Dani-Mani
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,709 
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Post by Dani-Mani on Jun 4, 2016 17:41:46 GMT
I pay my rent online in full by its due date. at the end of last month I logon and see that my rent is split into two dates because it is my renewal month. I paid in full amount that is due at the beginning of the month, leaving the balance that is due at the end of the month to pay at the end of the month.
Today I check to see if it cleared to find out that I have $150 late fee for the balance that I left unpaid for the end of the month. I go into the complex office to ask why and they explained that they don't take partial payments. I asked how iit could be a partial payment if it clearly has two different due dates. She confirms the system says that it has two different due dates because one is the end of my lease and the second is the beginning of my new lease, but I still should've paid it all at the same time. she said that this is in my lease. I explained to her that I realize that and I have always paid my rent on the first, but it clearly states in the system she is currently looking at that I have a rent due on the 20th in addition to a rent due on the first. She agreed that's what the system is saying, but it was my responsibility to know that everything should've been due on the first even if the system tells me otherwise.
I then ask her to go back through all of my previous rents and we confirmed that in the two years that I have lived here, I've never had a rent payment not due in the system on the first even when I renewed last year. In other words I've never had them split the rent before on my statement like I did this month. She even admitted how she see how I could be really confused by that. " it makes it looks like there are two separate due dates."
Am I an idiot? If you have a statement that gave you two different due dates with two different amounts, is it logical to think that one amount is due one one dateand the rest of the amount is due on the other date?
I'm just very frustrated this morning as I've never had any billing issues with these people and my first billing issue, which they admit is a mistake in their system, but are still pretending it's my fault.
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Post by christine58 on Jun 4, 2016 17:44:07 GMT
Nope...they are. I hope they waived the $150. |
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 7, 2024 23:25:36 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 4, 2016 17:55:06 GMT
No, you're not stupid. Either they're being completely unreasonable about their own error, or it sounds like shenanigans designed to get a lot of past-due fees out of people.
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Dani-Mani
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,709
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Post by Dani-Mani on Jun 4, 2016 17:56:51 GMT
Nope...they are. I hope they waived the $150. I have to wait until their accountant called me back which I assume won't be until Monday. I'm not paying that fee! |
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Post by chaosisapony on Jun 4, 2016 17:58:18 GMT
You are not an idiot. They are admitting the system is confusing but still trying to blame it on you. I hope you get them to waive the fee.
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Post by elaine on Jun 4, 2016 18:11:46 GMT
Their fault. They should waive the fee.
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twinsmomfla99
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,088
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Post by twinsmomfla99 on Jun 4, 2016 18:51:00 GMT
Screen shot the two different due dates. If they "correct" the problem with the system, it may be hard to prove what it says right now.
How did you pay? If by credit card, I would dispute it if they don't waive the fee.
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moodyblue
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Posts: 6,255
Location: Western Illinois
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Jun 26, 2014 21:07:23 GMT
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Post by moodyblue on Jun 4, 2016 18:57:24 GMT
Screen shot the two different due dates. If they "correct" the problem with the system, it may be hard to prove what it says right now. How did you pay? If by credit card, I would dispute it if they don't waive the fee. Absolutely do this, so there is no "confusion" later! You want to have proof of what you saw online just in case. |
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 7, 2024 23:25:36 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 4, 2016 19:25:10 GMT
I'd screen shot it so you can prove your side if they change it. Then contact the agency over housing issues in your state and the better business bureau.
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Post by scrapmaven on Jun 4, 2016 19:53:46 GMT
They need to waive the fee. If not, I would call the housing board and get some advice.
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Post by Eddie-n-Harley on Jun 5, 2016 0:33:10 GMT
I hope they waive the $150 for you, but the lease is your contract, not the online billing system. Unless there's something in the lease that somehow incorporates whatever due date is in the billing system.
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Post by Darcy Collins on Jun 5, 2016 0:42:41 GMT
You're not an idiot - I would say that if your rent is always due on the first and you always pay it at the beginning of the month, you might have realized that the system splitting your payment in half was a mistake. Whether it's your last month of your lease or not, I would have found it odd if a landlord suddenly only asked me for half of the rent on the first, when it's always due in full at the beginning of the month. Clearly their system contributed to the problem, and if you've always paid on time, they should waive the fee as a courtesy to a good customer. It is most likely written in your lease that payment is due on the first and it's your responsibility to pay it and reminders, etc are just a courtesy and not receiving, etc doesn't negate your need to pay the rent as outlined in the lease (it's pretty standard language to get around people saying they never received the rent reminder).
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zookeeper
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Post by zookeeper on Jun 5, 2016 2:59:11 GMT
I am a property manager and have been for over 20 years. Yes...it is likely in your lease contract that your rent is due on the first of the month without demand. However...given that you have never been late, they should waive your late fee as a one time courtesy waiver. It is just the right thing to do.
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Post by anniefb on Jun 5, 2016 6:35:40 GMT
Their fault. They should waive the fee. Yep, agree with everyone else who said it was their mistake. Don't pay that fee! SaveSave |
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Post by myboysnme on Jun 5, 2016 11:02:35 GMT
These places that rely on computerized systems but won't own it when the system glitches are ridiculous. I had leased a car and the payment was a specific amount each month. In my birthday month I went to pay on line as always and the amount due was significantly less. I thought it was strange but thought, "Hey, maybe in your birthday month they waive the principle and you only have to pay interest" or something like that. Anyway, 2 days later I get a call from their credit department about not making my full payment. I mean they didn't waste a minute.
