A New Trick on and old Crime. Recently in the Waikato area, houses have been burgled while the occupants were in the garden at the rear of the house. Taken have been handbags which contain Credit Cards etc. A short while later the occupant of the house received a phone call from a female stating that she was from American Express, and that she was checking on 2 $300 withdrawals on her Credit Card. The caller stated that she needed the occupants PIN No to verify her identity, and that she was talking to the right person. The PIN No was duly given, and within the day $3550 odd was booked up on the stolen Credit Card. Do not under any circumstances give out your PIN NO to anybody, banks will never ask for it over a phone, in fact they never ask for it, the number is personal to you. If you are out the back in the Garden lock your front door, and vice versa if you are in the front garden.

There are three major areas of conflict affecting neighbours TREES,FENCES and NOISE all have basic rules to adhere to. The first thing to do with any neighbourhood problem is discuss with the neighbour the problem and attempt to reach amicable agreement failing that Trees and fences are civil disputes that have to sorted in the courts either the disputes tribunal or the district court your lawyer will advise which is applicable for a basic appraisal of the situation give Taranaki Community Law a ring on 759-1492 they can also recommend a specialist lawyer if the need arises.

Noise , a long time problem that creates the most dis- harmony on the street, currently the main offenders are boom boxes, cars with big bore exhausts,combine this with a little devil water and you are certain to get noise.. Options available for noise, there is a Council department responsible for containing this problem ring 7596060 and ask for Noise control They have a special officer to manage noise.

On our Links page you can more detail on each of these problems click on to the National Neighbourhood Support site there are FACT SHEETS available. people selling property
I discussed it with Harvey's " Top Gun " sales consultant Anne Wilson. her methods and advise are as follows. Firstly, vendors and tenants are a advised to remove all cash and small items of value prior to the open home.The admtration of a open home on the day is never easy, but Anne advises that she endeavors to have only one entrance

Trade Me Auction Website

Over the past couple of months there has been an increase in people getting ripped off, usually by depositing money into the sellers bank account, and the purchased item never showing up. There are some dodgy people using this Website to sell property, If you buy somthing off Trade Me, use the Safe Trader option, it may cost a little more but at least you are safe in the knowledge that you will get your money back if it turns to custard. For sellers using this Web Site the new Second Hand Dealers Act is now in force, and it could apply to you, if you sell items on 6 or more different days in a 12 month period, or so as to receive $2000 or more on a transaction, you may be required to hold a Second Hand Dealers Licence, penalty for trading without a licence is a fine up to $20.000. Police are also aware that this area may also be an outlet for stolen property to be sold, remember a good deal may not always be the best deal.

Putting the brakes on Motor Vehicle Crime.
Apart from your home , your car is probably your most valuable possession and possibly the most vulnerable
Thousands of cars are stolen every year, or broken into and property taken. Some vehicles are never recovered, and those which are recovered have often been damaged and left un drivable
Motor Vehicle crime is a serious problem and apart from the general inconvenience or hire costs for a replacement vehicle
until insurance payout, the loss can be traumatic experience for the owner .
The wider implications of motor vehicle crime can affect the whole community, as criminals have been known to steal cars to commit serous offences and have, at times been the cause of fatal accidents.

Car Thieves in Profile There are four types of thieves committing motor vehicle crimes;
1 The Opportunist Car Thief.
This criminal , frequently called the" joyrider" looks for vehicles to use as a means of temporary transport .An unprotected car,easy to break into, will be searched forandifan insecure one is not found, a forced entrywill be made to a vehicle parked at alocation providing cover. The stolen vehicle is normally abandoned the same day.
2.The Professional Thief.
This criminal intends either to keep the car orsell it for profit in a altered condition. The vehicle may be stripped, resprayed, modified and resold with changed identification numbers and registration plates.
3.The Secondary Thief.
This criminal does not steal the car for itself but for the specific purpose of committing a further crime.
Thevehicle may be hidden for a few days, possibly fitted with false plates, and used for a robbery or similar offence. the vehicle is normally abandoned immediatly afterwards.
4.The Property Thief.
This criminal is not interested in stealing the car, but is after any property owners may have left in side.
Apart from the actual car tiefs, from time to time there are people who attempt to sell vehicles which are stolen but subject to hire purchase agreements. these fraudsters are some times found at car fairs waiting to tempt the unsuspecting with a favourable price. Alternately, they may advertise in a newspaper" for sale" column at a bargain rate..

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