Revenge is a dish best served legal
A few days after showing my legal change of name by Statutory Declaration to the council I got a letter from them saying "I require some further information as the evidence you provided was insufficient. [...] Please can you provide official proof of your exchange of name by Deedpoll or a letter from your solicitor on letter-headed paper." Considering how much they have messed me about in the past I took great pleasure in responding with the following letter...
Dear [name removed],
I have just received your letter requesting that I submit additional proof that I have changed my name. The document I presented at First Point, Howden House on the 5th of December 2007 was the original Statutory Declaration I had signed with a solicitor present that same day. The document is not on letter-headed paper as I printed it myself rather than pay a solicitor for the trivial exercise of inserting the correct names into a standard document. I assume the person who took a copy of my Statutory Declaration simply omitted to record that he had seen, and taken a copy of, the original document. I am happy to present the original at First Point, Howden House again if necessary.
If this is not the case please be aware that you are obliged to accept a Statutory Declaration as a statement of intent under the Statutory Declarations Act 1835. Refusal to accept that the document was signed in the presence of a solicitor as indicated would constitute an accusation of fraud which you would be obliged to justify and investigate.
Yours Sincerely,
Andra [name removed]
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Never got a response. Rang them up after waiting a couple of weeks and my name had been very quietly changed on their system. Told :D
Dear [name removed],
I have just received your letter requesting that I submit additional proof that I have changed my name. The document I presented at First Point, Howden House on the 5th of December 2007 was the original Statutory Declaration I had signed with a solicitor present that same day. The document is not on letter-headed paper as I printed it myself rather than pay a solicitor for the trivial exercise of inserting the correct names into a standard document. I assume the person who took a copy of my Statutory Declaration simply omitted to record that he had seen, and taken a copy of, the original document. I am happy to present the original at First Point, Howden House again if necessary.
If this is not the case please be aware that you are obliged to accept a Statutory Declaration as a statement of intent under the Statutory Declarations Act 1835. Refusal to accept that the document was signed in the presence of a solicitor as indicated would constitute an accusation of fraud which you would be obliged to justify and investigate.
Yours Sincerely,
Andra [name removed]
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Never got a response. Rang them up after waiting a couple of weeks and my name had been very quietly changed on their system. Told :D