I told them I paid the amount it showed on the computer and like your landlord office, they said I am supposed to know how much I owe. And I had like 3 years of never missing a payment at all. I can't recall if they waived a late fee but I know I was shocked at how quickly they set the credit dogs on me.
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M in Carolina
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Posts: 3,128
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Post by M in Carolina on Jun 5, 2016 11:25:56 GMT
If the office refuses to admit that is was a computer glitch, contact the home office. Usually these apartment complexes are owned by larger corporations. You not having any other late payments should be noted and be reason for them to excuse the fee. --why is it $150? Usually it's $50.
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Post by mikklynn on Jun 5, 2016 12:05:56 GMT
Ridiculous. You were not wrong.
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Post by Florida Cindy on Jun 5, 2016 13:27:58 GMT
I hope they waive the $150 for you, but the lease is your contract, not the online billing system. Unless there's something in the lease that somehow incorporates whatever due date is in the billing system. I was thinking the same as you. Look over the lease very carefully. Look over any info regarding the billing system-if it's on paper and and online. |
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zookeeper
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by zookeeper on Jun 5, 2016 13:33:46 GMT
If the office refuses to admit that is was a computer glitch, contact the home office. Usually these apartment complexes are owned by larger corporations. In most cases, the strictness of the office is being driven from the corporate level. With my company, I have to submit a waiver sheet for each fee that I would like to waive. I been denied on several occasions and then I have to go back to corporate and fight for the waiver and explain why it is good customer service. Don't assume the property level is the bd guy. Which is why if another job pops up for me, I will definitely go for an interview if I get one. I do not like the greedy business model of my current company. |
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Post by misadventurous on Jun 5, 2016 13:40:23 GMT
I don't think the likelihood of you getting your $150 back has much to do with whether or not you were right or wrong.
Folks nowadays, when called out on their mistakes, generally seem to go immediately into defensive mode and refuse to budge. If you approach this like, "You made a mistake! I'm not paying!" I'm guessing you won't get too far. I think your best bet when you talk to the accountant tomorrow is to accept a goodly portion of the blame (even if you don't feel like you should) by saying something about how in retrospect you should have called them first when you were confused about the bill, but your error was made in good faith and since you've never had a late payment before, perhaps they could be really generous and waive the fee. Be as calm and sweet and polite as you possibly can.
I hope you get the fee back.
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zookeeper
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,909
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Post by zookeeper on Jun 5, 2016 13:47:24 GMT
Folks nowadays, when called out on their mistakes, generally seem to go immediately into defensive mode and refuse to budge. If you approach this like, "You made a mistake! I'm not paying!" I'm guessing you won't get too far. I think your best bet when you talk to the accountant tomorrow is to accept a goodly portion of the blame ( even if you don't feel like you should) by saying something about how in retrospect you should have called them first when you were confused about the bill, but your error was made in good faith and since you've never had a late payment before, perhaps they could be really generous and waive the fee. Be as calm and sweet and polite as you possibly can. Also this. |
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RosieKat
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Post by RosieKat on Jun 5, 2016 14:01:03 GMT
I think they need to correct the error. However, I'm in the camp that says your contract is the lease, not the bill. Unless the contract says otherwise, I think the onus was on you when you noticed something different. After 2 years of the same billing, I would wonder why this month was different. I think you should have asked the office when the bill was different, not just assumed it was all OK.
Having said that, I think good customer service would be waiving the late fee this one time. However, I wouldn't feel they were obligated to do so.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 7, 2024 23:25:36 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 5, 2016 14:28:12 GMT
I'm confused - was the payment due on the 20th next month's rent, or was it a portion of this month's rent?
If the former, than I think it's definitely the property that's in the wrong and with some polite but direct discussion, you should be able to get that fee waived.
If it's the latter, I definitely agree that their billing is confusing, but I also think the common sense thing to do would have been to called the office before splitting the payments. It would not be an expected, reasonable thing for a company to do to not expect even a portion of the rent *for that month* to not be paid until the month was more than half over.
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Deleted
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Oct 7, 2024 23:25:36 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 5, 2016 18:07:09 GMT
Was it actually showing two different due dates or two different rent effective dates? Because you entered into a new lease for the new period, I would think the online summary would show two different amounts and dates and that full rent for the entire period/month would be due on the 1st.
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Post by verdepea on Jun 6, 2016 3:08:53 GMT
You should habe gotten a notice of the rent increase with the new rent amount duty in the first. The notice has to be sent in advance as outlined in advance. If you received notice say 4/15 that your rent increase was effective 6/1, Then you should have paid the full amount. If you paid the old amount and the second entry was a manual ledger adjustment. It was an accounting adjustment I like in their system. In that circumstance you are technicely late and subject to late fees. If you have been a good tenant they may waive the late fees. I bet as a PP mentioned, the discretion has been taken away at the property level in order to meet and exceed budget especially if it's 3rd party managed or owned by a REIt. They have to.produce etc large profit margins to the investors.
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