The Billing Associates-Northeast

Revdex.com: I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] , and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below [Provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.] Regards, [redacted] This message is intended for [redacted] *** In regards to a claim with ID number [redacted] You closed my case prematurely, and I had been waiting on responses from other parties so I could reply to yours In the letter you forwarded to me from [redacted] from The Billing Associates, she mentioned they were contracted to bill on a monthly basis for water and trashThe very basis of my complaint lies within their lack of monthly billingFurthermore, her explanation goes on to read that Henrico Country bills every two monthsI've been at my new residence for just over a month and have received a water bill for usage between the dates of 6/13/11-6//25/am still within the same ZIP code, therefore still within Henrico countyI will also receive monthly water bills each monthThe very existence of my current water bill negates *** [redacted] claim She also mentioned that my former leasing office Ok’d The Billing Associates to back-bill their residentsHowever, when I contacted both parties about this issue, they both directed me back to the othercan supply those emails if neededMy lease, which I also still have, obligates responsible billing by The Billing Associates for water usageThe 6-month lapse (June to December is months, not 5) does not constitute as responsiblealso adhered to the payment plan of $a month to pay the back balance but The Billing Associates still pursued usIt was later determined that the original payment plan was not sufficient enough to cover the balances, so more fees were added onI feel this is another example of irresponsibility on their part I offer you to contact my former leasing office to find out how many times I paid my rent late, or not in full, You will verify the answer to that question Is ZEROI pay my bills, on time, In full, each monthI am able to be approved for credit cards rent apartments, and even finance a car based on my creditI am in a management position at my lob, and I have a company credit cardThese are not examples of behavior usually demonstrated by those who do not pay their bills on timeIf anything, [redacted] response was a testament to their negligent billing practices, as well as an attack on my character I fully agree that the Post Office also played a part in thisI addressed my concern of not getting man for several days, as well as delayed or undelivered packages & bills to the office at [redacted] on several occasions, and they would only tell me that they couldn't do anything then directed me to the USPSI am Interested to hear what response [redacted] received from [redacted] [redacted] on this matter Another part of [redacted] response on which I’m un The other charges on *** [redacted] account are convenience feesThese fees are charged by the bank cards for using credit cardsThese fees are passed on to the residents I'm not sure what she's referring to exactly, but sounds like she's implying that banks are charging them for ME using my debit card to make paymentsSince all balance paid to The Billing Associates would far exceed any “minimum” amount that may be imposed by any bank, I fail to understand how that constitutes as a “convenience”I Coming from the point of view of the consumer, it's not convenient to be given three months to pay for months worth of water bill, on top of current charges due to their negligenceIt's also not convenient to need to pay with a debit card online due to the delay or complete lack of bill, on top of the late fees, which at this point seem borderline fraudulent Since our lease terminated on June 22, 2014, I assume that the June 21, date provided by [redacted] was only the date the bill was generated, not the date to which we were billed The response received from The Billing Associates is very characteristic of the type of service to be expected from them· misleading and incompleteIf my leasing office had to leave “reminders” for me to pay my water bill, It's strongly indicative of the fact that they weren't sending the bills In the first placeI do accredit the*** with a couple of the bills not being delivered on time or at all; however, to not receive them continuallyafter an admission of not sending them for a period of months, also supports my claim

7/7/2014
[redacted]
720 Moorefield Park Drive Suite 300
Richmond,VA  23236
Re: [redacted]
Dear [redacted]
I am receipt of your letter dated 7/1/2014 regarding...

