(OT) Another Rant (sorry!)

Those idiots at "the club" are at it again. I finally had to cave and
become a member even though it benefits me not one whit to do so. They
prorated it so I had a minimum left to spend in dining of $99.88. So I went
there for lunch on 12/15. I had a hamburger and fries. I ate there again a
week later and had a ham & swiss on rye with fries. I ordered the New
Year's Eve dinner to go for $49.50 (big mistake, it was the worst meal
ever). Throw in some beverages, gratuity and taxes, it came to $122.13. So
I went over the "dining minimum" by $23.13.

They sent me a bill for $869! Excuse me?! I've been going back and forth
with them ever since. The bill includes ridiculous monthly dues for January
of $285.00. But that plus $23.13 does not equal $869!

In going over the line-item detail I noticed they charged me for attending
their New Year's Eve event at $138 (plus gratuity & tax) for a total of
$179. Nope, wrong. I didn't attend any event at the club for New Year's
Eve. They admitted that was a billing error. Guess what? The rest of it
is an error, too. I owe them $23.13 where I went over the $99.88 remaining
dining minimum plus the January dues and that's it. Last we left it they
still claim I owe them $418. No, I do not.

And they keep regurgitating the "dining minimum" at me like I don't know
what they're talking about. Look, people, here's the statement I got that
said I had $99.88 remaining for 2011. I went over it by $23.13. I
acknowlege that. I'll pay that. But why are you bringing up my annual
dining minimum for 2012 (which is $830, in case anyone cares) when what I'm
disputing is my bill for December, 2011? All I'm gettting is a bunch of
double-talk.

Every time I have to deal with these people my blood pressure goes up.
That's a hard thing to do since my blood pressure is on the low side. LOL

The population where I live is fairly elderly. Mostly retired people. I
know for a fact if my mother were still alive and she'd gotten a bill like
this she wouldn't have questioned it. She'd have just paid it. (I know
this because I took over paying Mom's bills in 2008. I found she was being
double billed for things like weekly lawn service. Totally separate issue
from the club, she wasn't a member, but it's the same premise.) I suspect
that's what they're counting on and it ****es me off. Me, I watch my bills
like a hawk.

Sorry for ranting again. And thanks for letting me.

OB Cats: Persia has finally accepted her nice deep water bowl. I may wait
a bit on the raised feeding station. I don't want to throw too much new
stuff at her all at once!

She has a case of kitty dandruff so I've been spritzing her with Duoxo spray
which the vet recommended. Technically it's for seborrhea but it worked
years ago when she got a case of kitty dandruff on her hindquarters.
http://www.healthypets.com/seborrheaspray.html

She loves to be brushed so much she dosen't even mind I'm spritzing her with
this wet stuff! Gotta keep that pretty grey fur flake-free

Jill

On 1/7/2012 4:07 PM, jmcquown wrote:
Those idiots at "the club" are at it again. I finally had to cave and
become a member even though it benefits me not one whit to do so. They
prorated it so I had a minimum left to spend in dining of $99.88. So I
went there for lunch on 12/15. I had a hamburger and fries. I ate there
again a week later and had a ham & swiss on rye with fries. I ordered
the New Year's Eve dinner to go for $49.50 (big mistake, it was the
worst meal ever). Throw in some beverages, gratuity and taxes, it came
to $122.13. So I went over the "dining minimum" by $23.13.

They sent me a bill for $869! Excuse me?! I've been going back and forth
with them ever since. The bill includes ridiculous monthly dues for
January of $285.00. But that plus $23.13 does not equal $869!

In going over the line-item detail I noticed they charged me for
attending their New Year's Eve event at $138 (plus gratuity & tax) for a
total of $179. Nope, wrong. I didn't attend any event at the club for
New Year's Eve. They admitted that was a billing error. Guess what? The
rest of it is an error, too. I owe them $23.13 where I went over the
$99.88 remaining dining minimum plus the January dues and that's it.
Last we left it they still claim I owe them $418. No, I do not.

And they keep regurgitating the "dining minimum" at me like I don't know
what they're talking about. Look, people, here's the statement I got
that said I had $99.88 remaining for 2011. I went over it by $23.13. I
acknowlege that. I'll pay that. But why are you bringing up my annual
dining minimum for 2012 (which is $830, in case anyone cares) when what
I'm disputing is my bill for December, 2011? All I'm gettting is a bunch
of double-talk.

