Please pay your condo maintenance contributions on time.
(Do also read if you’re volunteering on your condo management committee.)
Whatever. Why should I pay on time?
Come on, man. If you don’t pay, where is the money to upkeep your condo going to come from?
I don’t care. Anyway, there’s nothing that the management committee can do right? They sent me a demand letter but I ignored it.
Actually, they have quite a lot of options. They can sue you in Court.
What the heck?
Yep. And it gets worse. It’s an offence for which you can be fined.
Urgh. You better give me more details.
Ok. Here’s a list of things that can happen if you don’t pay on time!
- The management corporation (MC) can charge you interest if your payment is late by more than 30 days [BMSMA s 40(6)(b)].
- The MC can bring a claim against you in the Small Claims Tribunal [BMSMA s 40(8)].
- The MC can sue you in Court, and also make you compensate their legal costs for bringing you to Court [BMSMA s 40(6)(c); s 43(9); Lee Tat Property Management v MCST No 360 [1990] 2 SLR(R) 660].
- If the MC serves a written demand on you, and you don’t pay within 14 days, it’s an offence for which you can be fined up to $10,000. If you continue to refuse to pay after conviction, you can be fined an additional $100 per day (BMSMA Section 40(10)). The Court can also order you to pay the outstanding contribution and interest to the MC [BMSMA Section 40(11)].
- The MC can sell your house…
Wait what what what.
I’m not kidding. If the MC has served a written demand on you, and you don’t pay within 30 days, the MC can lodge a charge over your property. They will then have the power to sell your property (after fulfilling some other requirements).
BRB gonna go set up an automatic Giro payment for my maintenance contributions NOW.
Yes please. Do your part to help your neighbours who have volunteered to serve on the management committee.
As usual, this is not legal advice, for general information only, etc etc, but do get in touch if you’d like to discuss further. I regularly advise and act for individuals and corporations on contractual disputes and debt recovery.
