Pay What You Owe

Through the course of this blog I’ve documented my feelings about non-resident owners.

In the scant time I’ve lived in this association we’ve gone through foreclosures, deadbeats and a variety or renters.

Even though I can’t get into specific details, let’s suffice it to say that matters are being handled and old business is being taken care of.

But that leaves us with the current crop of newly minted pain in the ass owners who purchased the foreclosures.

They’re otherwise known as mortgage companies. Their local minions are known as property managers.

So now we’re doing the “pay your assessment” dance with the property managers.

Dig this---we’ve now got one of the mortgage company owned units that now owes over $2,200 in back assessments and late fees.

Trust me, my jaw was on the ground when this little bombshell was dropped.

Seeing that I thought we had a strict 45 day delinquency policy regarding assessments I wasn’t quite sure how the total got to be so sizeable.

The ball got completely dropped on this one.

Naturally, I informed the property manager about this arrearage and forwarded them an e-mail detailing the breakdown. When I called to follow up on when we would be receiving payment, I received a non-committal “I don’t know.”

I wanted to make sure that the person I was talking to and her boss understood that if a check for the full amount isn’t received by April 5th that a lien would be placed on the property.

Not only did she tell me that she understood but proceeded to tell me that “usually these things” get settled at the closing table.

I explained to her that our bills aren’t on Litton’s (the mortgage company owner of the unit) time table. They are quite real and have to be paid in a timely manner by or before their due date.

The only response I received was, “We can only pay what the client authorizes us to pay.”

Whatever, sister.

I promise you good folks this, if our association treasurer doesn’t see a check for the full amount on or before April 5th, this matter will be referred out to our attorney.

Once it’s referred out---it’s a done deal. You’re getting a lien slapped on your place.

And that bad boy ain’t coming off until someone coughs up some cash.