Paying for Leaf Removal in Winter? Riga Residents Surprised by New Utility Bills 0 8

"Since there has been a lot of talk recently about the bills received in February and their items, I decided to share mine, which also includes an unrealized snow removal! But that’s not the point. As it turns out, Rīgas namu pārvaldnieks (RNP) managed to find leaves in January and remove them..." - wrote a man on TV3.

It is not entirely clear where the management company found autumn leaves when a thick layer of snow still covered the ground at that time. On the social network Threads, people also shared similar, shocking messages.

"It’s not quite clear where the management company found autumn leaves when a thick layer of snow still covered the ground at that time… WTF? A bill from Rīgas namu pārvaldnieks — leaf removal in winter? How, where? Seriously? I submitted a signed complaint and a request for an explanation," wrote one of the users on the Threads platform.

Another added: "They also removed leaves from us in December. And it’s not RNP! Another thing that amazes me about the management bills is that the calculation of common items is not based on the number of apartments, but on square meters."

"Where were these mystical leaves at all? Even if they were in bags — why are they being removed in winter and not in season?" - exclaimed a third.

Surveyed Riga residents noted that such an item in the utility bill would definitely surprise them. They find it illogical, and charging for leaf removal out of season seems even suspicious.

The management company explained the strange item in the bill by stating that they simply did not manage to remove all the leaves in the fall due to the weather. At that time, no charge was made for removal. Now, when the snow has melted and no longer covers the bags with leaves, they can be removed, which is reflected in the bill. However, the leaves were not removed immediately so that they could dry out, as the weight of the removed waste also affects the amount charged.

About 240 Riga houses saw an unusual item in the bill for winter; their leaves have already been removed. Now only about 2% of houses remain where leaves have not yet been removed. As for the amount, it depends on the area adjacent to the house. The more land, the higher the bill.