Rent

No, not the musical.

I set up auto-debit with my apartment management because I was spending more time in Canada and it tended to be around the end or beginning of the month-- right when rent is due. For the months I had it set up, everything was fine. I did not have to worry about my rent while away.

At the end of September I needed to sign a new lease for the apartment. I was informed that I had to re-sign up for the auto-debit procedure. For some reason, whether it be how they set up the system or their procedures for it, they could not just inform the IT department of the new rent number and keep the existing auto-debit working as it had been for many months prior to October.

So, I paid rent by check, took in the appropriate information in mid-October, and waited for my confirm letter so I didn't have to worry about the issue when I came to Canada at the end of November/beginning of December.

I did not receive that letter after 1 month of waiting and prior to the time I had to go for my next trip. So, I kept that thought in the back of my head and decided to check before I left Canada to see if a debit was in my account. No. Since the weather delay meant I wasn't in SoCal to check in person on the first Monday of the month (today), which also happens to be the third and the last day on which you can pay your rent without owing a $50 late fee or getting a really nasty notice from the management about how they are kicking you out of your apartment by the 7th if you don't pay, I call as soon as they opened at 8:30 am PST. Spoke with Tiba, who happened to be the exact right person to talk with.

She informed me that I was not on the auto-debit list. I explained my circumstance and how disappointed I was that, after over 6 weeks of having the paperwork, my auto-debit wasn't set up. She agreed and said she would do some checking. Meanwhile, was there any way I could get a check to her before the 7th for rent so that it wouldn't get kicked out of her hands and into the Irvine Company's collection agency. Luckily, my bank has the option to send paper checks via certified next-day mail at a small fee, so I did that. She should have it tomorrow, or Wednesday at the latest.

Meanwhile, I had to deal with all the previous mentioned snow and rebooking issues with Air Canada. I called Tiba back when it was confirmed I was going to be in Canada another day. She had already checked into it and found that no one ever turned in my paperwork for the auto-debit process. I told her, and she once again agreed with me, that this was totally unacceptable. She waived any fees for me and told me to fill out the paperwork and bring it to her personally when I get back in town and she would see that it was taken care of for next month's rent. I also got the woman to whom I gave the paperwork in trouble (I'm assuming) when I described her (didn't remember her name, but remember a decent enough description of her).

I'm really confused and concerned with how that woman (not Tiba, the one to whom I gave the paperwork) handled the situation. This is important, personal, confidential, and potentially damaging information that she did not pass on to the appropriate people/departments to take care of. Luckily, I have not seen any untoward debits from my account or anything, but who knows what could have happened. I am also still concerned over why I had to sign up as though it was the first time just to change my debit amount (providing a new voided check, etc.). Whatever service or system the Irvine Company uses may not be programmed or set up appropriately if they had to do anything more than get an official update that says "for account X, change billed amount from Y to Z." I should not have to sign up fresh every year.

I got the email with the appropriate form from Tiba. I just need to fill that out and turn it in once I make it back to SoCal and it should be done.