Can someone explain this to me? How is it possible to put a late fee on my account after I paid my dues in full? Yes, I submitted a complaint form, but I’d like to hear from fellow River Bend residents as well. The accountant, Sarah, told me the fee was applied the day after I made my payment—apparently because she couldn’t process 300–400 accounts at once. But here’s the thing: by law, once a payment is made in full, you can’t legally add a late fee afterward. If the accounting office can’t handle the workload in a timely manner, maybe it’s time to find someone who can. Frankly, if they’re taking all this money from us, they should be able to afford staff who can do the job right—or pay the fee themselves when they don’t.
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My dues were paid, yet when I arrived at my lot at the beginning of the season, the locks were still on my electric box! On top of that, every time I came through the gate, I was told I needed to renew my pass. I'm a lot owner, so this was confusing. I finally went into the office, and apparently, they had to fix an error to update my pass.
Then, there are the ridiculous fees—late fees, water hookup fees, and electric hookup fees. If the Board of Directors (BOD) makes mistakes, why don't we get to charge them? It’s frustrating because I try to avoid going into the office unless necessary, but they’re closed on Sundays and Mondays. I’ve said it before, and I’ll keep saying it—the office should be open on weekends. It makes absolutely no sense not to be. I don’t care if employees need time off; I know plenty of people who work weekends, including myself. During the off-season, sure, I get closing on Sundays, but not during peak season.
Every time I do go to the office, the staff is usually efficient and fixes the issue promptly. If there’s an issue, they work to correct it, sometimes requiring a day or two of research. However, it’s not the front office staff that’s the problem—it’s what happens after the payment is processed.
People make mistakes. But if members didn’t wait until the last minute to pay their dues, crowd the office, and harass the staff, maybe, just maybe, these mistakes wouldn’t happen. But posting anonymously? That seems to be a problem now. Riverbend’s Facebook is overly judgmental. “People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.”
As for the payment issues: everything that comes in that day should be processed before the next day’s payments arrive, and late fees should not be charged if payments were made before the deadline. It’s frustrating, and it costs a lot of money when they don’t handle it properly. I understand that staff shouldn’t be blamed for everything, but they should take responsibility and make sure things get fixed, not offer excuses.
This is exactly why I’m leaving. It’s ridiculous. We’re charged for their mistakes. Look at the payment date—if it was before the deadline, no late fee should be applied, period. If they can't handle the workload, they need to find better solutions.
I know a lot of people have had similar experiences—one person even had to deal with their power being shut off after paying their dues! They lost food in the fridge and freezer because of the office’s incompetence. That’s just unacceptable. The office did give them a credit after speaking with the general manager, but I believe they should be reimbursed for the food loss. It wasn’t a storm that caused the power outage, it was their mistake.
At this point, it feels like the whole place is a joke. I bought a lot last year, already sold it, and took a loss. I’m done with Riverbend. They can’t get their act together, and honestly, I’m relieved I’m no longer involved. It's a shame that it's come to this.