WWYD-Dorm Damage Charges

[ols386]

We didn't realize what a bargain the dorm and meal plan were until our son moved off campus. My son't college required you to live on campus your first 2 years, so they were very price sensitive. Food was what busted the budget. But DS was using Alton Brown recipes off the internet. Literally his food budget per month was more than we were spending at home to feed DW, me and DD.

Yes, but he was a growing boy, right? Lol

 

[Westcoastwild]

It would hardly be a blip on my radar.

A dorm full of people. Those sound like minor infractions.

Just walked in the door from orientation with ds#3 at his school 5 hours away. For the experience, we were able to stay in his dorm building . 6 floors with 2 people per room and 50 plus students per floor. There's no way to monitor 'adult children' and the 'damages' in the op sound very typical of a busy college dormitory.

There are always 'hidden' fees for activities, capital improvements, etc. tacked on to the front end of the bill anyway, why not the back end, too.

Ds#2 attends the same college and had a $3 charge at the end of his first year for a broken test tube in biology. He said it was in his equipment drawer in the classroom and rolled around and broke. I was a little surprised-figured they'd buy them in bulk and that it was already part of the course fee, but I guess it's got to be paid for somehow.

I think it's just that they caught your son at violating some kind of lab rule. It shouldn't have been rolling around. My lab techs would charge people for stuff broke due to negligence but not accident. Meaning, if he'd dropped in in class, no fine.

The fees enforce that students takes of lab equipment. The test tube is cheap. But then look at how much microscopes and anatomy models cost. Thousands and thousands of dollars.

 

[Southernmiss]

Eh, perhaps.

Doesn't really matter at this stage of the game-freshman mistake. It's been over a year and he's taken other science labs with no issues with more science classes to come-early entry pharmacy program- so more expensive from the get go than other programs.

Mistakes/accidents happen.

I think it's just that they caught your son at violating some kind of lab rule. It shouldn't have been rolling around. My lab techs would charge people for stuff broke due to negligence but not accident. Meaning, if he'd dropped in in class, no fine.

The fees enforce that students takes of lab equipment. The test tube is cheap. But then look at how much microscopes and anatomy models cost. Thousands and thousands of dollars.

 

[LisaR]

When my son moved off campus, our housing cost was cut in half, including utilities and cable.

In my daughter's case, I didn't find it to be that significant of a difference. To be fair, her campus didn't require a meal plan as long as you lived in a dorm with a kitchen so we never had a meal plan. Don't quote me on these numbers, but I think a contract for the dorms was something like $6700 for the school year (nine months). Her apartment was $400 a month and her utilities and internet were around $100. So $500 a month but it was times twelve months because you had to sign a 1 year contract. $6000 a year versus $6700 without food in either scenario.

 

[DaisyJ]

In my daughter's case, I didn't find it to be that significant of a difference. To be fair, her campus didn't require a meal plan as long as you lived in a dorm with a kitchen so we never had a meal plan. Don't quote me on these numbers, but I think a contract for the dorms was something like $6700 for the school year (nine months). Her apartment was $400 a month and her utilities and internet were around $100. So $500 a month but it was times twelve months because you had to sign a 1 year contract. $6000 a year versus $6700 without food in either scenario.

Our son's dorm with meal plan was twice the cost of your daughter's and off campus is around $6700-$6800 a year. So yeah, we weren't opposed to him moving after his first year in the dorm. LOL

 

[Westcoastwild]

In my daughter's case, I didn't find it to be that significant of a difference. To be fair, her campus didn't require a meal plan as long as you lived in a dorm with a kitchen so we never had a meal plan. Don't quote me on these numbers, but I think a contract for the dorms was something like $6700 for the school year (nine months). Her apartment was $400 a month and her utilities and internet were around $100. So $500 a month but it was times twelve months because you had to sign a 1 year contract. $6000 a year versus $6700 without food in either scenario.

That's pretty cheap though. I didn't go to school in a high col area but even so, very difficult to find anything for less than 500 a month. Utilities were 100-150, but that doesn't count internet. I'd say 8500 a year before food. And that's only "cheaper" than the "ritzy" dorms. They had just started requiring freshmen to live on campus so they were trying to force upperclassmen into the new dorms, which were apartment style. I could move off campus and skip a meal plan entirely or I could fork over another 2,000 for the "privilege" of having a fridge.

The main difference was not to have to live like a sardine and be able to keep wine in my fridge. I really didn't save money off campus, because utilities really added up.

 

[Julie's Haircut]

I always figured damage charges were just one of the normal costs of living in a dorm. I remember having to pay something like $50 at the end of every year. It wasn't worth the effort to fight it.

