demand for payment within 14 days

Johnn64

Hi,

I am new here and this is my first post. Apologies if I have posted in the wrong section, I wasnt sure where to go with this.
I own my own home which is a new build. There is a management company who allegedly carry out landscape maintainable, but that is not the current problem. I have been paying the management fee every six months when I get the bill. Last November I received a letter saying that the accounts had not been finalised and the bills for the next instalment would be sent out later than usual. I had not heard anything from the management company (HLM) until last week when I received a letter from their solicitor demanding a missing payment of £64 plus admin and legal costs of £372.
I contacted the solicitor to say I had not received a bill from HLM for the payment and agreed to make the payment of £64 which I did. I also requested that my account be placed in dispute until the issue of additional monies was resolved.
Today I have received a further letter from the solicitor acknowledging the £64 payment, but also demanding the payment of £372 within 14 days with no reference to my dispute.
If anyone can help in this matter I would be truly grateful as I do not have £372 which I can simply pay out.

John

Johnn64

Have I placed this in the wrong section ?

Gromitt

Maybe 'House buying, renting & selling' would be more appropriate ?

Did you contact the management company in the first instance to inquire that you didn't receive a bill and don't take too kindly about them contacting a solicitor without notifying you?

Johnn64

Gromitt wrote: »

Maybe 'House buying, renting & selling' would be more appropriate ?

Did you contact the management company in the first instance to inquire that you didn't receive a bill and don't take too kindly about them contacting a solicitor without notifying you?

I have tried in a different section now and have had some replies, thank you

I had not contacted the management company as I have been waiting for a bill since receiving the letter says the bills will be sent out later than usual.
I spooke with the solicitor on the telephone yesterday to try and sort this mess out, but he wasnt very friendly, quite the opposite realy, very obnoxious. He basically said that the bill had been sent out to me and the postal service is considered reliable so the bill should have been paid. I asked if a reminder would have been sent out and he replied by saying they are not required to send out reminders. If the bill is not paid promptly, they the compnay have the right to recover monies owed in which ever way they want. I tried explaining again that I had not receieved any bill, but we were just going round in circles. I ended the call before I started to become verbally abusinve to him as he was cleary not listening.