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The management company of my flat have charged me 2 admin fees of £60 each for late payment of 2 invoices.
The reason I didn't pay earlier was because they issued new invoices about 2 weeks after the 1st to include their
budget overspends from the previous budget year.
When they issued the new invoices - with new dates they included the amounts from the earlier invoice - showing new totals.
I read the new invoices as being replacements for the earlier ones & then paid the total sought.
A few days after payment i received 2 outstanding demands for the amounts shown on the original invoices with admin fees added of £60 for each invoice.
I contacted the company to appeal the admin fee - explaining my interpretation of the 2nd invoice & explaining i hadn't received a 1st reminder - which if I had would have alerted me to a potential misunderstanding that i could have clarified.
The apartment block has a set of mail boxes on the ground floor foyer & we regularly have mis posted mail or non deliveries.
The company have replied rejecting my appeal on the grounds the 2nd invoice didn't say it was a replacement or include anything about different payment dates.
I feel that same rational applies to my argument.
The 2nd invoice looked like a replacement invoice - otherwise why not issue just an invoice for the extra amount?
They didn't clarify the 2 amounts had different payment due dates - so the invoice was not clear or unambiguous - in respect of their expectations. I believe it was reasonable for me to read the 2nd invoice as a new replacement invoice & use the date of the new invoice as the payment due date.
Obviously - the management company don't agree with me.
As a pensioner - I can't afford to give away £120 & feel the company are refusing to accept responsibility for creating the confusion.
What would you advise?
Many thanks
The reason I didn't pay earlier was because they issued new invoices about 2 weeks after the 1st to include their
budget overspends from the previous budget year.
When they issued the new invoices - with new dates they included the amounts from the earlier invoice - showing new totals.
I read the new invoices as being replacements for the earlier ones & then paid the total sought.
A few days after payment i received 2 outstanding demands for the amounts shown on the original invoices with admin fees added of £60 for each invoice.
I contacted the company to appeal the admin fee - explaining my interpretation of the 2nd invoice & explaining i hadn't received a 1st reminder - which if I had would have alerted me to a potential misunderstanding that i could have clarified.
The apartment block has a set of mail boxes on the ground floor foyer & we regularly have mis posted mail or non deliveries.
The company have replied rejecting my appeal on the grounds the 2nd invoice didn't say it was a replacement or include anything about different payment dates.
I feel that same rational applies to my argument.
The 2nd invoice looked like a replacement invoice - otherwise why not issue just an invoice for the extra amount?
They didn't clarify the 2 amounts had different payment due dates - so the invoice was not clear or unambiguous - in respect of their expectations. I believe it was reasonable for me to read the 2nd invoice as a new replacement invoice & use the date of the new invoice as the payment due date.
Obviously - the management company don't agree with me.
As a pensioner - I can't afford to give away £120 & feel the company are refusing to accept responsibility for creating the confusion.
What would you advise?
Many thanks
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