At my college it was much cheaper to live in the dorms than off-campus. This was back in the late 1970's/early 80's.

 

[sk!mom]

My DD's move out of the dorm was problem/cost free. This summer, she's changing apartments and I've already warned DH that we will almost certainly be charged.

I would happily and without argument pay the $16. I would imagine that the housing contract includes a clause about fees for damages or if things aren't clean.

 

[sk!mom]

OP here. The point isn't the amount of the charge, its just that every single person on the floor (I would guess about 40 students) are being charged a fine for these issues. While its not the college's job to patrol the hallways, each floor has an RA, who I assume is the one reporting most of these issues. The RA didn't notice one student with blue hair? Or the 2 33 gallon bags of trash didn't have ONE piece of identifying information?

the charge was $16.72, which obviously is not a big deal.

Time is money and You've wasted more than $16 on this thread. As have we all.

 

[SMD]

OP here. The point isn't the amount of the charge, its just that every single person on the floor (I would guess about 40 students) are being charged a fine for these issues. While its not the college's job to patrol the hallways, each floor has an RA, who I assume is the one reporting most of these issues. The RA didn't notice one student with blue hair? Or the 2 33 gallon bags of trash didn't have ONE piece of identifying information?

the charge was $16.72, which obviously is not a big deal.

Your daughter could have had those charges reassigned to the people responsible by reporting the student with blue hair and going through the trash herself for identifying information. She didn't, so she has to pay her portion.

 

[mjkacmom]

Our son's dorm with meal plan was twice the cost of your daughter's and off campus is around $6700-$6800 a year. So yeah, we weren't opposed to him moving after his first year in the dorm. LOL

Same here, room and board $14,000, dd20 pays $500 a month for her apartment (has 4 roommates).

 

[happily single]

If it was me my child would be paying that bill ASAP.

Even if they were not even in the State when some of the damages occurred?

 

[happily single]

Your daughter could have had those charges reassigned to the people responsible by reporting the student with blue hair and going through the trash herself for identifying information. She didn't, so she has to pay her portion.

The blue hair and trash both occured in early April. the first notice we received was this week.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Even if they were not even in the State when some of the damages occurred?

But didn't you say the following (bolding the part relevant to the comment):

"The email goes on to state that they only way an appeal will be heard is if the student (daughter) was not present, if she reported the damage or if she tells on the person who did the damage."

So then if your daughter wasn't in state at the time then there are two options- pay the amount or contest the total amount owed because she was out of state at the time some of the damages occurred.

For some people the amount owed just isn't worth the hassle of fighting it but by all means if your daughter (because really if she signed the housing contract the ball is in her court) wants to contest the charges she is more than welcome to if she was A) was not present B) she reported the damage C) she tells on the person who did the damage. Now sure there is a fourth option of D) contest because the charges seem ridiculous and she doesn't believe she should have to pay for what she is being charged with but there isn't a guarantee the college will even listen to her since it doesn't fall into their reasons they already listed for an appeal.

 

[cabanafrau]

I think it's just that they caught your son at violating some kind of lab rule. It shouldn't have been rolling around. My lab techs would charge people for stuff broke due to negligence but not accident. Meaning, if he'd dropped in in class, no fine.

The fees enforce that students takes of lab equipment. The test tube is cheap. But then look at how much microscopes and anatomy models cost. Thousands and thousands of dollars.

I'm surprised there's forgiveness for dropping in class. There wasn't when my daughter was in her chemistry labs -- and believe me some of those tubes are far from cheap depending on what type they are.

 

[SharonZ]

For $16,72, I would have already sent the check.

 

[Sabeking]

The blue hair and trash both occured in early April. the first notice we received was this week.

I am confused about the timing. You stated that you all received the invoice while she is at home for the summer. Are you saying you know she did none of the damages because she was not physically there when the incidents took place or that she was there at the time and you know she would never do those things?

 

[Snap Crackle Pop]

Just pay it and move on, if this is your biggest gripe right now you are very lucky.

 

[hereyago]

Make it rain pennies! lol.

 

[SMD]

The blue hair and trash both occured in early April. the first notice we received was this week.

My residence hall posted charges weekly in the lobby. This may be the first you heard of it, but don't be so sure your daughter wasn't or shouldn't have been aware. When someone damaged the drinking fountain and it had to be replaced plus the hallway re-carpeted at $135 per person you better bet I gave up her name. When I had to pay $3.70 for my portion of after hours vomit clean up in the bathroom, I knew who did it, but I just left it on my tab. If my mother were to contact anyone in residence life about the RA's job or the hours the janitor is to work I'd be mortified. I'm also sure they'd ignore her and speak to me directly about it, as I was the residence and an adult the 2 years I lived in halls.