Tax collecting?

[Myrtle Hogan-Lance]

Just a moment ago I had a new weird Tenerife moment and wonder what people think of it.

The bell rang and I ran down assuming it was the postwoman.  Instead it was a man dressed casually, with a clipboard on which he had a stack of letters with  the Consorcio de Tributos letterhead.  With his pen he pointed to the name the letter was addressed to, at my address.  It was a German guy I have never heard of and can guarantee never lived here.  I said there was nobody by that name here and he said thank you and left. 

Is this some new way of tracking down people who owe the government money and presenting them with demands for payment?  Or maybe it's an old way but just new to me.  What do you think?

[Janet]

... or maybe a scam, checking who's in ... 

[Perikles]

Is this some new way of tracking down people who owe the government money and presenting them with demands for payment?  Or maybe it's an old way but just new to me.  What do you think?

This seems odd to me - I mean, the best way would be a burofax, surely? Did he have a vehicle, did you notice?

[Guanche]

In my experience, much to my cost, this is how they do it. The German probably owes the tax man money. As we know the Hacienda subcontracts out quite a bit of its work. One of these contracts is for the tracing and serving bill's and fines on people who have fallen foul of the tax man. I would suspect that this letter was to inform the German that he owes money and failure to pay it within a certain time will result in a fine.
So yes they will knock on your door and make inquiries. That's exactly what they did to us but got the wrong address!! They tried to tell someone who lived half way up the bloody mountain that I owed them money, but very conveniently only uncovered their mistake after the time limit for the fine had passed!!! So the first time I got the knock on the door was for the money owed and the bloody fine! Bastards

[Myrtle Hogan-Lance]

I don't think it was checking to see who was in.  Immediately he knew one person was in, and that was a loudly barking dog.  I did not see if he had a vehicle, but his stack of letters looked legit.  He was very polite and happy to to on his way.  I think it's like what Pelinor described.