Councils have been given excessive powers to reclassify any persons personal possessions as "illegal waste", if they deem them to be "old , weathered or derelict", and go onto private land without a court order. This is obviously being abused in many cases, such as this one. Examples of items council reclassified to illegal waste included: Their working tractor, small fibreglass boat and kayaks , caravan, portable toilet, shipping containers (including unknown contents), ride on mower, new building materials, personal art works, cutlery packed in crate, living pot plants (in terracotta pots) etc. Council are also now demanding the pensioner now pay around $100 000 in costs, plus contractors for taking their possessions.