An expert on housing and communal services spoke about the consequences for non-payment of communal services

Dmitry Bondar, a public figure and housing and communal services expert, told how large utility bills could threaten.

In conversation with aif.ru On Tuesday, May 13, the specialist noted that bank accounts could be seized for this, as well as amounts of income could be withheld and debts could be forcibly collected by court order.

Bondar recalled that penalties are accrued from the 31st day of delay - 1/300 of the Central Bank's key rate for each day. He stressed that the amounts are insignificant at first, but they are growing rapidly and can significantly increase the total debt.

"However, it is important to remember that Article 319 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation sets the repayment priority: first the principal debt, then penalties. Management companies sometimes violate this rule, especially if the payment arrives without specifying a specific month. In this case, the money can be written off as a penalty, but the main debt will remain," Bondar warned.

According to him, in this case, the debtor has the right to recalculate. To do this, you need to file an application with the Criminal Code, and if you refuse, go to court.

Penalties can also be reduced through the court, but it is better not to bring the situation to court and negotiate an installment plan with the Criminal Code.

The expert recalled that utilities cannot be turned off for debts for the maintenance of common property (for example, an elevator, cleaning, repairs). Restrictions are allowed only for specific services — gas, water, electricity.

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On May 12, expert Tatiana Vepretskaya spoke with Pravda.Ru said that the debtor is notified of the debt, and then legal proceedings are initiated. Court procedures are expensive, as not only the debts themselves are collected, but also penalties, penalties, and all court costs. If there is a writ of execution with debts for housing and communal services, traveling abroad will become problematic until the debt is repaid.

On May 1, Dmitry Bondar told RT about the new procedure for paying for utilities. According to him, now the management company will bill each owner individually, depending on his share in the apartment. That is, if a person owns 30% of the housing, he will pay 30% of all utility costs related to communal property and maintenance. This removes the need for internal arrangements between tenants, but deprives them of flexibility in calculations. Thus, debts are "fixed" for a specific owner.

In April, the expert spoke about ways to save money when paying for housing and communal services. According to him, veterans, the disabled, and large families can receive housing benefits, the amount of which depends on the region.

In March, Bondar said that declaring bankruptcy would allow him to completely write off the debt for housing and communal services. The process itself takes time and has legal consequences, including a temporary restriction on new large financial transactions. 360.ru .

Also in March, the site's survey kp.ru He showed that 84% of Russians surveyed regularly pay utility bills every month, and 15% do not pay their receipts properly.