<p>S2 just finished his first year at a private Catholic school in the northeast. Compared to S1's state school, this school's administration is archaic, conservative and makes things more difficult than they need to be. It was his choice to attend their 0-6 Pharmacy program, otherwise, I would never have agreed to his decision. It's expensive, and just when I thought they couldn't find another way to take more money from me, they found a way. Today, we received his Residence Hall Damage Statement, and when I looked at the charges, my blood pressure went up. Apparently, everyone on the floor is responsible for things like "Hallway-Corkboard and Labor", "Glass enclosed bulletin board", "Lounge/Hallway-Switches and Outlets". Each charge is 7 or 8 cents, with the exception of the "Glass enclosed bulletin board", which was $1.10. The entire bill was $1.39. There are approximately 100 students on each floor, so everyone must have received a similar bill. The amount will come out of the damage deposit we were charged on move-in day, but to me, it's just absurd. </p>
<p>State schools don't have half the funds private schools do, so I would've understood had I received a bill for S1. But for the amount I pay for S2's room and board, you'd think everything would be covered. I really want to just give the school a piece of my mind. Probably won't do any good, but still.... </p>
<p>I’ve read about residence halls wherein when damage occurs, everyone on the floor is assessed a fine. I’d be royally annoyed as you are if my kid did no damage, but if the guilty party doesn’t fess up, the rest of the bunch is probably out of luck.</p>
<p>Why is it “a bit much”? This seems like a lesson in shared accountability to me, and presumably there would be no bill if a bunch of idiot freshman hadn’t destroyed a bulletin board and a couple of electrical outlets. </p>
<p>I had an extra charge on son’s public school dorm second quarterly payment. Found out it was from when son lost his key and needed a replacement. Of course the charge for lost keys was warned about in the dorm fees information but of course son never told us he had lost his. </p>
<p>$1.39? Just have your son pay the bill. Replacing the bulletin board is more costly than what is being charges in total. I don’t see this as an issue at all. If they were asking you to pay $100 each, that might raise my eyebrows.,…but $1.39?</p>
<p>When the residents of my dorm moved in and before we moved out, we were told that we were responsible for the common areas. If it got damaged and no one fessed up, we would all be held accountable. It was understood by all of us. Things get damaged, someone needs to pay for it and that someone is the students who are living there. </p>
<p>I agree that a buck 39 is no big deal, yet it is still amusing how we stipulate things for young people that we adults would never agree to for ourselves. Most tenants wouldn’t stand for being charged a ‘group fine’ for damage to a common area. But it may come all out in the wash since a landlord might simply raise all rents a few notches to cover the damage.</p>
<p>Lake, if you’ve ever lived in a condo then you absolutely have experienced this (although you may not know it). There are routine “assessments” that the owners pay without ever questioning why. Go to a meeting of the finance committee of the condo association and you’ll find out why- something gets damaged in the common area, someone backs into the recycling bins and destroys the little plywood garage they’re housed in, or my favorite- some idiot drives a car past the police tape while cement is drying in parking lot. Result- $50 assessment to every tenant because the guilty party wouldn’t fess up and pay the $2500 it cost to repave the area.</p>
<p>Happens all the time. Grownups don’t protest it because they realize that when you live in a communal setting, if nobody will take responsibility for damaging communal property, everyone is on the hook to pay for it. Don’t like it- move out.</p>
<p>“I would not complain about a bill for less than two dollars.”</p>
<p>I’d be thrilled if I got a bill that small. </p>
<p>Freshman yr a TV was stolen from a lounge in S’s dorm and I think the charge was $50. This is at a private college which charges around $60K/yr. </p>
<p>My D’s freshman year, a lounge was trashed on her floor (by “outsiders” according to D) and each resident was assessed about $20. I think this is pretty common. My S ended up paying 2 lost key charges (out of his pocket) his freshman year. Just the cost of communal living. </p>
<p>I was surprised to learn the $200 ‘housing deposit’ I had to put down was not going toward the cost of the housing, but was a security deposit. Upon moving in, I will teach my daughter the first lesson of renting - take pictures of the condition on move in day and make sure it looks like that on move out day.</p>
<p>Had something similar with my S. In his case a large part of the charge was taken off as all of the damage in the room was clearly listed in as already existing on their move-in form. But there was also a small common charge remaining for some damage which was apparently not even on his floor. And to make it more annoying, the chage came about 2 months after his graduation. I called the school and expressed my annoyance – I told them that if I had to pay these petty charges for damage he didn’t cause that I’d no longer donate to the college’s parents fund. So congratulations to the school — I paid about $20 in damages and no longer send in my $200/year donation to the parents’ fund. </p>
<p>$10 fine for each resident making extra bathroom work for housekeeping. Learn to flush, ladies, and don’t expect anyone else, even housekeeping, to clean up your vomit with a smile and no consequences for you! </p>
<p>Out state flagship has relatively low costs compared to privates. But they are increasingly ramping up “fees” portion of the bill (instead of tuition, where is would be more obvious). </p>
<p>The RAs do a walk through of their residents dorms before they move in, once they move in, and when they move out. Best way to keep yourself from getting wrongly charged. Put every nick, chip, and scratch you find in your room on that paper. Don’t overlook this when moving in. </p>