Every time I have to deal with these people my blood pressure goes up.
That's a hard thing to do since my blood pressure is on the low side. LOL

The population where I live is fairly elderly. Mostly retired people. I
know for a fact if my mother were still alive and she'd gotten a bill
like this she wouldn't have questioned it. She'd have just paid it. (I
know this because I took over paying Mom's bills in 2008. I found she
was being double billed for things like weekly lawn service. Totally
separate issue from the club, she wasn't a member, but it's the same
premise.) I suspect that's what they're counting on and it ****es me
off. Me, I watch my bills like a hawk.

Sorry for ranting again. And thanks for letting me.

OB Cats: Persia has finally accepted her nice deep water bowl. I may
wait a bit on the raised feeding station. I don't want to throw too much
new stuff at her all at once!

She has a case of kitty dandruff so I've been spritzing her with Duoxo
spray which the vet recommended. Technically it's for seborrhea but it
worked years ago when she got a case of kitty dandruff on her
hindquarters. http://www.healthypets.com/seborrheaspray.html

She loves to be brushed so much she dosen't even mind I'm spritzing her
with this wet stuff! Gotta keep that pretty grey fur flake-free

Jill

Rant all you want darling girl - I'd be ranting about that too! Not the
same thing, but I HATE HOAs as well!

--
Hugs,

CatNipped
See all our masters at: http://www.PossiblePlaces.com/CatNipped

See the RPCA FAQ site, created by "Yowie", maintained by Mark Edwards, at:
http://www.professional-geek.net/rpcablog/

Email: L(dot)T(dot)Crews(at)comcast(dot)net

"jmcquown" wrote in message
...
Those idiots at "the club" are at it again. I finally had to cave and
become a member even though it benefits me not one whit to do so. They
prorated it so I had a minimum left to spend in dining of $99.88. So I
went there for lunch on 12/15. I had a hamburger and fries. I ate there
again a week later and had a ham & swiss on rye with fries. I ordered the
New Year's Eve dinner to go for $49.50 (big mistake, it was the worst meal
ever). Throw in some beverages, gratuity and taxes, it came to $122.13.
So I went over the "dining minimum" by $23.13.

They sent me a bill for $869! Excuse me?! I've been going back and forth
with them ever since. The bill includes ridiculous monthly dues for
January of $285.00. But that plus $23.13 does not equal $869!

In going over the line-item detail I noticed they charged me for attending
their New Year's Eve event at $138 (plus gratuity & tax) for a total of
$179. Nope, wrong. I didn't attend any event at the club for New Year's
Eve. They admitted that was a billing error. Guess what? The rest of it
is an error, too. I owe them $23.13 where I went over the $99.88
remaining dining minimum plus the January dues and that's it. Last we
left it they still claim I owe them $418. No, I do not.

And they keep regurgitating the "dining minimum" at me like I don't know
what they're talking about. Look, people, here's the statement I got that
said I had $99.88 remaining for 2011. I went over it by $23.13. I
acknowlege that. I'll pay that. But why are you bringing up my annual
dining minimum for 2012 (which is $830, in case anyone cares) when what
I'm disputing is my bill for December, 2011? All I'm gettting is a bunch
of double-talk.

Every time I have to deal with these people my blood pressure goes up.
That's a hard thing to do since my blood pressure is on the low side. LOL

The population where I live is fairly elderly. Mostly retired people. I
know for a fact if my mother were still alive and she'd gotten a bill like
this she wouldn't have questioned it. She'd have just paid it. (I know
this because I took over paying Mom's bills in 2008. I found she was
being double billed for things like weekly lawn service. Totally separate
issue from the club, she wasn't a member, but it's the same premise.) I
suspect that's what they're counting on and it ****es me off. Me, I watch
my bills like a hawk.

Sorry for ranting again. And thanks for letting me.

Is it at all possible to sell the house and get somewhere else free of this
kind of institutional bullying? And before you say no, think carefully
whether you could.
I'd rant too, in your position. It sounds kind of illegal somehow to force
someone to pay to eat somewhere they don't want to go.
Tweed

jmcquown wrote:

The population where I live is fairly elderly. Mostly retired people.
I know for a fact if my mother were still alive and she'd gotten a bill
like this she wouldn't have questioned it. She'd have just paid it. (I
know this because I took over paying Mom's bills in 2008. I found she
was being double billed for things like weekly lawn service. Totally
separate issue from the club, she wasn't a member, but it's the same
premise.) I suspect that's what they're counting on and it ****es me
off. Me, I watch my bills like a hawk.