[redacted] [redacted].  [redacted] lived at [redacted] [redacted] in Richmond Virginia.  The Management Company of [redacted], Management Services, has contracted with The Billing Associates North East to bill the sub metered usage for water/sewer and a flat rate for trash on a monthly basis.  The management company pays the water/sewer and trash bill for the entire property and then we bill the residents and the resident’s pay us and then we reimburse the property for the resident’s usage.  The only money The Billing Associates North East makes is the administration fee that is charged on the monthly bills.  The actual charges for trash and water/sewer, which are collected from the residents, are returned back to the management company. 
[redacted] originally moved in on 6/23/12.  How residents are moved into our system is by an export file from the properties data base and imported into our data
base.  It was discovered that the file for his original move in was not imported or exported correctly and he received his first bill in December 2012.  We then back billed him in February 2013 for his first five months.  There is a note in his file that says the management company Ok’d that he could pay the balance over the next three months with no late fees.  It is not a payment plan that is set up by us but was authorized by the management office.  The office monitors when
residents do not pay their bills and they send out late notices.  We do however monitor the late fees and have removed the fees for that time period per the management office.  I have attached a copy of his account information as well as the notes on his account.  [redacted] [redacted] agreed to make $100 monthly installments starting in April to pay off his balance from the back billing.  [redacted] [redacted] balance was paid off in August 20, 2013 and was at a zero balance.  All late fees were removed through August 2013.  Late fees were applied in:
September 2013, when he did not pay is 8/31 invoice in time and after the three day grace period. 
March-June 2014, when the invoices were not paid by the due date and after the three day grace period. 
The Billing Associates North East utilizes a 3rd party print mail facility by the name of [redacted], a division of [redacted].  We send an xml file to [redacted] and they
print the bills and mail them.  We have confirmed that [redacted] was included in the files for [redacted] and that the bills were mailed.  The bills go from [redacted] onto [redacted] trucks and are shipped out.  While I have heard of issues with [redacted] and mail carriers in the past, I have not heard anything regarding issues at [redacted]
in the past year or so.  I have a call into the manager of [redacted] [redacted] to see if there have been any complaints about bills not being delivered.
The other charges on [redacted]’s account are convenience fees.  These fees are charged by the bank cards for using credit cards.  These fees are passed on to the residents.   
As for [redacted]’s final bill, we process the move outs from an export file from their accounting system which is imported into our system.  This process was completed on 6/27/2014 which then generates a final bill.  The management company has opted to print this bill and include these charges in their final disposition out of the resident’s security deposit.  The management company chooses to bill this way for the final bill and deduct it from the security deposit rather than send out a final bill and wait for the payment.   I will also discuss with the manager of [redacted] to see if they discuss this with the tenants when they move out or when they acknowledge their move out notice. If they do not let the residents know that their final bill will be deducted from their deposit, I will suggest that they do so, so that this does not happen again in the future.
I regret that [redacted] is upset and I will to hear back from The [redacted] Manager to see if there are other [redacted] mail complaints.  If there are we can then
contact the local Postmaster to start an investigation unless she has already issued a complaint.
Should you or [redacted] have any other questions, please do not hesitate to give me a call.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
[redacted]
The Billing Associates North East
[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID[redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
[Provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.]
Regards,
[redacted]
This message is intended for [redacted] In regards to a claim with ID number [redacted]. 
You closed my case prematurely, and I had been waiting on responses from other parties so I could reply to yours.
In the letter you forwarded to me from [redacted] from The Billing Associates, she mentioned they were contracted to bill on a monthly basis for water and trash. The very basis of my complaint lies within their lack of monthly billing. Furthermore, her explanation goes on to read that Henrico Country bills every two months. I've been at my new residence for just over a month and have received a water bill for usage between the dates of 6/13/11-6//25/14.1 am still within the same ZIP code, therefore still within Henrico county. I will also receive monthly water bills each month. The very existence of my current water bill negates [redacted] claim.
She also mentioned that my former leasing office Ok’d The Billing Associates to back-bill their residents. However, when I contacted both parties about this issue, they both directed me back to the other. 1 can supply those emails if needed. My lease, which I also still have, obligates responsible billing by The Billing Associates for water usage. The 6-month lapse (June to December is 6 months, not 5) does not constitute as responsible. 1 also adhered to the payment plan of $100 a month to pay the back balance but The Billing Associates still pursued us. It was later determined that the original payment plan was not sufficient enough to cover the balances, so more fees were added on. I feel this is another example of irresponsibility on their part.
I offer you to contact my former leasing office to find out how many times I paid my rent late, or not in full, You will verify the answer to that question Is ZERO. I pay my bills, on time, In full, each month. I am able to be approved for credit cards rent apartments, and even finance a car based on my credit. I am in a management position at my lob, and I have a company credit card. These are not examples of behavior usually demonstrated by those who do not pay their bills on time. If anything, [redacted] response was a testament to their negligent billing practices, as well as an attack on my character.
I fully agree that the Post Office also played a part in this. I addressed my concern of not getting man for several days, as well as delayed or undelivered
packages & bills to the office at [redacted] on several occasions, and they would only tell me that they couldn't do anything then directed me to the USPS. I am Interested to hear what response [redacted] received from [redacted] on this matter. 
Another part of [redacted] response on which I’m unclear:  The other charges on [redacted] account are convenience fees. These fees are charged by the bank cards for using credit cards. These fees are passed on to the residents.
I'm not sure what she's referring to exactly, but sounds like she's implying that banks are charging them for ME using my debit card to make payments. Since all balance paid to The Billing Associates would far exceed any “minimum” amount that may be imposed by any bank, I fail to understand how that constitutes as a “convenience”. I Coming from the point of view of the consumer, it's not convenient to be given three months to pay for 6 months worth of water bill, on top of current charges due to their negligence. It's also not convenient to need to pay with a debit card online due to the delay or complete lack of bill, on top of the late fees, which at this point seem borderline fraudulent. 
Since our lease terminated on June 22, 2014, I assume that the June 21, 2014 date provided by [redacted] was only the date the bill was generated, not the date to which we were billed.
 
