OK so I was silly and kept sending my payment 4 days before it was due, and never recieved and invoice so finally I signed up for their paperless invoices since I wasn't getting their regualr ones and I have a $20 late fee for each month because apparently AZ mail stinks and thats where I send my payments too. So I've been chipping away at it and sending 20 extra each month and she emailed M. today that she wanted to know if I was going to pay the extra 117 because she'd have to give M. another late fee. UGH I didn't realize you can keep giving 20 dollar late fees even if you're paying the current bill plus some. Are their limits to the amount of late fees? I wish I had the extra cash...it seems like I'm paying off an extra 20 or 30 an getting charged an extra 20 each month because its not paid in full. I paid the last month up front so I was J. hoping to pay the late fees that month since I'd only have to pay for them and the month would be covered.
Any suggestions?
I emailed and asked her if she could make an exception. I'm kind of annoyed I feel if I was getting the statments I would have realized she wasn't recieivig the payment on time and changed my mailing schedule. I agree I should pay it since it was late, but feel there should be an exception since she was not informing M. of the amt due
The company should go by when the envelop was post marked. So if you were sending it 4 days before it was due you were not late. That is what I would argue. I would tell them that they in fact owe M. the extra $20 I had been sending! You need to have a serious discussion with the Director.
I think you need to sit down with her and discuss everything. Their policies may not be the same as someone else's policies and if you were not aware that 1. you were late and 2. you were continuing to accrue fees on fees, there's a breakdown in communication there. You need to resolve that or you'll never get ahead. There are probably no limit per se, except for the point at which they'll kick your child out. Don't hope and wonder. Find out directly.
I think you need to check directly with them as every program has their own policies and procedures. Hopefully they will work with you.
Have you called them and explained that if they had actually managed to send you an invoice you would have known earlier and sent the payment earlier? Usually they meet in the middle especially since they know their mail sucks so it probably sucks both ways.
I was pretty sure there was some law somewhere, though it could be a Missouri law, that you could not charge a late fee on a late fee. Like say you owe 200 current and 100 in late fees, so long as you send them the 200 on time they cannot charge you another late fee because the current payment was on time and in full.
Maybe you could call her and ask for a compromise. Let them know that you never received an invoice until you went paperless so you had no idea that your payments were being received late.
I know that when I do side work, I charge a late fee every 30 days. So even if you were making payments, I would be adding a late fee every month while there is an outstanding balance.
J. talk to the accounting folks.
Oh hell no. This is their fault--not yours.
I don't know the legalities, but most places dont charges late fees on top of late fees. If the regular payment is being made then they shouldn't e charging you a late fee on your late fees. That's not a very good practice. If they see that you're paying a little extra here and there above your regular payments then they should understand that. Let them know your payment plan and see what they have to say.
K. B
mom to to 5 including triplets
Presume this is not a YMCA program? Ours here requires an auto-draft payment, so I have one account set up J. for them!
(funny - was wondering if I'd made extra deposit to that acct as only get stmts qtrly and there seemed to be extra in there, but for some reason, got sent a stmt for Feb and noticed none of the fees had been deducted! eep! called them and asked what was up - they didn't know, but thanked M. for letting them know and fixed it)
You need to check your contract. Typically when you make a payment it is applied against the oldest balance.
Ultimately, it's your responsibility to check your statements (bank statements and invoices from the company), and also to make sure the payments are being sent in timely, you should allow at least 7 calendar days.
