*** Ideas for how to hand non-payment of rent/dues:
I hope this inspires ideas for you. Do what works for your group.
The nonpayment issue is difficult for me to deal with because humans are interconnected and telling someone to leave brushes up against that inter-connectivity. These questions help me deal with the situation. Am I dealing with a bad person that needs to be punished and gotten rid off ? Am I dealing with a fellow human being,who is behaving in a way that doesn’t work for me ? Am I seeking to set a limit on how long the person can live here without paying ?
Step 1 - discover nonpayment
step 2 - person is given official notice in writing that he/she/they have x days to resolve the issue
step 3 - take action
------------ step 1. discover nonpayment and communicate with person
Assume there is an honest mistake or miscommunication on the house and or person side. Hopefully this can easily resolved by quickly discussing the issue.
If you believe the person is not being honest, then basically this is letting the person know when step 2 happens.
Some groups may want to start with Payment manager talking with person
Some groups may want to start with an official letter stating amount owed, include nonpayment policy
A person, in addition to treasurer, needs to be up to date on what is happening. So, he/she/they can take over is treasure is suddenly sick/unavailable.
Once the person is informed, the person has X days to resolve the issue.
If the person violates the payment plan, an amount of rent/dues is owed. Immediately respond with step 1.
----------- step 2. let person know issue is not resolved
If person owes less than X dollars. The person is given a letter stating how much is owed and given a copy of the rent payment policies. I recommend doing this every time rent/dues is due but not paid in full.
If person owes more than X dollars, proceed with step 2.
In writing inform member there is a broken agreement between him/her and house, consider this an official document. Include member’s payment history and state amount owed and payment/non-payment policy and by which date next action will happen if nothing is resolved
According to policy, the person has X days to pay in full or reduce debt to less than one month and or get an approved payment plan
The house and or appropriate committee is kept up to date on the situation. This is critical. If the treasurer is the only person dealing with non-payment. The non-payer can play the house treasurer against the other house mates. The treasurer can quickly be seen as over focused on money, the tyrant of the house. Other house mates can say to the treasurer why are you upset ? We like this person. He/she/they is cool, relax !
---------- step 3. take action
If person fails to resolve issue by date in letter in step 2,
then the payment committee has these options
--- State how many more addition days person has to resolve issue in writing
--- Begin Expulsion process
--- Hire attorney for consultation
--- Option to begin legal eviction process
Consider setting limits:
- having minimum owed before for eviction to become an option
- If person owes more than X dollars, approved payment plans are NOT option
- If person violates payment plans more than 3 times, payment plans are NOT an option
- Maybe the house wants more flexibility, so after X dollars is owed and or the payment plan is violated X times, the house may consider no longer letting the person have have a payment plan
Comments about Steps:
Is payment of rent/dues based on who is liked and cool ?
Is this about following thru on an agreement ?
Is this discovering the current agreement is not working, amend or create a new agreement
The group may want to charge a non-payment fee or late payment fee of X$ or X minutes of work around house. The point of the fine is not to punish, which is why it is small one time fee. It is to remind the person that this is really not okay. If they demand their whole deposit back when they leave, sometimes separating is more important to collecting money.
If about to evict someone, consider dropping all late fees in exchange for him/her moving out voluntarily. Going thru court takes time, money plus person is still in the house while going thru court process.
I see providing a clear process with boundaries as compassionate. It can help a difficult situation go smoother. The smoother things go, the more likely people will be able to help the person (who has not paid) stay or move on.
Ignoring one person not paying is very dangerous for the continuation of the house. Those who pay will get tired of this and leave. The house will attract more non-payers than payers. Because the payers will keep leaving. The non-payers will stay. At what point does everyone (non-payers and payers) loose their housing because the house closes
--- about payment plans:
A payment plan must be approved by the whole house or a committee. The plan states full the amount owed, stating $ amount and date of payment(s).
Two key questions when deciding to approve or not approve a payment plan
How many people believe the person has the resources to follow thru on the plan ?
How many people believe the person intends to follow thru on the plan ?
A payment plan can be used as a delay tactic.
The house may want to set limits on when payment plans are no longer an option, such as after owing more than x dollars or after violating x number payment plans.
A benefit of a house approving is social pressure. The fewer people who know what is going on, the easier and more comfortable it is for the person to break their agreement with the house. And, the more weight fewer people carry for keeping the house financially afloat.
I found leaving non-payment a one person job, very challenging. The non-payer gets no consequence for not following thru on agreement with house, which contributes to breaking financial agreement with house becoming an easy thing to do. Plus, the one person who deals with non-payment can easily be be seen as the “mean” person, the “money obsessed” person.
Public knowledge of nonpayment can bring up an issue, revenge. It is one thing to be upset and tell the person I am not okay with this. So, we are taking these actions to set a limit on how long you can living here without paying. It is another thing to seek revenge.