Lockdown: Jabi Lake Mall, tenants lock horns over service charge, other bills

One of the fallouts of the lockdown imposed on the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, is playing out at one of the prime property in the city, the Jabi Lake Mall, where tenants and the property managers are embroiled in a face-off over whether service charge and other bills should be paid during the government-imposed lockdown.
It all started when the managers sent in a notice asking the tenants, mainly shops and other business outlets, to pay up their service charge and other bills
The notice dated the first day of April and titled: NOTICE OF LATE PAYMENT AND 2% INTEREST IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LEASE reads: “Please be informed once again that notwithstanding all previous notices with respect to Rental payment, it has become necessary due to ongoing late payments to re-iterate the terms as agreed in the lease agreement.
“Whereas all tenants are required to pay in advance i.e. Rent & Service Charge on the 1st day of the month.
“The Utilities bills will continue to be paid upon demand in arrears by the Landlord.
“Please be advised as above from here and forthwith that all late payments will be charged interest of 2% on all bills/invoices outstanding upon failure to remedy the breach within a period of 7days.
“This will be strictly enforced going forward and we look forward to cooperation.”
A second notice which drew the ire of the tenants came five weeks later. Dated the eighth of May, the second notice titled, SERVICE CHARGE AND UTILITIES PAYMENT reads: “Please be informed once again that notwithstanding all previous notices with respect to Service Charge and Utilities payment.
“It has become necessary for the Landlord to be able to meet its commitment on the operational and day-day to running of the mall to ask that all tenants pay their outstanding Service Charge and Utilities consumed.
“We anticipate and hope for your full and unwavering co-operation in this regard.
“Thank you for your support as always.”
While it appears that arrears before the lockdown might also be involved, some of the concerned tenants want the Nigerian company with South African roots called to order over bills for the period of the lockdown. According to the tenants, no Kobo has been earned during the lockdown period.
They are asking that the months of April and May be overlooked, and the 2% penalty for the period be jettisoned.
Said one of the tenant, who prefers anonymity for now: “The property manager should be called to order as it has continued to threaten and pressure tenants over outstanding service charge despite the announced lockdown by the federal government occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This calamity called COVID-19 which has befallen the entire human race has attracted sympathy across board such that international bodies and governments grant debt relief, palliatives and other assistance to salvage life.
“Rather than align with this general humaneness occasioned by this time we live in, the company is chosing to complicate matters with these notices.
“The Federal Capital Territory Administration and the Federal Government should step in, by way of force majeure, and call the Property Services company to order for now until this lockdown is fully lifted and business activities resume fully”.