In a rare move, a premium Gurgaon society has decided to publicly tackle the problem of unpaid maintenance fees. Uppal Southend has installed a large billboard at the society’s entrance, naming residents who have not cleared their dues.
The notice warns that those on the list could lose access to non-essential services like maid service, car washing, and food deliveries from platforms such as Zomato and Swiggy. The step is part of the Residents’ Welfare Association’s (RWA) attempt to ensure timely payments and maintain the hassle-free functioning of the township.
Gurgaon society uses Billboard to push residents to pay maintenance dues
At the main gate of Uppal Southend, a bright yellow board with large black letters lists the names of residents who have defaulted on maintenance charges. Some unpaid bills go back as far as 2009.
The board doesn’t just show names, it also explains the consequences.
“Please note that effective today, all non-essential services—including maid services, car washing, and delivery services such as Zomato and Swiggy—will be suspended until the dues are fully cleared,” the notice reads. “All residents whose payments are due and whose names are displayed on the notice board are requested to clear their outstanding dues at the earliest.”
Another line warns: “RWA social events are not open to defaulters and PG occupants.”
The unusual activity caught attention outside Gurgaon as well. Mumbai-based founder Gundeep Singh shared a picture of the board on LinkedIn, expressing surprise at the public naming. “I’ve seen legal notices. I’ve seen email reminders. I’ve seen polite WhatsApp nudges. But this? This is the first time I’ve seen a housing society install a full-scale billboard of maintenance defaulters at the entrance gate!” Singh wrote.
He also added that as residents pay their dues, their names are struck out on the board, calling it “public shaming meets real-time reconciliation.”
RWA’s strategy to clear long-standing dues
According to a report from The Indian Express, some residents have not paid their maintenance fees for years. In certain cases, dues have been pending since 2012, and in a few, even since 2009, with amounts exceeding Rs 1 lakh.
The Residents’ Welfare Association (RWA) believes this approach works. “We had put up a similar board in 2023 and managed to collect lakhs in dues,” said RWA president Col Surender Kumar Yadav, according to The Indian Express. “This time too, the dues piled up. No one is opposing. We are explaining to residents to pay up. We have kept the services – delivery and maids – going since some workers tend to multiple residents.”
Long-time resident Anil Rastogi said the dues are essential for the township’s smooth functioning. “Ours is a township dependent on civic bodies for many amenities, hence the dues are needed,” he said. “Some people had not paid for a long time. It was causing difficulty, but now they will slowly begin to understand.”
However, not everyone agrees with the public naming tactic. Speaking to The Indian Express, former RWA president Advocate Rajesh Khatana said it’s too severe.
“During our time, we would send weekly reminders of pending invoices, hold monthly meetings over the dues, and grievance redressal sessions too,” he said. “Now, without properly reminding and informing residents, they are being named publicly.”
At the main gate, security guards hint that the rules may not be strictly followed. “Board can say anything,” one guard said. “But we cannot keep people hungry, right?”