An unprecedented case that proves that there is a “hole” of logic in the ADAE's system for overdue debts is highlighted by the adventure of a tavern customer in Mykonos. According to a report by MEGA (and published by in.gr), a client, a freelancer, went to eat at the tavern and then asked to pay and had his invoice cut.
When the invoice is cut, it automatically goes into the system and the system sees whether the company issuing the invoice has debts or not.
According to current legislation, and due to the fact that the owner of the tavern owed 50,000 euros, the tax authority makes the... customer forced seizure in the hands of third parties.
Therefore, the customer should within eight working days go to the Magistrate's Court of his residence with his lawyer to present the necessary documents in order to prove that he has no further dealings with the owner of the tavern.
As described in Reported by of Mega, the system, unknowingly, believes that the tavern owner and the customer may have more transactions. So, because the owner owes the government money and doesn't pay, the system attempts to collect the debts through third parties. That is, if the owner has a balance, instead of paying it, the person who has dealings with him will pay it.
In this particular case there is a court order that the owner is in arrears. Then the bailiff comes with the corresponding document in the hands of a third party and says that because the landlord owes the debt the client should pay the debt on behalf of the landlord.
In fact, the case has a sequel.
The state tells the customer who cut the invoice that if he goes back to the tavern in question and cuts the invoice again, whatever bill he has, he will not pay it to the tavern but... to the state.