The response received from The Billing Associates is very characteristic of the type of service to be expected from them· misleading and incomplete. If my leasing office had to leave “reminders” for me to pay my water bill, It's strongly indicative of the fact that they weren't sending the bills In the first place. I do accredit the[redacted] with a couple of the bills not being delivered on time or at all; however, to not receive them continually. after an admission of not sending them for a period of 6 months, also supports my claim.

Review: On multiple occasions, this company has failed to provide invoices in a timely manner. Initially, in January of 2013, we were one of 20 residents who received a bill for 6 months worth of water and were given 3 months to pay the back balance on top of current charges. They did not set up the payment plan correctly or apply payments correctly, resulting in several late fees & "administration" charges. Most currently, we have not received a water bill since April. We moved in mid-June, and when I checked the website, I noticed that they had applied a write-off and billed my former leasing office, who will take it out of my security deposit.Desired Settlement: I would like for them to write off all charges due to their repeated negligence and irresponsible billing practices.

Business

Response:

7/7/2014

720 Moorefield Park Drive Suite 300

Richmond,VA 23236

Re: [redacted]

Dear [redacted]

I am receipt of your letter dated 7/1/2014 regarding [redacted] lived at [redacted] in Richmond Virginia. The Management Company of [redacted], Management Services, has contracted with The Billing Associates North East to bill the sub metered usage for water/sewer and a flat rate for trash on a monthly basis. The management company pays the water/sewer and trash bill for the entire property and then we bill the residents and the resident’s pay us and then we reimburse the property for the resident’s usage. The only money The Billing Associates North East makes is the administration fee that is charged on the monthly bills. The actual charges for trash and water/sewer, which are collected from the residents, are returned back to the management company.

[redacted] originally moved in on 6/23/12. How residents are moved into our system is by an export file from the properties data base and imported into our data

base. It was discovered that the file for his original move in was not imported or exported correctly and he received his first bill in December 2012. We then back billed him in February 2013 for his first five months. There is a note in his file that says the management company Ok’d that he could pay the balance over the next three months with no late fees. It is not a payment plan that is set up by us but was authorized by the management office. The office monitors when

residents do not pay their bills and they send out late notices. We do however monitor the late fees and have removed the fees for that time period per the management office. I have attached a copy of his account information as well as the notes on his account. [redacted] agreed to make $100 monthly installments starting in April to pay off his balance from the back billing. [redacted] balance was paid off in August 20, 2013 and was at a zero balance. All late fees were removed through August 2013. Late fees were applied in:

September 2013, when he did not pay is 8/31 invoice in time and after the three day grace period.

March-June 2014, when the invoices were not paid by the due date and after the three day grace period.

The Billing Associates North East utilizes a 3rd party print mail facility by the name of [redacted], a division of [redacted]. We send an xml file to [redacted] and they

print the bills and mail them. We have confirmed that [redacted] was included in the files for [redacted] and that the bills were mailed. The bills go from [redacted] onto [redacted] trucks and are shipped out. While I have heard of issues with [redacted] and mail carriers in the past, I have not heard anything regarding issues at [redacted]

in the past year or so. I have a call into the manager of [redacted] to see if there have been any complaints about bills not being delivered.

