WWYD-Dorm Damage Charges

[dish rag]

When it happened to my daughter I just paid the bill. If your daughter knows who did it, she probably does, she should turn them in.

 

[dish rag]

About a month before my daughter was to graduate there was a long list of fees over her 4 years that the University said needed paid for her to graduate. Late fees, cleaning fees, all kinds of fees I can't even remember them all. they totaled over $1300. I just paid, what else. I figured as usuall the football players and poor people, illegal aliens, people on low income grants and others got out of paying, or weren't even billed, the rest of us pay, what else. Just the way it is.

 

[tvguy]

OP here. The point isn't the amount of the charge, its just that every single person on the floor (I would guess about 40 students) are being charged a fine for these issues. While its not the college's job to patrol the hallways, each floor has an RA, who I assume is the one reporting most of these issues. The RA didn't notice one student with blue hair? Or the 2 33 gallon bags of trash didn't have ONE piece of identifying information?

the charge was $16.72, which obviously is not a big deal.

It may not be right, but all 3 years my son live in a dorm we got a bill for $30 for public area damages.
The one that got me was the year we got hit for $350 for University Provided Health Insurance. I provided a copy of his insurance card before the semester started and somehow they lost it. By the time they billed us, it was past the deadline. They said they could investigate, but that would take several months, and my son's grades would be frozen until it was resolved. Yes, blackmail.

 

[pryncess527]

About a month before my daughter was to graduate there was a long list of fees over her 4 years that the University said needed paid for her to graduate. Late fees, cleaning fees, all kinds of fees I can't even remember them all. they totaled over $1300. I just paid, what else. I figured as usuall the football players and poor people, illegal aliens, people on low income grants and others got out of paying, or weren't even billed, the rest of us pay, what else. Just the way it is.

Why would you assume that?

Financial need isn't a valid reason to have those types of fees waived where I work

 

[The Mystery Machine]

OP here. The point isn't the amount of the charge, its just that every single person on the floor (I would guess about 40 students) are being charged a fine for these issues. While its not the college's job to patrol the hallways, each floor has an RA, who I assume is the one reporting most of these issues. The RA didn't notice one student with blue hair? Or the 2 33 gallon bags of trash didn't have ONE piece of identifying information?

the charge was $16.72, which obviously is not a big deal.

Sounds fair to me. Sounds like there was some destruction of property going on here? Trash, hair dye and a clogged toilet?

It stinks you have to pay but unless they have the culprits, I guess someone has to pay.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

About a month before my daughter was to graduate there was a long list of fees over her 4 years that the University said needed paid for her to graduate. Late fees, cleaning fees, all kinds of fees I can't even remember them all. they totaled over $1300. I just paid, what else. I figured as usuall the football players and poor people, illegal aliens, people on low income grants and others got out of paying, or weren't even billed, the rest of us pay, what else. Just the way it is.

Hmm I think your school was set up differently than mine. In no way shape or form would any of the people you listed be exempt from paying.

What could have happened is some may have qualified for some sort of scholarship, financial aid, or grants and they may have used that to pay for the charges but they weren't exempt from them to begin with.

I'm speaking as a generality because I really don't know all the fees your daughter was hit with some may have been specific to where she was living, etc.

 

[luvsJack]

About a month before my daughter was to graduate there was a long list of fees over her 4 years that the University said needed paid for her to graduate. Late fees, cleaning fees, all kinds of fees I can't even remember them all. they totaled over $1300. I just paid, what else. I figured as usuall the football players and poor people, illegal aliens, people on low income grants and others got out of paying, or weren't even billed, the rest of us pay, what else. Just the way it is.

The department that handles financial aid and the department that handles billing and charges to accounts are two very different departments. No one gets out of paying fines, fees or anything else. Their account is charged. If their aid or scholarship covers it, then its paid that way. In all reality, football players get hit with as many, if not more, fees than anyone else.

 

[Allison]

I figured as usuall the football players and poor people, illegal aliens, people on low income grants and others got out of paying, or weren't even billed, the rest of us pay, what else. Just the way it is.

You received this information about other students from what official college source?

 

[usnuzuloose]

We do clean carpets , and we have a place that is done yearly for the dorms. The carpets can really be bad in some of them. I don't know how they bill the students if they are extremely bad. Some students are good in the rooms and others it can be unbelievable. It is very costly as you need many people coming in to do the jobs.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

My son is renting an apartment with 2 other friends. It came furnished. One of the friends showed up with 2 big dogs who have damaged the living room furniture.

