Sign up to The Irish Times Archive (1859 - 2008)My Account »

Thu 06 Jun 2004Intimidated into paying chargesCity Living: Should buyers be forced to pay service charges in advance, asks Edel Morgan.Extraction by intimidation appears to be the latest way of collecting service charges in new developments. Buyers are being told the sale of their house/apartment won't go through unless they pay their service charge upfront on close of sale. Worse still, some are being forced to pay two years' service charge in advance.