Leaving a Condo Behind - Bills etc...

[isawasnake]

Can you guys offer up some advice on the potential problems of leaving a condo here for years? I don't have anybody to help me out that is based in Thailand, and to be honest I don't really trust our management company with anything.

I am mainly concerned about the bills coming in. Right now I am thinking I will just leave the balance that I happen to have when I leave, meaning I think I will owe about 200 baht on the water, 300 electric ....... can I just leave them as is and clear it all up when I return?

There is also the issue of the yearly CAM fees for the common areas. I really have no way to pay it from overseas, so I am probably just going to pay they interest when I return.

Any advice on how to handle this from people that have done it before appreciated.

[Crossy]

If it's your condo why not try to get it rented out whilst you're away?

[chris2004]

Of course you can pay the fees from overseas. Have you ever heard of a bank?

[cheeryble]

Guesstimate the amount and leave behind the desk.

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa app

[KittenKong]

If the condo is empty you should have no new electricity or water bills, unless your building has some special arrangement for a standing charge.

Your common fees will accumulate, of course, and in my building (where fees are low) most people in your circumstances just deposit enough to cover these for a few years. Of course this does rather depend on how much your fees are. Personally, even though I live in my condo permanently, I have enough on deposit with the building to cover a year's worth of fees and water/cable bills, and my electricity is paid by direct debit to the PEA. That way I know that if I had to leave for whatever reason (travel, illness) I would not have to worry about anything.

It should not be hard to use internet banking to pay your common fees if you prefer not to deposit cash in advance.

As for your current bills of a few hundred Baht, why not just pay them?

[isawasnake]

If the condo is empty you should have no new electricity or water bills, unless your building has some special arrangement for a standing charge.

Your common fees will accumulate, of course, and in my building (where fees are low) most people in your circumstances just deposit enough to cover these for a few years. Of course this does rather depend on how much your fees are. Personally, even though I live in my condo permanently, I have enough on deposit with the building to cover a year's worth of fees and water/cable bills, and my electricity is paid by direct debit to the PEA. That way I know that if I had to leave for whatever reason (travel, illness) I would not have to worry about anything.

It should not be hard to use internet banking to pay your common fees if you prefer not to deposit cash in advance.

As for your current bills of a few hundred Baht, why not just pay them?

Thanks.

Yeah I want to pay my current bills, but will end up using a little after I leave. I would have to walk in and cancel at all these offices on the way to the airport for it to be left at 0, see what I mean? And even then. I don't have experience with paying this stuff online. If I knew it was an option I would have done it long ago. The electric and water are paid here at the condo, not sure how to get around that. Anyway I will look into it, I am certainly not going to leave any extra money with them, but I do see how that could work for some. Thanks.

Edited October 6, 2014 by isawasnake

[briley]

You can overpay with PEA and TOT - ie give them a bit extra and that will be used up on your future bills.

Suspect you can do the same with other companies.

[KittenKong]

The electric and water are paid here at the condo, not sure how to get around that. Anyway I will look into it, I am certainly not going to leave any extra money with them, ....

Do yourself a favour: leave at least enough on deposit to fully cover the outstanding utilities, even if you don't want to cover the common fees. If you don't then you may find that your utilities get cut off and you get charged a fee for reconnection.

Oh, and turn your water off at the stop-cock as you leave. I do this even if I go away for just a day or two.

[MAZ3]

I helped a friend a few years ago with unpaid bills in his condo,if left for too long they had the right to sell it to pay the arrears

Be very careful!.

[dean008]

really? do you know how long is too long?

I helped a friend a few years ago with unpaid bills in his condo,if left for too long they had the right to sell it to pay the arrears
Be very careful!.

[Bunter]

May I ask where the condo is located.

You may be surprised and get an offer to rent by an older family who would take care of everything and also give a return on your investment.

Of course there is always the possibility that you could be let down. But an arrangement where rent money previously paid is refunded provided all the boxes are ticked.

If you get an agent to do this they will charge a fee anyway so it's about getting a process that works best for you.

[MAZ3]

really? do you know how long is too long?

I helped a friend a few years ago with unpaid bills in his condo,if left for too long they had the right to sell it to pay the arrears

Be very careful!.

If I remember correctly, I was told anything over a year.

Allegedly they had taken one back and sold it,probably on the cheap.

It might have been bullshit to scare people,but this came from the German who was the developers Manager.

[CraigSchuler]

I knew a guy who owned a condo in Korat, he went back to his homeland and didn't pay his community fee's for over a year, the association had his condo up for sale.

[Fallangpakwan]

Just leave a million baht with me and I'll take care of it all.

[Fallangpakwan]

Really the best way is set up and learn how to do internet banking and just make the payments when you are notified they are due.

[djhotsox]

Have you not a personal friend who lives here who for a small fee would take care of the monthly bills for you and also look in on the property every so often to make sure it is as you left it?

[Card]

I often do this for condos around the country even though I live in Thailand. All you need to do is leave a large enough sum with the juristic person to cover all the bills for the time you are away plus some more in case prices increase. Get an estimate from them and a receipt. You will probably find they cannot or will not accept bank or internet transfers. If the utility companies accept bank transfers then you can pay them directly rather than via the juristic person. Just ask the juristic person - it's their job.

You might also want to leave keys with them in case of fire/water damage to the unit. If you are wary of that they may rent out/use the room when you are away then this is what I do;

I put 2 locks on my door. One is a dead lock needing a key from the outside and inside (in case of a burglary from the balcony, they cannot get out). They are cheap from Homepro. I give the juristic person one key.