The other charges on [redacted]’s account are convenience fees. These fees are charged by the bank cards for using credit cards. These fees are passed on to the residents.

As for [redacted]’s final bill, we process the move outs from an export file from their accounting system which is imported into our system. This process was completed on 6/27/2014 which then generates a final bill. The management company has opted to print this bill and include these charges in their final disposition out of the resident’s security deposit. The management company chooses to bill this way for the final bill and deduct it from the security deposit rather than send out a final bill and wait for the payment. I will also discuss with the manager of [redacted] to see if they discuss this with the tenants when they move out or when they acknowledge their move out notice. If they do not let the residents know that their final bill will be deducted from their deposit, I will suggest that they do so, so that this does not happen again in the future.

I regret that [redacted] is upset and I will to hear back from The [redacted] Manager to see if there are other [redacted] mail complaints. If there are we can then

contact the local Postmaster to start an investigation unless she has already issued a complaint.

Should you or [redacted] have any other questions, please do not hesitate to give me a call.

Sincerely,

The Billing Associates North East

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID[redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

[Provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.]

Regards,

This message is intended for [redacted] In regards to a claim with ID number [redacted].

You closed my case prematurely, and I had been waiting on responses from other parties so I could reply to yours.

In the letter you forwarded to me from [redacted] from The Billing Associates, she mentioned they were contracted to bill on a monthly basis for water and trash. The very basis of my complaint lies within their lack of monthly billing. Furthermore, her explanation goes on to read that Henrico Country bills every two months. I've been at my new residence for just over a month and have received a water bill for usage between the dates of 6/13/11-6//25/14.1 am still within the same ZIP code, therefore still within Henrico county. I will also receive monthly water bills each month. The very existence of my current water bill negates [redacted] claim.

She also mentioned that my former leasing office Ok’d The Billing Associates to back-bill their residents. However, when I contacted both parties about this issue, they both directed me back to the other. 1 can supply those emails if needed. My lease, which I also still have, obligates responsible billing by The Billing Associates for water usage. The 6-month lapse (June to December is 6 months, not 5) does not constitute as responsible. 1 also adhered to the payment plan of $100 a month to pay the back balance but The Billing Associates still pursued us. It was later determined that the original payment plan was not sufficient enough to cover the balances, so more fees were added on. I feel this is another example of irresponsibility on their part.

I offer you to contact my former leasing office to find out how many times I paid my rent late, or not in full, You will verify the answer to that question Is ZERO. I pay my bills, on time, In full, each month. I am able to be approved for credit cards rent apartments, and even finance a car based on my credit. I am in a management position at my lob, and I have a company credit card. These are not examples of behavior usually demonstrated by those who do not pay their bills on time. If anything, [redacted] response was a testament to their negligent billing practices, as well as an attack on my character.

I fully agree that the Post Office also played a part in this. I addressed my concern of not getting man for several days, as well as delayed or undelivered

packages & bills to the office at [redacted] on several occasions, and they would only tell me that they couldn't do anything then directed me to the USPS. I am Interested to hear what response [redacted] received from [redacted] on this matter.

Another part of [redacted] response on which I’m unclear: The other charges on [redacted] account are convenience fees. These fees are charged by the bank cards for using credit cards. These fees are passed on to the residents.

I'm not sure what she's referring to exactly, but sounds like she's implying that banks are charging them for ME using my debit card to make payments. Since all balance paid to The Billing Associates would far exceed any “minimum” amount that may be imposed by any bank, I fail to understand how that constitutes as a “convenience”. I Coming from the point of view of the consumer, it's not convenient to be given three months to pay for 6 months worth of water bill, on top of current charges due to their negligence. It's also not convenient to need to pay with a debit card online due to the delay or complete lack of bill, on top of the late fees, which at this point seem borderline fraudulent.

Since our lease terminated on June 22, 2014, I assume that the June 21, 2014 date provided by [redacted] was only the date the bill was generated, not the date to which we were billed.

The response received from The Billing Associates is very characteristic of the type of service to be expected from them· misleading and incomplete. If my leasing office had to leave “reminders” for me to pay my water bill, It's strongly indicative of the fact that they weren't sending the bills In the first place. I do accredit the[redacted] with a couple of the bills not being delivered on time or at all; however, to not receive them continually. after an admission of not sending them for a period of 6 months, also supports my claim.