During the past week, we began to review and pay the new year expense - taxes, and our Wedgefield Association assessment. The two invoices lay side by side. I took time to review the information, provided on both.
Georgetown County Real Estate and Personal Property Tax Notice Provides:
*Total amount due
*Due date - Jan 15
*Penalty Schedule
-Amount due after 1/15
-Amount due after 2/15
-After 2/16 "Placed in execution with additional costs added"
Wedgefield 2015 Assessment Provides:
-Amount due
-Due date 1/31 (NOTE: As required by our by-laws, they are due 30 days after issue.)
-They do wish you a Happy New Year, but, unlike Georgetown County, they fail to tell you when late fees apply.
Our Georgetown County tax invoice is very clear as to what and when penalties will apply. Our Wedgefield assessment invoice could be vague intentionally, leaving us to believe that we must pay by January 31. Yet, in reality, unpublished, or detailed on our invoice, THERE WILL BE NO FINANCIAL PENALTIES, UNTIL MARCH 1. In fact, your board again discussed the value to residents of giving this extra time opportunity, again, at the December board meeting. Yet, they don't publish this fact on their invoice, perhaps because they count on most of us doing the right thing. One, if not two of them, mentioned that they appreciated the extra time. When asked what the disadvantage of not paying by January 31 was, one of them stated the resident wouldn't be in good standing, and couldn't vote. It was then further stated with some what of a laugh, that residents really didn't have anything to vote on, until the annual meeting, which takes place in November. BOARD, YOU ARE RESIDENTS, WHO RECEIVE INVOICES JUST LIKE THE REST OF US, WHO DO HAVE REASON TO VOTE AT EVERY MONTHLY BOARD MEETING. If you don't pay by January 31, who will insure for the residents, that you have a right to vote at the February WPA Board Meeting?
Have other boards done this? Yes! This board however, has laid claim to cleaning everything up. They have made great use of the policy manual, which they are constantly changing to suit themselves. They congratulate themselves on the collection of old accounts. They have spent considerable amounts of our assessment funds on legal fees, for collection of past due accounts. I don't find a problem with that, as long as we are truly cleaning up the past due account mess. I do find a problem with them encouraging late payments to deviants. If that weren't the case, they would have published the date late fees apply, so we all could take advantage.
I've been aware of the late fee schedule, because I attend board meetings. I've always paid my assessment by January 31st. This year, I'm waiting until the last day of February. You should consider doing the same thing. Why? The board is charged with following our governing documents, and making decisions in the best interest of the association, with fairness to all residents, rather than special interest. Let your board experience the residents all enjoying the benefit, of their decisions.