I put a digital lock as the second lock and do not give the combination to the jusristic person. Instead I give them my mobile number and any others means to contact me. In an emergency, they can then either break the lock, or in less of an emergency, phone you for the combination number. That way you know why and when they want to enter your room, instead of leaving it up to them.

Edited October 7, 2014 by Card

[isawasnake]

You can overpay with PEA and TOT - ie give them a bit extra and that will be used up on your future bills.

Suspect you can do the same with other companies.

I may try this. The thing I don't like is I would be giving this extra money to the management, and I don't trust them at all. But it would be a small enough amount, so i'll probably do this.

My main question for starting the thread, what will happen if I have say 200 baht water bill due for a few years? One person said there may be a reconnection fee. Any more info on just how this is handled?

I am glad you guys find it so easy to pay online though. On my bills I see absolutely no option to do this, but I guess it is possible. I just have no idea where to start.

Some people have said I could lose my condo, I suppose that is for the CAM fees. I don't believe that, but I suppose anything is possible.

I don't want to rent my condo btw.

[isawasnake]

I often do this for condos around the country even though I live in Thailand. All you need to do is leave a large enough sum with the juristic person to cover all the bills for the time you are away plus some more in case prices increase. Get an estimate from them and a receipt. You will probably find they cannot or will not accept bank or internet transfers. If the utility companies accept bank transfers then you can pay them directly rather than via the juristic person. Just ask the juristic person - it's their job.

Thanks. Yeah, this is the impression I have gotten here with internet transfers.

I really don't like or trust the juristic person, but with a receipt i suppose it will be ok.

The other thing is I really have no idea how long I will be gone. I mean it could literally be 1 year or 8 to 10 years.

[Card]

I often do this for condos around the country even though I live in Thailand. All you need to do is leave a large enough sum with the juristic person to cover all the bills for the time you are away plus some more in case prices increase. Get an estimate from them and a receipt. You will probably find they cannot or will not accept bank or internet transfers. If the utility companies accept bank transfers then you can pay them directly rather than via the juristic person. Just ask the juristic person - it's their job.

Thanks. Yeah, this is the impression I have gotten here with internet transfers.

I really don't like or trust the juristic person, but with a receipt i suppose it will be ok.

The other thing is I really have no idea how long I will be gone. I mean it could literally be 1 year or 8 to 10 years.

see my message again - I added more info.

If you really don't trust the juristic person then default and get reconnections each time you come back. But it does mean a delay in the reconnection times when you arrive back. If your returns are short time then it doesn't make sense to do that. Maybe pay in advance for 1 or 2 years and then default for the rest of the time you are away.

Edited October 7, 2014 by Card

[Jimbo]

you could set up automatic billing with water and electric. we did it. you need to get the special forms from the respectiv companies. we did it in korat.

Edited October 7, 2014 by Jimbo

[paul955]

This is a joke post for sure.....................

[isawasnake]

you could set up automatic billing with water and electric. we did it. you need to get the special forms from the respectiv companies. we did it in korat.

Thanks for the replies.

One last time, sorry to repeat, anybody know what happens if you just don't pay your water/electric? Anybody had experience with this. I guess the outcome may differ in each case, so hard to get a specific answer. If they turn it off that would not be the end of the world, I could just get a hotel.

Edited October 7, 2014 by isawasnake

[Jimbo]

with a normal house they will remove the meter. that would cost you a lot to get it put back after.

[isawasnake]

This is a joke post for sure.....................

Did you gain the experience to determine this within your previous 7 posts?

[Fallangpakwan]

Back in the 1990's I was living in 3 expensive beachside condo's south of Pattaya consecutively over a 7year period and in all 3 one of the juristic persons fled with a load of the landlords money; fortunately none of mine.

[Jip66]

This is a joke post for sure.....................

Some people are obviously not as clever as others with less than 10 post counts....

Edited October 7, 2014 by Jip66

[pitchag]

If the maintenance fees are not paid you could be charged 10% interest the first year and 20% for the years after and the management could apply to the court to sell your condo to recoup the the fees owing, and be aware there is always a relative or friend of the manager that would like to buy a condo at a fire sale price.

We are looking at doing the same in our block of condos with absent owners not seen for years.

It is not fair on the ones that pay their dues to subsidise the defaulters

[KittenKong]

My main question for starting the thread, what will happen if I have say 200 baht water bill due for a few years? One person said there may be a reconnection fee. Any more info on just how this is handled?

It depends entirely on your building so ask them.

But if you know you are going to have a 200B bill cant you just deposit 300B in advance and forget about it? I cant believe you are wasting time discussing such a tiny amount.

I am glad you guys find it so easy to pay online though. On my bills I see absolutely no option to do this, but I guess it is possible. I just have no idea where to start.

Again, it depends on your building and which bills you are talking about. Water is generally billed by the condo. Electricity may be billed by the condo or by the PEA. If it's the PEA then just go to their office with your last bill and tell them you want to pay by direct debit. They will give you a form for your bank.

If you dont trust your building you could also arrange for a regular payment to be made to the building, or make occasional payments yourself via internet banking.

Some people have said I could lose my condo, I suppose that is for the CAM fees. I don't believe that, ....

Believe it. If you have unpaid bills the building can sue you and if the judge is convinced by their argument then they will be able to sell your unit to recover the costs. Only likely to happen when the amount gets very large though.

[Nemesis7]

depends on how long are you gone for?

Usually if it's about an year that fine , the best they will do is stop the water connection to your unit and the electricity line will be cut until and unless you pay the dues and request for reconnection. And regarding the service charge due, they will ask you to clear it once you are back. I doubt if they can sell it off as do e of the TV posters stated as you didn't sign abt such papers with them I suppose, I know I didnt. So legally I doubt if they can sell your condo to recover few thousand bhat dues.