His friend with the dogs said he would be covering the cost of all damages done by the dogs. I won't believe it until I see it. Their lease is up as of July 31st I believe.
My son can't wait to get out of there. He said if there are any problems with his friend covering the costs of the damage, he'll handle it and get the friend to pay.

I say have your DD deal with it. Since it's a dorm, her options may be limited but it's certainly worth an appeal.

 

[RedAngie]

Those cleaning/damage fees are pretty much the norm for dorm living. The amount is often so trivial it's not even worth mentioning, let alone trying to appeal. Pay it, forget about it, and move on.

 

[pigletliz]

About a month before my daughter was to graduate there was a long list of fees over her 4 years that the University said needed paid for her to graduate. Late fees, cleaning fees, all kinds of fees I can't even remember them all. they totaled over $1300. I just paid, what else. I figured as usuall the football players and poor people, illegal aliens, people on low income grants and others got out of paying, or weren't even billed, the rest of us pay, what else. Just the way it is.

Wow

 

[mnrose]

Wow. I've seen generalizations, but this one takes the cake.

 

[Branflakes]

Each year when my son was in college, he was "checked out" by the floor RA, BEFORE turning in his keys and leaving for the summer. Clean room, trash removed fridge cleaned with no food, cleaned microwave. Vaccumed floors trash removed etc. There was a checklist. I thought this was a standard practice.

 

[Allison]

Each year when my son was in college, he was "checked out" by the floor RA, BEFORE turning in his keys and leaving for the summer. Clean room, trash removed fridge cleaned with no food, cleaned microwave. Vaccumed floors trash removed etc. There was a checklist. I thought this was a standard practice.

That sounds like it is for his specific room not for the common areas.

 

[DisneyOma]

Therapy cat,what is this world coming to?

Hopefully a more kind, understanding one?

 

[declansdad]

Why would you assume that?

Not a new train of thought.

 

[Westcoastwild]

You said it was a charge for sweeping dirt and trash into the hallway. The student who did that should have swept that stuff into a dustpan and put in the trash bag. What they did is just sweep their mess into the hallway. I mean really there is a difference between a janitor doing regular cleaning and maintenance and a janitor "being paid" to follow irresponsible kids and clean their messes.

More to the point (haven't read the whole thread, so apologize if someone has made this point)-

These are MOVING OUT charges. As in students are given a checklist of tasks they need to do before checkout and the essential gist of it is that you leave that area like it was the day you moved in.

If, say, the toilet had been plugged during the year, maintenance would have fixed that issue and you wouldn't be charged. But the kids moved it without noting the issue and left a mess behind. So they get charged. Because those rooms need to be turned around for the next batch and the previous students have made that process longer.

Any dorm checkout sheet basically puts common areas on the shoulders of students that share them. So now your daughter knows not to sign her check out sheet without confirming that her roommates would hold up their end of the bargain.

It's just like a damage deposit on a rental. Doesn't matter if 3 people left it clean. If the 4th (last to leave) roommate leaves a couch or something that the landlord has to dispose of, that comes out of the whole deposit. So consider it a life lesson learned, and make your kid contest the fine- and if you pay it, dock her for it somehow.

 

[Westcoastwild]

I would just pay it. It is such a small amount for damage over an entire year or semester. I am sure these rules are written into the housing contract you or she signed.

At the apartment my daughter is renting, we were told that a lot of people gladly give up their 200 deposit upon move out so they don't need to deep clean and do carpets etc.

Yeah. Unless I like the landlord and think I'll get my deposit back, I don't bother deep cleaning. It's going to cost me a lot more money and time than that $200 dollars that I might have to fight for anyway is worth.

 

[okeydokey]

About a month before my daughter was to graduate there was a long list of fees over her 4 years that the University said needed paid for her to graduate. Late fees, cleaning fees, all kinds of fees I can't even remember them all. they totaled over $1300. I just paid, what else. I figured as usuall the football players and poor people, illegal aliens, people on low income grants and others got out of paying, or weren't even billed, the rest of us pay, what else. Just the way it is.

Actually Art, this is not how fee billing works at Universities.

If a student has a parking ticket or late fee, then it is a financial obligation. Those pesky illegal aliens and poor folk don't get to skip out on fees amd leave them for the aggrieved wealthy to take care of. LOL.