Residents Offered Money Back for Participating in Community Service: Controversy Arises in Norwegian Condominiums.

A sure sign of spring are the hedge shears, the rakes and the Norwegian spirit of service.

But in Norwegian housing associations and condominiums, it has become a widespread trend to introduce schemes where the residents get money back if they participate in the service.

This happens in many condominiums, informs the organization Huseierne.

Not everyone appreciates it.

Terje Haugland at Kløfta in Ullensaker has protested against the arrangement they have in his condominium. He fears that we are heading towards a society with less spirit of service.

– The word dedication should somehow say something about the people’s soul, he says to Dagbladet.

Want to have a drink

His condominium has a contribution fee where the neighbors pay NOK 150 a month, i.e. NOK 1,800 a year. The residents get the money back at the end of the year if they take part in the year’s two charity events.

– When this fee arrived, we were told that it was to motivate the residents to volunteer. For me, it actually has the exact opposite effect, says Haugland.

Haugland says that he really likes volunteering and still attends the community’s volunteering events. But he believes it should be voluntary and unpaid.

– Now it is no longer voluntary.

– It makes me want to provoke by taking the financial loss. Instead, I’d rather sit on my porch with a cold drink and watch the others work. I will be defiant, he says.

Provoking: – The image of Norway has been destroyed

– Annoys me

– I jazz myself up a bit when I talk about this, but I know that it irritates me like crazy, he adds.

The board of the condominium in question has been presented with the criticism from Haugland and the legal assessments in this case.

The chairman replies that they have discussed a matter at an annual meeting about removing the fee, but that the majority wanted to continue the scheme.

Confusing poultry baffles Finland

Disagree

Vegard Werner, who lives in another condominium, says that he, for his part, is satisfied with the arrangement where he lives.

In his co-ownership at Jessheim, you pay NOK 100 a month, or NOK 1,200 a year, in “service contributions”. If you take part in the charity, next month you get NOK 600 off the NOK 2,400 you pay in monthly common expenses. The remaining 600 goes to equipment used for the charity.

Werner calls it an ingenious solution.

– That meant that 25-30 people came, for four hours of work with a break for coffee and cakes in between, he says.

– This year many young people came and painted playground equipment. It’s fun to watch. There is hope for the future, he laughs.

Often acceptable

Lawyer Annita Magnussen in Huseierne says that the arrangement of paying for charity expenses is acceptable – as long as the neighbors do not have to pay more than their share.

Homeowners receive many inquiries about service fines. She says there is a lack of basis in the law for imposing fines.

– It is very common to set a fine. We have tried to tell our members that this is not the way to do it, says Magnussen to Dagbladet.

Gets praise: – Of the better ones

Depends on

– If the 1,800 kroner you have paid throughout the year is less than what you should have covered, that is fine. If you have paid more, you are entitled to repayment, says the lawyer.

There is no provision in the law that states that it is prohibited, but also no authority to levy a fine.

– We don’t have that in the owner’s section act or the housing association act, says Magnussen.