It is necessary to pay for housing and communal services (HCS) no later than the 25th of each month. If this obligation is ignored, one can end up on the list of debtors and, as a result, lose not only gas, electricity, and water supply, but also their own living space.

On the pages of our local newspaper, we have raised this issue together with the management of the GP "Zhilkomservis Dva" not for the first time. The legislation of Belarus allows for the suspension of HCS provision in the presence of debt for two or more periods. This procedure begins with the fact that a citizen is handed a written warning or a registered letter under signature. From the moment of its receipt, the debtor has 5 calendar days to pay off the debt. Often, malicious non-payers refuse to collect the specified correspondence, hoping to avoid the consequences. However, this does not stop the process: if the tenant evades receiving a written warning or the registered letter is returned with the note "Addressee absent", the employees of the communal service draw up a corresponding act. If payment is not received within 5 working days, the enterprise has the full right to disconnect services.

"Our employees regularly send notifications to non-payers or hand them over personally, warning them about the possible disconnection of communal services. We fulfill our obligations in full: the apartments of Zhlobin residents are heated, they have electricity, and the water supply and sewage systems work properly. But some citizens believe that they can use these benefits for free. And here we are not talking about ordinary forgetfulness. Therefore, we have decided to act tough, including with respect to those debtors whose apartments have children living in them," said Igor Alekseenko, director of GP "Zhilkomservis Dva", in an interview with our newspaper.

As part of the work with those who do not pay for HCS, representatives of GP "Zhilkomservis Dva", the District Department of Internal Affairs, and the Settlement and Reference Center (SRC) of Zhlobin have been conducting extended raids on the addresses of debtors since October. So, during two trips, monitoring groups of six districts (ZhEU No. 1-6) visited dozens of addresses. As a result, water supply was disconnected in 12 of them, and electricity was disconnected in 92. Another 32 owners and tenants were given official warnings and conducted explanatory conversations about the measures that can be taken in case of non-payment. The residents of 26 apartments decided to resolve the issue immediately and paid off the debt on the spot in the presence of commission members.

These questions arise: “Who should pay the debts of non‑payers? Why do debtors enjoy the benefits of civilization and not pay for the services rendered? How can a company, at its own expense, settle with service providers in a timely manner? Why do people start thinking about debt repayment only after they are left without water or electricity?”

Today no one can work for free, and any resources must be paid for. If a person truly has difficult life circumstances, the problem can be solved. For example, the principal debt can be paid off, and the penalty, which sometimes exceeds the debt itself, can be written off by decision of the district executive committee. We have large families where one of the working parents essentially does not work. Such families think they can “hide” behind minor children. At the same time, the amount of child benefits can sometimes be comparable to the wages of our workers, yet money is not allocated for payment of utilities. Therefore, extreme measures must be taken. An administrative commission is now operating, representatives of the enforcement department and raid groups of the RSC are involved, – noted Igor Anatolyevich.

Head of the RSC in the city of Zhlobin, Elena Novikova, presented statistics:

As of October 1 of this year, the total debt of Zhlobin residents for more than six months amounted to about 500,000 rubles. We conduct preventive work: RSC specialists send SMS notifications and call debtors. If that does not help, we apply one of the most effective measures – execution of notarial writs. The documents are sent to enforcement authorities to deduct debts from wages, pensions, and other citizens’ incomes.

The management of GP “Zhilkomservice 2” and the RSC of Zhlobin earnestly urge city and village residents: pay the fee on time. Remember: when services are not paid, both the principal debt and the penalty increase, the penalty being 0.3 % of the unpaid payment amount for each day of delay. Ignoring notices leads to court proceedings, and landlords risk eviction.

Infographic by Svetlana Fisyuk.

Anna Shmigirová.

Photo from the ND archive.

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