Maintenance Company late payment fee

Fenderguy

Hi all,

I live in a property where I have to pay a maintenance fee twice a year for general maintenance around the street (which I resent paying a bit as they don't seem to do much until a couple of weeks before the next payment is due!!). The last invoice they sent....I forgot to pay. I hold my hands up. My issue is that they then sent another letter with a late payment fee of £100.00. Given that the amount owing was only £93.00 this does seem a disproportionate fee. Also, do they not need to give a warning first before they add a late payment fee?
I paid up as soon as I got the last letter (less the fine) but they are now chasing for the late payment fee. I don't mind paying a fine which is proportionate to the amount owing, but £100 seems extortionate.
I would love to hear your views on this.
Many thanks

forgotmyname

What is in your contract with them?

Don't want to pay tell them to sue you and argue it out in court. Check your contract first though.

hollydays

Apropos nothing in particular, were you given the option to set up a standing order, or did you not consider that?
It sounds like a fee to encourage you to do this in future.

Aylesbury_Duck

I don't think they "need" to send another reminder since you already know of the arrangement. Whether the late payment charge amount is fair and proportional or not is open to challenge. It's up to you - you could ask them to justify it by stating what costs they've incurred from your late payment. They might enter into correspondence about it or they might simply sue you for it, at which point you'll have an opportunity to challenge it legally.

agrinnall

I'd suggest you offer them £25 as a late payment fee, if they had sued you for the maintenance charge using MCOL that would have cost them £25 which would have been added to the debt.