My townhouse is in the final stages of the sales paperwork and everything (including JHB metro, nogal!) has gone pretty much as expected until the attorneys handling the sale sent me the clearance certificate for the townhouse from the managing agents of the complex.
Everything on the certificate is as I would expect it to be, save for the electricity charges:
Jan Elec - R622.73
Feb/March Elec - R2000.00
Now bear in mind this is for a townhouse that has been empty since end November, and according to the monthly levy invoices the managing agent has been sending me there has been no electricity usage since December, and the only charges have been for the general complex electricity, which averages about R60.00 per month.
The attorneys handling the sale have told me I should just pay because once the managing agent has sorted out all their figures for me and the new owner that the managing agent will credit me any money I have paid unnecessarily in any event. I, however, am currently refusing to pay because those figures are impossible, and seeing that the agents are also charging me R950.00 to issue the certificate, the least I expect is for it to be accurate?!
I lodged a dispute with them last Friday, and to date I haven't received any feedback whatsoever. I queried with a couple I know who recently sold their unit and they also said the charges were ridiculous and never saw any such amounts on their certificate. I'm completely up to date on my levy payments, so it's not even as if these are outstanding charges.
Do I pay what they are asking and hope they actually do credit me eventually, or am I justified in digging my heels in?
Everything on the certificate is as I would expect it to be, save for the electricity charges:
Jan Elec - R622.73
Feb/March Elec - R2000.00
Now bear in mind this is for a townhouse that has been empty since end November, and according to the monthly levy invoices the managing agent has been sending me there has been no electricity usage since December, and the only charges have been for the general complex electricity, which averages about R60.00 per month.
The attorneys handling the sale have told me I should just pay because once the managing agent has sorted out all their figures for me and the new owner that the managing agent will credit me any money I have paid unnecessarily in any event. I, however, am currently refusing to pay because those figures are impossible, and seeing that the agents are also charging me R950.00 to issue the certificate, the least I expect is for it to be accurate?!
I lodged a dispute with them last Friday, and to date I haven't received any feedback whatsoever. I queried with a couple I know who recently sold their unit and they also said the charges were ridiculous and never saw any such amounts on their certificate. I'm completely up to date on my levy payments, so it's not even as if these are outstanding charges.
Do I pay what they are asking and hope they actually do credit me eventually, or am I justified in digging my heels in?
