Full question:
I live in an apartment complex in Tustin,CA. I'm billed directly for gas and electric. A Utilities Billing Service gathers water, sewer and trash fees billed to the complex owner, prorates those fees according the number of units and sends me a bill. Recently, a new item identified as O.C. Sanitation District was added ($19) to the bill. There was no prior notice of this added charge and my lease makes no mention of third party billing. What are my options regarding this added fee?
- Category: Landlord Tenant
- Date:
- State: California
Answer:
Your options depend on your lease's wording and whether the charge existed when the lease was signed. If the O.C. Sanitation District fee is new and was not included in your lease, you might contest it. However, if your lease states that you agree to pay for similar charges that arise later, you may be responsible for this fee by implication. If the charge existed before your lease was signed, the lease terms should govern.This content is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Legal statutes mentioned reflect the law at the time the content was written and may no longer be current. Always verify the latest version of the law before relying on it.