Adam Blake - 104. Chapter 104

I didn’t make any arrangements to run in the morning, I’d have to wait until I got home to continue my schedule.

“Hans, you said that Frau Muller received a pension, how much does she receive?”

“She receives 125 francs per month.”

“She owns or rents?”

“She rents at 75 francs per month.”

Hans was one step ahead of me. “Is the money deposited to her account or transferred?”

“It’s transferred each month on the 1st of each month.”

“Do you have time to go with me to her bank? And ask the Minister of Finance to come as well.”

Hans smiled, he was getting to know me and knew I had something up my sleeve.

I had the Buchner’s driven home, but the children stayed at the Palace. Josef had the responsibility to ensure they were dressed properly as wards of the Prince. I hoped when they go home, they don’t have any more problems.

“n the car to the bank I told the Minister what I wanted to do. “Yes, my Prince, that can be arranged. But you might cause a problem.”

“And how is that?”

“Other pensioners will expect a raise as well.”

“Do the people pay taxes on their pensions?”

“It depends on the source of the pension. If the pension is paid by the place where they worked, yes they pay taxes but at a reduced rate. Their deductions are higher than when they worked.”

“And those who received a minimum pension paid by the State?”

“They pay a basic 10 percent which is taken from their pension.”

“So Frau Muller has a pension of 125 francs a month or which 12.5 francs are paid as taxes.”

“Yes sir”

“Is there an allowance for the boy?”

“No sir”

“Hans, you said her rent is 75 francs per month, which leaves her with 37.5 francs. That is hardly enough for someone with a child to live on. When we return, I’d like to see the numbers for people like Frau Muller. In the case of a married couple living under the same conditions as Frau Muller, how much do they received?”

“A married retired couple without a retirement plan would receive 250 francs per month.”

“Does Anton receive any State money?”

“No sir, he doesn’t qualify under the pension rules.”

When we arrived at the bank, Hans opened the door and helped me out. People smiled at me as we walked into the bank. People in the bank just stopped and stared at me when they realized who I was. It wasn’t long before a well-dressed man came hurriedly over to us. “My Prince, to what do I owe this honor?”

“I would like to see the accounts of Frau Muller, I believe she banks here.”

I watched as he grew pale, I looked at Hans. We followed him to his office, he picked up the phone, and one of the clerks brought in the ledger for pensioners. He leafed through the pages until he came to Frau Muller’s page. I looked at it, “Minister, is it normal that a bank takes a processing fee?”

“For private funds, yes. The bank is usually charged with the responsibility of investing the fund, and generally take a fee for that activity.”

“What about retirement funds that come from the government, as Frau Muller?”

“No sir, they do not take a fee for that. Banking is free except for investment banking.”

“So this fee of 5 francs per month isn’t legal.” The minister looked at the page I was holding.

“No sir, this is illegal and the bank would have to make restitution and pay a fine.”

“Herr Director, is what my Minister said the truth.”

“Yes, my Prince, but it’s common practice.”

“Minister, I want a review of all banks to see if what Herr Director said is true. If it is, besides restitution, I want each bank fined and the directors fined as well. In the case of this instance, the bank will make restitution and pay the same amount as a fine to the Treasury, and Herr Directory will pay 50 percent of that to the Treasury as well. All bank business will stop until all of the banks in Vaduz have been examined. Any manipulations of the books, the Director will be arrested.”

I saw the gleam in the Minister’s eyes. We left the bank, “Hans, I want you to give Frau Muller 100 francs from my accounts, in cash. Not through any bank, tell her it’s an award for uncovering a bank scam.”

“Adam, dinner is ready.”

“Where are the children? These are certainly not the children we had for lunch yesterday.”

They smiled, as Josef translated. I watched Anton as he was brought to the table. “Anton, tomorrow we’ll be going home and you’ll come with us. The next time you will see your grandmother you’ll be walking. Hans will be with you all the way.”

I like eating with children, I miss my Knights. “Hans, I’d like to check with James at the Academy, when is it a good time?”

“Dinner at the Academy is about supper time here, maybe we can delay supper for a little while.”

“No, feed the children, and Marie and I will eat later.”

“I was anxious to talk to James but also Gerry. I miss the little guy.”

That evening at 6 my time, I called James. He was in the computer lab and had all of the boys lined up to speak to me. They all wanted to know when I was coming home, one of the boys slipped and said that they had a surprise for me. In the end, I talked to Gerry. I told him what I did at the banks, he was fine with it. I had Hans bring Anton to the room, introduced him to Gerry. They started to talk in German. I’m not sure what was said, but whatever Gerry said, turned a frightened boy, into an eager boy.

“Hans later told me what Gerry said. I smiled, that was my boy. I was sure that Anton would be a friend of Gerry’s for a long time.

The next morning, the scandal at the banks was in the paper. As soon as Herr Weber heard that those on welfare would be receiving more money, he raised the rent. Frau Muller complained to her grocer and he passed it on. I soon heard about it from Hans, who had contacted Frau Muller when he went to get Anton’s luggage.

I called my Minister, he seemed he was always glad to see me. I told him to double the taxes on all landlords that double the rent on apartments of those affected by the bank scandal.

In the meantime, Herr Weber was going to go to his favorite bar for a drink and to celebrate his good fortune.

Walking into the bar, he sees his friends sitting around a table drinking beer. He ordered a beer and went to sit down with his friends. “Alaric, why are you so happy today?”

“I have found good fortune.”

“Is it true that you have increased your property rents?”

“Yes, it’s a matter of business.”

“Even those on a pension?”

“Yes, they all received more money, it’s only right I’m paid. I haven’t raised the rent for several years.”

His friends looked at him, one of the men at the table had a mother who rented from Herr Weber and she told him what he had done. The men got up and left, he looked puzzled until the bartender gave him his bill for the beer. He was going to pay the normal 2.50 franc but when he looked at the bill it was 5 franc. He started to complain, “Alaric, I haven’t raised my price in 10 years and now that you have such good fortune, I have doubled my price.”

Alaric was mad. He threw the 5 francs on the table and left. When he got home, his wife was mad. “You stupid man, I was in the market, they closed the stalls when they saw me. What did you do?”

“I don’t know why everyone is mad. I raised the rents.”

“There was a knock on the door, a messenger from the Palace handed Herr Weber a letter. When he opened it, he sat down. His wife took the letter and read it, “By order of the Prince, his taxes were doubled and had to be paid each month, no deductions allowed.”

If Frau Weber was mad before, she was outraged now. She told him to either fix everything or get out.

The next day, Herr Weber petitioned the courts to have the increased taxes declared void. When the judge heard the case and the case of the Crown, Herr Weber was told he must pay the taxes and added to it court costs.

He petitioned the Palace to speak to the Prince. Adam allowed him to come before him.

Herr Weber told the Prince this would bankrupt him. “Did you think increasing rents on those receiving the State’s pension was justified?”

“I haven’t raised their rents for 10 years, since they had more money they should pay a more realistic rent.”

“I agree and since I haven’t raised your taxes in ten years. So I think that is appropriate as well.”