Often, residents of apartment buildings find in their mailboxes a couple of receipts for payment of utility bills from different management companies at once. Before opening a wallet, it is important to understand which document is correct and which one can be thrown into the trash can.
27 September 2017
The situation with double payments is dangerous because, having transferred money to an imposter company, tenants remain owed for water, gas, and heating. After all, it is the operating management company that pays with the resource suppliers. But only after the owners of the apartments have paid off. More often, double bills are received if one company serving the house is suspended from work by the decision of the meeting. Or she has declared herself bankrupt. And it happens that for shortcomings the company was completely deprived of its license. She resigned, but continues to issue invoices. According to the law, the managing organization must transfer the documents to the successor company 30 days before the termination of the house maintenance contract.
The selected company takes over from the date specified in the contract. If it is not spelled out in the document – no later than 30 days from the date of conclusion of the management agreement.
After receiving two or more receipts, postpone payment. If you transfer money to the wrong addressee, it will be almost impossible to return it. Call both companies from which you received payments. Their phone numbers are necessarily indicated on the forms. Most likely, each organization will convince that it is she who serves the house, and the other company is an imposter. In such a situation, there are several ways to solve the problem.
Option 1. It is necessary to write a statement to both companies demanding to explain on what basis they are trying to take money from you. The fact is that a company simply cannot start managing a house. It should be chosen by apartment owners. For this, a meeting is held, and a decision is made by a majority vote. You need to pay only to the organization with which a service contract is concluded. In this case, it is necessary to check the details specified in the receipt.
Option 2. You can contact the housing inspectorate and find out which organization and on what basis serves the house. Experts will check the documents of the owners’ meeting and clarify whether there were any violations during the elections. If it turns out that the tenants did not vote at all, the local organization will hold a competition and appoint a management company.
Option 3. You can calculate the impostors by calling directly the suppliers of resources – gas and water. They will say with which management company the contract has been concluded at the moment. Perhaps, after your call, the suppliers of light, gas and water will themselves begin to understand the current situation, because they run the risk of being left without money.
Option 4. It makes sense to apply to the prosecutor’s office with a written statement. According to the Housing Code, only one organization can manage a house. So impostors are automatically lawbreakers. A criminal case may be instituted against them under the article “Fraud”.
Scammers can issue fake invoices. They don’t have any firm at all. Attackers put fake receipts in boxes. Therefore, before paying, you need to check the name of the company (it may look like the name of the real managing organization). Specify the details for which you are asked to transfer money. To do this, simply compare the receipts – the old one, which was sent by mail last month, and the new one.