I suspect you are correct! I live in a senior "retirement residence",
and if you don't watch your monthly rent bills carefully, they can sneak
all kinds of spurious charges onto it. Some of the folks here just
figure management knows what it's doing and pay them, others no longer
handle their own finances but have their bills paid by a relative (who
cannot possibly KNOW whether things like "guest meals" are in order or
not). If they want to raise the monthly amount for which we originally
contracted, they are supposed to give us thirty days written notice.
However, some moron in the business office managed to add "additional
resident meals" as an item on the December bills.

Mine was bad enough - I have never, in five years here, eaten more than
my one meal per day for which I contracted, and the addition was $130!
(Lately the meals have been so bad that "marginally edible" is the best
description they deserve.) Some people were charged as much as an
additional $500, which, at $6.50 per meal would represent an awful lot
of additional meals per month! Most of us are aware enough so there was
a wholesale outcry of protest, and they decided "it was a mistake" due
to new personnel, but I bet they didn't refuse payment from those too
dim to object.

On 01/08/2012 02:38 PM, EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque) wrote:


jmcquown wrote:

The population where I live is fairly elderly. Mostly retired people.
I know for a fact if my mother were still alive and she'd gotten a
bill like this she wouldn't have questioned it. She'd have just paid
it. (I know this because I took over paying Mom's bills in 2008. I
found she was being double billed for things like weekly lawn service.
Totally separate issue from the club, she wasn't a member, but it's
the same premise.) I suspect that's what they're counting on and it
****es me off. Me, I watch my bills like a hawk.

I suspect you are correct! I live in a senior "retirement residence",
and if you don't watch your monthly rent bills carefully, they can sneak
all kinds of spurious charges onto it. Some of the folks here just
figure management knows what it's doing and pay them, others no longer
handle their own finances but have their bills paid by a relative (who
cannot possibly KNOW whether things like "guest meals" are in order or
not). If they want to raise the monthly amount for which we originally
contracted, they are supposed to give us thirty days written notice.
However, some moron in the business office managed to add "additional
resident meals" as an item on the December bills.

Mine was bad enough - I have never, in five years here, eaten more than
my one meal per day for which I contracted, and the addition was $130!
(Lately the meals have been so bad that "marginally edible" is the best
description they deserve.) Some people were charged as much as an
additional $500, which, at $6.50 per meal would represent an awful lot
of additional meals per month! Most of us are aware enough so there was
a wholesale outcry of protest, and they decided "it was a mistake" due
to new personnel, but I bet they didn't refuse payment from those too
dim to object.


Perhaos a tip to the IRS would start an investigation into their income
tax reports.

MLB wrote:
On 01/08/2012 02:38 PM, EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque) wrote:


jmcquown wrote:

The population where I live is fairly elderly. Mostly retired people.
I know for a fact if my mother were still alive and she'd gotten a
bill like this she wouldn't have questioned it. She'd have just paid
it. (I know this because I took over paying Mom's bills in 2008. I
found she was being double billed for things like weekly lawn service.
Totally separate issue from the club, she wasn't a member, but it's
the same premise.) I suspect that's what they're counting on and it
****es me off. Me, I watch my bills like a hawk.

I suspect you are correct! I live in a senior "retirement residence",
and if you don't watch your monthly rent bills carefully, they can sneak
all kinds of spurious charges onto it. Some of the folks here just
figure management knows what it's doing and pay them, others no longer
handle their own finances but have their bills paid by a relative (who
cannot possibly KNOW whether things like "guest meals" are in order or
not). If they want to raise the monthly amount for which we originally
contracted, they are supposed to give us thirty days written notice.
However, some moron in the business office managed to add "additional
resident meals" as an item on the December bills.

Mine was bad enough - I have never, in five years here, eaten more than
my one meal per day for which I contracted, and the addition was $130!
(Lately the meals have been so bad that "marginally edible" is the best
description they deserve.) Some people were charged as much as an
additional $500, which, at $6.50 per meal would represent an awful lot
of additional meals per month! Most of us are aware enough so there was
a wholesale outcry of protest, and they decided "it was a mistake" due
to new personnel, but I bet they didn't refuse payment from those too
dim to object.


