Even those people who for many years regularly pay utility bills on billed accounts and do not have arrears on rent, there can be disputes with the management company. Only if you know how many to keep receipts for utility bills and clearly follow the recommended parameters, you can count on your security against unreasonable claims.
Today, the payment process is maximally simplified and optimized. Gas, water, rent, indicators of consumed electricity and other payments are included in one account, which significantly reduces the volume of processed securities. In spite of the fact that the government pays special attention to this sphere, the questions on why to keep paid tickets and how long to do it do not lose their relevance.
Normative acts and legal advice on this issue
Computer failure, regular tariff changes, confusing, dishonest workforce of the enumeration center and elementary fraud attempts lead to a litigation between the consumer of utility services and the management company. In this case, as evidence of rightness, only documentary evidence confirms the fact that gas, water, electricity and other consumer products have been paid for.
Some grandmothers persistently store the paid receipts for the last 20-25 years, this should not be done, but several nuances should be taken into account:
- No normative act specifically specifies how many years it is necessary to store receipts with a mark or a receipt for payment of utility bills, The law on the limitation period of the statement of claim comes into force. According to him, the statute of limitations for disputes of this kind expires in 3 years from the time of the emergence of the problem situation.
- This law is not an obstacle to the adoption of the claim by the court, but if in court to announce this point, the decision in 100% of cases will be taken in favor of the consumer of services.
- It happens that the management companies are trying to go to various kinds of tricks, trying to forcefully extend the statute of limitations. This is extremely rare, only in the event of a real force majeure. For example, the management company in the whole staff for three years was on a desert island, and did not have the opportunity to go to court to collect a debt for utility services.
Tip: Despite this, lawyers recommend storing paid coupons for 5 years to protect themselves from unnecessary unrest. It should be noted that all receipts have seals. Otherwise, it is recommended to go to the bank and update the receipt or receive a refusal letter with reference to the expiry of the limitation period.
Practical situations that make adjustments to the
regulation Considering the rapid development of technological progress, many today pay for gas, light and water using bank cards or e-commerce centers. This brings into the customary process its amendments:
- The opinion that when paying by a bank card it is not necessary to keep confirming checks for 3 years is fundamentally wrong. If the organization closes and access to its data disappears, serious problems will arise with obtaining the necessary documents. Experts recommend that you keep checks for payment within a year, then visit the bank to obtain an extract for this period and get rid of unnecessary waste paper. Owners of a personal cabinet on the bank's website have enough time to print out such statements with electronic marks.
- Users of e-commerce services need to be even more careful. After payment for light, gas and other services will be carried out, you must independently print a receipt. Keep it as it will have at least 3 years.
- There is one more behavior that can simplify life. You can visit your management company at the beginning of each year to obtain an act that the organization has no claims on rent and other indicators.
- Particular attention to the availability of receipts for payment of utilities should be paid when buying an apartment or its long-term lease. In this case, you can limit yourself to checks for 3-5 years, but it is better to receive certificates from the management company about the absence of claims.
One more authority capable of providing information on the status of settlements is the accounting center, which is responsible for billing consumers. True, they have data for a long period remain only in the event of arrears. But the absence of such can be a sufficient argument for the court. On the other hand, it is these organizations that provide data to management companies, so they can not differ widely.