Published tribunal order
Tenancy Tribunal case 9044204 — Tenancy dispute in Manukau, Auckland
Decided 15 Aug 2023 · Published 15 Aug 2023 · Application 9044204
Landlord favoured
- Costs
- Interest
- Unit Titles
Order
- Siva Vasanthan, Seetha Vasanthan must pay BC 337049 $15,660.30 immediately, calculated as follows: DescriptionsApplicantRespondent Levy$13,047.87 Costs: Crockers Collection costs$572.50 Costs: S.124 Solicitor's costs$1,146.23 Costs: Solicitor's hearing appearance fee$112.12 Filing Fee$500.00 Interest: From 2 December 2022 to 1 August 2023 $281.58 Total award with interest$15,660.30 Total payable by Respondent to Applicant $15,660.30
Reasons
- The body corporate attended this remote teleconference hearing and was represented by Ms Tobeck.
- Telephone calls were made to the owners on the number provided at the allocated hearing time. The calls were not connected. The Tribunal may hear matters in the absence of a party where satisfied that notice of the hearing has been given. I am so satisfied.
- The day prior to the hearing the owner contacted Tenancy Services by email and confirmed that he wanted to “settle the matter as soon as I get money to pay the levies.”
- The body corporate has applied for recovery of unpaid levies, interest, costs and the filing fee from the unit owner.
Does the Unit Owner owe the levies claimed?
- A unit owner must pay all body corporate levies and outgoings payable for the unit. See sections 80(1)(f) and 121(1) Unit Titles Act 2010.
- The body corporate has determined the levies payable and unit owner's share has been calculated according to their utility interest.
- The body corporate has fixed the due date for the levies to be paid, and the unit owner has not paid the levies by that date. See section 124(1) Unit Titles Act 2010. The body corporate has provided records to prove the amount claimed.
Is the Unit owner liable for interest?
- If a unit owner fails to pay levies by the due date, interest accrues on the unpaid balance. A body corporate may charge interest up to 10% per annum. See section 128 Unit Titles Act 2010.
- The body corporate has resolved to charge interest at 10% per annum on unpaid levies. The Body Corporate has proved the amount of interest owing from the due date to 1 August 2023.
Is the Unit owner liable for costs?
- Pursuant to section 124 UTA, and as resolved at meetings of the Body Corporate, the Body Corporate is entitled to recover any reasonable costs incurred by it in collecting unpaid levies as a debt due by the owner to the Body Corporate. In accordance with the judgments (of the District Court and Court of Appeal respectively) in Body Corporate 162791 v Cheah DC Auckland, CIV2014-004- 0120, 24 June 2014 and Body Corporate 162791 v Gilbert [2015] NZCA 185, the Tribunal must order that the reasonable costs incurred by the Body Corporate in recovering the levies, objectively assessed, be paid by a defaulting unit owner. I am satisfied that the costs ordered above are reasonable.
- As the body corporate has succeeded with the claim, I have ordered the owner to reimburse the filing fee. Section 176(1) Unit Titles Act 2010 and section 102(4) Residential Tenancies Act 1986.