of The Tunnel

I sold a car last year, the guy paid in full and in cash. I duly filled out his details on the vehicle disposal form. Then walked round to the RTA and dropped the form into the box set in the foyer set out for the forms. The seller is supposed to re-register the vehicle, this he hasn’t done as you’ll see

Last week I received a note saying that the car has been caught by a speed camera in Adelaide, just happens to be the city where the buyer lived. As part of the paperwork was a declaration form, this allows you to declare that you were not driving the vehicle etc…. I duly started to fill this form out only to ge to the bottom, where it said that my signature had to be witnessed by a Justice of the Peace otherwise known as a JP or a Proclaimed Police Officer.

This is daft! Just silly. Not only does the concept of a Proclaimed Police Officer exist only in South Australia, but the JP does not know who I am plus you have to find one. Great journey this is, the JP register gives you a list to check but advises to contact them during business hours, great when you are trying to find one on the weekend as usually you are working during the week. The web site says there should be one at the local library or police station. Phoned the library, no he only attends on a Friday, during business hours, very useful, however the staff werre friendly. Phoned the local police station, no JP in attendance, maybe one in the week, but try the district library. OK I’m getting wound up now, I asked around. Apparently, pharmacists are JP’s , great news! Got to the pharmacist, “no our pharmacist is not a JP , try the Real Estate agent!”. “OK which one?”. “Sorry I don’t know”. This is a joke. I’m not the only one who finds this concept frustrating.

The real problem here is that the speed cameras are run by the RTA, but they do not wish to handle more paperwork, even though they are the ones who issue driving licences, the form of identity that I used to prove who i was to the JP I eventually found. Why is this the case? The RTA is the agency that issues the fines, they also issue driving licences, they also handle the disposal notices. surely they are the agency that should handle the declaration forms ?

So why do we need a JP? I don’t know ? They are not trustworthy enough to witness a passport application so why are they trustworthy anough to witness a legal document? I have a suspicion that some of them think they have to become one, and then regret it, and hence admit no knowledge of being one. It is a very flawed system.

Maybe someone can tell me why we need one ?