Recovering 8,400 PLN from overpaid utilities for an agency
We checked the annual settlements from the building manager. We detected an error in calculating common costs to the detriment of the tenant.
Pixel Studio is a local advertising agency that leases 142 square meters in an office tenement. The owner noticed that electricity and water bills for common parts were unnaturally high compared to the previous year.
The challenge
The client received an annual settlement from the property manager, which required a surcharge of over 8,000 PLN. The manager explained this with the increase in energy prices and the costs of elevator operation. Pixel Studio had neither the tools nor the time to verify these calculations, and the agency's accountant didn't feel confident in analyzing technical lease agreement provisions. Every month of delay meant paying inflated advances for subsequent periods.
Our approach
Our team, consisting of two specialists, entered the game in March. First, we collected all invoices from the client from the last 13 months and the full text of the lease agreement. We focused on the common area factor, which is the most frequent place for errors. We compared the readings from the building's main meters with the sum of the submeters of all tenants. It turned out that the algorithm used by the manager added costs for basement lighting to the agency, for which Pixel Studio didn't even have keys.
The solution
We prepared a hard report with specific points where the manager exceeded their authority. Instead of emotions, we used pure mathematics. We showed that the agency was paying for 18% of the common energy costs, while their real share of the building's area was only 11.4%. We presented these data at a meeting with the property owner at Ruska Street. We didn't ask for a favor, but for a correction of the erroneous settlement according to the law.
Results
The manager recognized the error in calculations 6 days after receiving our letter. The money was not lost, and the client gained peace of mind for the coming years.
Timeline
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March 12, 2024Submission of documentation and analysis of lease agreement terms.
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March 21, 2024Site visit in the building and checking of energy submeters.
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March 27, 2024Sending of the official report to the property manager.
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April 04, 2024Approval of invoice corrections and refund of overpayment to the agency's account.
"We were convinced we couldn't win against the manager. Wrocław Advisory Hub caught an error in the algorithm that no one at our office saw. 8,000 returned to the company budget in two weeks."