Perhaos a tip to the IRS would start an investigation into their income
tax reports.

I doubt whether that would have any effect - The IRS doesn't care how
much you overcharge your customers, just so you report the income!

On 01/09/2012 02:18 PM, EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque) wrote:


MLB wrote:
On 01/08/2012 02:38 PM, EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque) wrote:


jmcquown wrote:

The population where I live is fairly elderly. Mostly retired people.
I know for a fact if my mother were still alive and she'd gotten a
bill like this she wouldn't have questioned it. She'd have just paid
it. (I know this because I took over paying Mom's bills in 2008. I
found she was being double billed for things like weekly lawn service.
Totally separate issue from the club, she wasn't a member, but it's
the same premise.) I suspect that's what they're counting on and it
****es me off. Me, I watch my bills like a hawk.

I suspect you are correct! I live in a senior "retirement residence",
and if you don't watch your monthly rent bills carefully, they can sneak
all kinds of spurious charges onto it. Some of the folks here just
figure management knows what it's doing and pay them, others no longer
handle their own finances but have their bills paid by a relative (who
cannot possibly KNOW whether things like "guest meals" are in order or
not). If they want to raise the monthly amount for which we originally
contracted, they are supposed to give us thirty days written notice.
However, some moron in the business office managed to add "additional
resident meals" as an item on the December bills.

Mine was bad enough - I have never, in five years here, eaten more than
my one meal per day for which I contracted, and the addition was $130!
(Lately the meals have been so bad that "marginally edible" is the best
description they deserve.) Some people were charged as much as an
additional $500, which, at $6.50 per meal would represent an awful lot
of additional meals per month! Most of us are aware enough so there was
a wholesale outcry of protest, and they decided "it was a mistake" due
to new personnel, but I bet they didn't refuse payment from those too
dim to object.


Perhaos a tip to the IRS would start an investigation into their
income tax reports.

I doubt whether that would have any effect - The IRS doesn't care how
much you overcharge your customers, just so you report the income!

That is what I was thinking -- is it reported?

MLB wrote:
On 01/09/2012 02:18 PM, EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque) wrote:


MLB wrote:
On 01/08/2012 02:38 PM, EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque) wrote:


jmcquown wrote:

The population where I live is fairly elderly. Mostly retired people.
I know for a fact if my mother were still alive and she'd gotten a
bill like this she wouldn't have questioned it. She'd have just paid
it. (I know this because I took over paying Mom's bills in 2008. I
found she was being double billed for things like weekly lawn service.
Totally separate issue from the club, she wasn't a member, but it's
the same premise.) I suspect that's what they're counting on and it
****es me off. Me, I watch my bills like a hawk.

I suspect you are correct! I live in a senior "retirement residence",
and if you don't watch your monthly rent bills carefully, they can
sneak
all kinds of spurious charges onto it. Some of the folks here just
figure management knows what it's doing and pay them, others no longer
handle their own finances but have their bills paid by a relative (who
cannot possibly KNOW whether things like "guest meals" are in order or
not). If they want to raise the monthly amount for which we originally
contracted, they are supposed to give us thirty days written notice.
However, some moron in the business office managed to add "additional
resident meals" as an item on the December bills.

Mine was bad enough - I have never, in five years here, eaten more than
my one meal per day for which I contracted, and the addition was $130!
(Lately the meals have been so bad that "marginally edible" is the best
description they deserve.) Some people were charged as much as an
additional $500, which, at $6.50 per meal would represent an awful lot
of additional meals per month! Most of us are aware enough so there was
a wholesale outcry of protest, and they decided "it was a mistake" due
to new personnel, but I bet they didn't refuse payment from those too
dim to object.


Perhaos a tip to the IRS would start an investigation into their
income tax reports.

I doubt whether that would have any effect - The IRS doesn't care how
much you overcharge your customers, just so you report the income!

That is what I was thinking -- is it reported?

Oh, it's a fairly large corporation that manages retirement residences
all over the U.S. - their bookkeeping may be incompetent, but like most
non-profits, they must have a certified audit every year. (That doesn't
guarantee the charges are correct, but the intake and outflow are
probably well-documented.)

"Christina Websell" wrote in message
...

