ComplaintsforPacific Central Management Corporation

• Initial Complaint

  04/26/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I own a home in ****** Ranch, ******, ****** California; that is managed by an Home Owner's Association (HOA). For the last several months, the company has cryptically been taking money from me without reasonable acknowledgement of that I have paid my required fees. Most recently, I received a STATEMENT that indicated in eight (8) areas that I directly or indirectly must pay Pacific Central Management Corporation $944.66 within five days or be subject to a late fee and undisclosed interest charges. Again, there was a hidden and unfair cryptic use of an Accounting "trick" that most consumers would not recognize which resulted in my continuing to pay excess fees month after month to Pacific Central when they were not required. This obscure Accounting strategy was unfair so rare that it a dozen of my work colleagues were unable to figure it out. One of my colleagues holds an MBA and it took him a full 60 seconds to figure out the trick. Pacific Central has been unfairly been billing me for HOA fees despite my being paid up for months. The trick they use was to show my credit balance in parentheses. Nowhere on the Statement does it openly mention that I have a CREDIT. Nowhere on the Statement does it instruct me NOT TO PAY. Nowhere on my Statement does it mention that I have a positive balance. Instead, there are eight (8) areas on the Statement that make it clear I must pay including; 1. Payment Due; 2. Amount Due; 3. Send Payment; 4. Return this portion with your payment; 5. Please pay this amount; 6. Make cheek payable to; 7. Please pay promptly; 8 Late fee 7 interest charges will be added to accounts not paid in full by the 15th.It is my belief that this is just not fair. Suppose there are dozens, or hundreds of other clients who similarly are being hoodwinked by Pacific Central Management as well and are able to have many thousands and thousands of dollars and earn interest off money that is not rightfully theirs!

  

  Business response

  05/12/2023

  ******,
  
   
  
  This was sent to Dr. ********** one April 26, 2023.  He does not understand when he has a credit balance on his account and just keeps paying the credit balance.  We have since sent him a check as a refund of the over amounts that he has incorrectly paid as he requested and he has cashed the check. 
  
   
  
  The following is what I sent Dr. **********
  
   
  
  You appear to be a Medical Doctor, so I don’t expect you to understand the accounting practices that are commonly used, just like I don’t understand many medical practices.  I have attached some information on the use of parentheses in the typical accounting world.
  
  If you would like, the money will be refunded or it can be used as a credit to cover future charges.  Just don’t pay anything until the amount does not have parentheses around it.  Minus sign is rarely used since it can be missed easily where parentheses are easily seen. 
  
  *******
  
  In accounting, there are several situations in which it is common practice to put parentheses around numbers. It should be used in the following situations:
  
  When one number is being subtracted from another number
  When presenting a negative number in a statement or report
  When stating the meaning of a negative amount in a line item description, such as “Net profit (loss)” in the bottom line of an income statement
  When presenting the credit side of a journal entry
  When presenting an unfavorable budget variance, such as when actual sales are less than budgeted sales
  When presenting an account balance that is the reverse of its normal position, such as when an account with a normal debit balance has a credit balance instead
   

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