We are in Nova Scotia, and live in an apartment building.

Like most others, it is managed by a company, but we have a live-in Superintendant (a married couple who share the role).

The building was built last year, and we were part of the first group of occupying tenants.

Our washing machine started chugging 2 days ago and then stopped working. I called our Super and asked if they could take a look, as maintenance is included in our rent.

I returned home yesterday and it was working. The Super then knocked my door and explained that they had been in and fixed it. She explained that it was a common problem with the washing machines purchased for the building, and that is has happened to other tenants.

Small tiny things (such as the tiny plastic inserts in a shirt's collar that keep it stiff) are getting caught in the bottom of the machine and shutting it down. She explained that as all of the machines are new, when it first happened they called the company believing they were under warranty, but the company said they were not as it is human error, not a fault with the machines.

She told me that the first time it happened, they had to call the company out and the technician charged $65, that was then billed to the tenant.

Now the bit that surprise me...she said that 'We don't want to keep calling them out, so have figured out how to fix it ourselves. We fixed yours to save calling anyone, so you need to give us $50 in cash for the repair'.

Now - I understand the problem was technically human error, but I have two issues with this:

. I wasn't called to ask if I agreed for them to carry out a repair they would later charge for
. I am being asked to pay in cash, which of course they won't declare!!!
. Can my Super just make a fee up in her head and tell me I need to pay it? Even if I wasn't asked if I wanted the work to go ahead?

It just seems a little suspicious and unfair to me. They are great Supers, and I have no problem covering any time that I need to - but surely they are being a little unfair with this?

It's a bit like someone just showing up and spraying my car and demanding money?!

How do you guys feel about this? Should I just pay up and stop complaining, or is this kind of 'pay us even though we didn't ask you' style of working a little strange?

If maintenance is included in the rent - surely this is classed as maintenance?

I think the grey area exists because building maintenance is - such as the time our bathroom flooded, or our stair-rail fell off (it was loose when we moved in).

This though is an appliance, and we technically caused the fault.

I can see this side of it without trouble, but still have issues regarding their repair-and-charge format.

IMO maintenance wouldn't cover this , as the OP pointed out , technically this is human error.

Maintenance , to me ,covers blown fuses , wear and tear etc.

Zoe - I agree.

Would you pay them? Or does it seem a bit shady that I was given no advance notice? And they set their own fee that isn't published?

i'm not sure what i'd do
how much do you want to rock the boat?

if you are otherwise happy , i'd proabably cough up and send them an email or somethign ( so that i had it in writing) asking that if in future could they just check with you about doing repairs with a rough idea of how much it would cost.

In other words next time ask me before you charge me

Seems shady to me if they didnt mention all this crap before hand when you first asked them to look at it. I would call the building manager and confirm that this is policy and not some shady cash grab, and express my general displeasure at how this has been done.

You could try the "You wont mind then if I call your boss and confirm all this is above board" line and see what happens. It all sounds dodgy to me.

It's a shame they did this, as we get along really well and I'd feel bad going above and beyond them.......but I think it has to be done, as I am basically giving them $50 to buy beer with...

I wouldn't mind if I paid the management company and it went into their funds, but paying the Super directly just seems a bit unsettling.

Ask for a receipt.

Exactly what I would do. Make up some cock and bull story about how you are on a tight budget and therefore always keep detailed records on file. Then ask for the receipt.

Try to figure out what the problem might be and maybe fix it yourself next time. Then go out and have a beer on you

I'll tell you what the problem is and how to fix it if you send me $50.

Kev

The fact that she asked/demanded cash suggests to me that it's a bit of a scam. I doubt you pay your rent by cash so give her a cheque payable to the same as the rent. Now she'll be really p****d off and you may suffer some consequences.

I don't think it sounds overly shady.

Its been established that this isn't within the realms of maintenance, so it's an out of pocket repair.

would you rather pay $65 to the washing machine company or $50 to someone who can fix it anyway.

I'd pay the $50, tell em thanks for saving me $15 and then do what someone else suggested and figure out how to repair it yourself

sorry but the bill lies with you as it was from a foreign object in the machine, not the machine its self. A bit like blocking the toilet. Nothing wrong with it till you put an obstruction in it. Usually as a plumber I just take care of it for the tennant and then invoice the landlord.

Has the super got a key to your flat that seems dodgy to me. No one has a key to my house only me or is this the way it works in condo,s