What were the terms of your agreement under which you took the shop? Or, under the relevant rules to which your shop is subject? Is there any provision or commitment of paying maintenance charges? Is there any provision for paying interest on the maintenance charges that have not been paid? Is the payment of such maintenance subject to the actual cleaning to be done by the concerned authority? It depends on these issues.
If there is a legal requirement for payment of maintenance charges, you should have paid that. If the authority concerned had failed to maintain the premises as per requirements, you are required to take action against them as permissible under the applicable terms of agreement, rules, etc. or for not giving you proper services.
Interest of Rs. 550 on the maintenance charges of Rs. 500 appears to be quite exorbitant.
In the absence of full details being available, it may not be possible to guide you properly. You have not mentioned even who is the authority concerned. What is “Sty”? Is it “station”?
Depending upon the authority concerned, you may have to take up the matter either in consumer court (if the authority comes under that Act) or in a civil court or in the forum under Societies Act (if it is under that Act). You can also take it up with the higher or appellate authority concerned showing lack of services provided.
Dr. Ashok Dhamija is a New Delhi based Supreme Court Advocate and author of law books. Read more about him by clicking here. List of his Forum Replies. List of his other articles. List of his Quora Answers. List of his YouTube Videos.
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