Debt owed by a pledge and Collections

[Benzgirl]

Just like in any business, you are required to pay them for services performed. They would have incurred costs (national, local, university) and they passed them on to you. It's legal.

[Kevin]

You could ask to see a detailed explanation for the charges billed to you. Ask to see the paperwork you signed. I think you do need to at least be sure that what they charged you was the correct amount, that there aren't any charges you could object to, etc.

After that, I think you need to pay whatever it is you truly owe.

You were a neophyte for a semester, you agreed to pay dues during that time, you then didn't hold up your end of the bargain.

I was my chapter's treasurer for a year. I was also the financial adviser for a time. We did use OmegaFi, and they will come after you and they will get results. You will end up paying this one way or another if you truly owe it.

It's just do you want to pay now? Or do you want to pay OmegaFi 30% extra (or whatever their fee which you will owe according to the contract they use as I recall) to collect from you? Your credit will be wrecked as well.

If nothing else, you should pay because it's the honorable thing to do.

[LPIDelta]

Kevin is right. The OP needs to realize that the chapter was probably already billed by the national organization. In the case of my own org, paperwork is turned in within 48 hours of accepting a bid, and the chapter is billed at that time for new member fees. In this case, it sounds like the chapter was already billed for initiation and other new membership fees on your behalf. If you can confirm that they have been billed, then you owe it.

That said, I think you could have an argument for them dropping you after the initiation fee due date, if was recently or while they were determining whether to terminate your pledgeship. If you had dropped, then I would say that you definitely owe the money.

[Tom Earp]

You owe the money for services received! You should have dropped when it became apperent that you could not afford it!

I also fault the Fraternity for letting you go this long without paying them unless you were not truthful with them!

[Kevin]

My organization has a policy where a member is supposed to be automatically booted if they're 90 days late.

In practice, this doesn't always happen, but it's sound policy. Omega Fi allows the treasurer to keep tabs on how everyone is doing. I'd make it a point to let everyone know how they were doing -- when money did not come in, I'd be calling people, calling their parents, calling them just about every day until that stuff got paid.

I never had to go after anyone's badge because I always kept our A/R current.

Being treasurer is something that is a 7 day a week job. It's not like other officer positions where you are only "on" on the days you have activities. The treasurer needs to know at all times what's going on in their organization.

That the OP fell behind an entire semester is 100% the OP's fault. I hope that any chapter treasurer who reads this can at least understand that this is a sort of situation which is preventable. It is never fun having to send someone to collections, but it happens. Most of the time, it can be avoided if the treasurer is proactive.

But really.. .OP... your organization gave you 4 months to pay $755. That's not asking a lot. I'll bet you spent at least that much on beer (or something else which you didn't need). The excuse that "I just don't have the money" is pathetic.

Like I said, the OP needs to do the honorable thing here -- not because he's afraid of having his credit messed up, but because he made a promise. That should mean something.

[housed98]

The treasurer told me that nothing has actually been paid on my behalf yet. He showed me the run down of fees, but nothing has actually been paid. That means I have a pretty real argument.

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by housed98

The treasurer told me that nothing has actually been paid on my behalf yet. He showed me the run down of fees, but nothing has actually been paid. That means I have a pretty real argument.

Just because their bills haven't come due yet, doesn't mean that yours shouldn't.

Your only argument is that you didn't really want to be there anyway (but you stayed) and that you didn't pay your dues earlier, so you shouldn't have to pay them now.

They should have collected from you earlier, but that doesn't get you out of your debt.

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by housed98

The treasurer told me that nothing has actually been paid on my behalf yet. He showed me the run down of fees, but nothing has actually been paid. That means I have a pretty real argument.

That doesn't mean your national hasn't charged or won't charge the chapter. New members cost a lot of money -- insurance, fees and such. Further, you signed up and agreed to pay whatever fees the chapter charged. That's your responsibility.

If I had been the chapter treasurer in this situation, you'd already be with collections.