"jmcquown" wrote in message
...
Those idiots at "the club" are at it again. I finally had to cave and
become a member even though it benefits me not one whit to do so. They
prorated it so I had a minimum left to spend in dining of $99.88. So I
went there for lunch on 12/15. I had a hamburger and fries. I ate there
again a week later and had a ham & swiss on rye with fries. I ordered
the New Year's Eve dinner to go for $49.50 (big mistake, it was the worst
meal ever). Throw in some beverages, gratuity and taxes, it came to
$122.13. So I went over the "dining minimum" by $23.13.

They sent me a bill for $869! Excuse me?! I've been going back and
forth with them ever since. The bill includes ridiculous monthly dues
for January of $285.00. But that plus $23.13 does not equal $869!

In going over the line-item detail I noticed they charged me for
attending their New Year's Eve event at $138 (plus gratuity & tax) for a
total of $179. Nope, wrong. I didn't attend any event at the club for
New Year's Eve. They admitted that was a billing error. Guess what?
The rest of it is an error, too. I owe them $23.13 where I went over the
$99.88 remaining dining minimum plus the January dues and that's it.
Last we left it they still claim I owe them $418. No, I do not.

And they keep regurgitating the "dining minimum" at me like I don't know
what they're talking about. Look, people, here's the statement I got
that said I had $99.88 remaining for 2011. I went over it by $23.13. I
acknowlege that. I'll pay that. But why are you bringing up my annual
dining minimum for 2012 (which is $830, in case anyone cares) when what
I'm disputing is my bill for December, 2011? All I'm gettting is a bunch
of double-talk.

Every time I have to deal with these people my blood pressure goes up.
That's a hard thing to do since my blood pressure is on the low side. LOL

The population where I live is fairly elderly. Mostly retired people. I
know for a fact if my mother were still alive and she'd gotten a bill
like this she wouldn't have questioned it. She'd have just paid it. (I
know this because I took over paying Mom's bills in 2008. I found she
was being double billed for things like weekly lawn service. Totally
separate issue from the club, she wasn't a member, but it's the same
premise.) I suspect that's what they're counting on and it ****es me
off. Me, I watch my bills like a hawk.

Sorry for ranting again. And thanks for letting me.

Is it at all possible to sell the house and get somewhere else free of
this kind of institutional bullying? And before you say no, think
carefully whether you could.
I'd rant too, in your position. It sounds kind of illegal somehow to
force someone to pay to eat somewhere they don't want to go.
Tweed


Moving would present an entirely new set of problems. Where would I go? I
don't really have a "home". I'm a military brat. I thought moving here
would be the last move I ever made. Moving is expensive. I've done it
enough times to know I don't want to do it again.

The house next door to me (gorgeous, beautifully upgraded kitchen and well
maintained) has been on the market for 5 years. My house, not so
beautifully upgraded. 1980's appliances, ditto wallpaper and nothing fancy
about it. I did have the rain-gutters cleaned out last year. And I washed
all the windows

If I moved I'd still have to pay the property taxes and maintain the
homeowners insurance AND pay the club dues for however long it takes to sell
the house. So that's not really a good plan.

Jill

"jmcquown" wrote in message
...
.. Moving would present an entirely new set of problems. Where would I go?

Somewhere free of this cr

don't really have a "home". I'm a military brat. I thought moving here
would be the last move I ever made. Moving is expensive. I've done it
enough times to know I don't want to do it again.

The house next door to me (gorgeous, beautifully upgraded kitchen and well
maintained) has been on the market for 5 years. My house, not so
beautifully upgraded. 1980's appliances, ditto wallpaper and nothing
fancy about it. I did have the rain-gutters cleaned out last year. And I
washed all the windows



If I moved I'd still have to pay the property taxes and maintain the
homeowners insurance AND pay the club dues for however long it takes to
sell the house. So that's not really a good plan.

Well, you don't move until you sell yours, of course but if I were in your
shoes I would put the house on the market immediately for a lower price than
the other one and wait.
You can't lose anything if it doesn't sell and if it does, you are out of
there with money to buy another place, maybe not so nice but hey.
I never heard of such of a thing in my life, forcing someone to pay to eat
somewhere they don't want to go.
We do have over 55 developments here but I don't think the residents have to
eat anywhere specific to be allowed to live there!
It must be a real worry for you.
Tweed