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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think this is a bit cheeky and they should let us off the charge?

50 replies

freddiefrog · 08/07/2013 10:48

Our school hires out their hall to the community for events, we've hired it for our daughter's birthday party in a couple of weeks time.

They charge an hourly rate to hire, then an additional hourly rate for 'care taker's time for locking up - so if you hire it for 3 hours you pay 3 x the hourly rate, plus 3 x the care takers rate, which more than doubles the basic hall charge

If you're a regular hirer, you can have your own set of keys, and not pay the care taker's rate

There are several key holders who all take it in turns if the care taker isn't available to lock/unlock. My DH is one of the key holders.

So, last week I drop off the hire forms and the cash which covered the hire charge and I rounded up as an extra donation. Thinking that as DH had a key and will be locking up behind us, we'd be treated as the other regular key holding hall hirers

But no, I get an additional invoice today for the 3 x hourly care takers rate, ignoring the £8 extra I rounded up on the hire charge

Trivial I know, but I'm annoyed - the amount of times DH has gone out to lock/unlock (we live closest to school so seem to be the first port of call), I would have thought they'd let us off the care-takers charge

OP posts:
StealthPolarBear · 08/07/2013 15:02

So it costs more per hour for the caretaker than the hall? Does he also do balloon animals and pass the parcel?

BackforGood · 08/07/2013 15:11

They need to rephrase the booking agreement tbh.
£10.50 is actually extremely cheap to hire a hall for an hour, but as you say, there is no way they can surely justify an hourly rate for a caretaker who is going to come out and lock the door at the end only even if he was.
I don't understand why they don't Have a fixed fee to book the hall (including say the first 2 hours) and then an hourly rate on top of that. The fixed fee would include the caretaker's fee.
However this would only all be relevant if the caretaker were actually coming out to lock it. In your cse, I would not only be refusing to pay the caretaker's fee, but putting in an invoice for all the times your dh has gone out to do it ~ let them see how unrealistic they are being.

AuntieStella · 08/07/2013 15:24

It seems silly to say that some key holders do not have to pay the caretakers charge but some do.

If they are really going to hold you to the letter of the rules, then knock off the overpayment when you (graciously even if you have to force yourself and have a stupid drink afterwards).

Then make sure every single key holder is unavailable (and include DH on the basis they've made you pay) and see if they have to call in the actual caretaker.

Once they come to their senses, perhaps you can ask them to re-value the benefit they get from the volunteer key holders and consider a change in the rules that does not discriminate between them on the basis of levels of usage.

AuntieStella · 08/07/2013 15:25

"stupid drink" sounds fun but Confused - I meant 'stiff drink'

MissStrawberry · 08/07/2013 15:55

Definitely point out to them how unreasonable they are being. Make them justify each and every decision. They clearly don't know how stupid they are being so do everyone in the future a favour by educating them.

Original poster
freddiefrog · 08/07/2013 17:06

So, DH has been in and had words. To no effect.

They are holding us to the charge. Apparently, only regular hirers of the hall don't need to pay the caretakers charge. We are a one-off hirer therefore liable to the charge. Rules apply to all one-off hirers, and helping out as a key holder doesn't get us "special treatment"

DH is no longer a key-holder and I've managed to rearrange the party for Friday after school and bagged another hall for £20 all in.

£40 back in my pocket

OP posts:
SauvignonBlanche · 08/07/2013 17:16

So the school have lost £40 and a key holder through their policy? Tat very short-sighted of them.

Picturesinthefirelight · 08/07/2013 17:17

Good on you (and dh). They won't get very far with that attitude towards their volunteers will they?

SillyTilly123 · 08/07/2013 17:27

I would have liked to of (is have and of the right way round there?-brain fart) seen what would of happened if you went ahead with the party but your dp not being a key holder? Would they have had to call the caretaker in? Or another key holder (who would of course refused due to being busy Wink)

laeiou · 08/07/2013 17:40

Freddie- who have you and DH been dealing with at the school, it sounds like a real idiot. Will you be letting the HT or other senior people in the school know what's happened? I.e. that you would be charged £45 for the convenience of your DH locking up the hall?

Good to hear that you've found a cheaper solution.

Original poster
freddiefrog · 08/07/2013 18:07

It was the HT. I spoke to the person who deals with the hall hire, DH went in and asked for the HT.

But all sorted now, and while originally we wanted it on the Saturday, it's worked out quite well, the Friday is her actual birthday, and having it after school gets it over and done with leaving all weekend free. Just got to re-write all the invites now

OP posts:
Scruffey · 08/07/2013 18:39

Shock at the HT. Wonder what other crappy decisions he/she makes!!!

BackforGood · 08/07/2013 18:47

Sooooooooooo short sighted of them!

MissStrawberry · 08/07/2013 20:00

Good result!

QueenStromba · 08/07/2013 20:28

That is ridiculous. They've been making money off your DH volunteering all year and they can't even waive the caretaker fee when he'd have been the one locking up anyway. I think most people would have waived the hire fee altogether given the circumstances. I hope word gets around the keyholders and the HT finds himself having to shlep into school at the weekends to lock up.

QueenStromba · 08/07/2013 20:37

Strange. I asked DP what he thought and he agreed that you should pay the "caretaker's fee". It actually caused a bit of a row.

Original poster
freddiefrog · 08/07/2013 21:12

I think what's pissed me off, is that DH is considered a key holder when they call him out on a Saturday afternoon to lock up and it suits them, but he's not a key holder when it benefits us

Either he is a key holder, or he isn't

We are expected to pay £45 for a service, that DH is providing for them, for free.

If another key holder had to come out to lock up after us, then fine. Or even if it was the caretakers weekend on and he'd be losing out on overtime

DH is a school governor and helps a lot at school, I'm not expecting special treatment because he helps out, just to be treated as a key holder

And as the hall would already be open when we got there, it'd just be someone coming 10 minutes before the end to lock up, a 3 hour charge seems way OTT

OP posts:
MissStrawberry · 08/07/2013 21:21

On what grounds, MrQueenStromba.

FannyFifer · 08/07/2013 21:29

Make sure you tell all the other volunteer key holders as well.
Maybe they would like to hand their keys in also.

That is clearly a ridiculous stance from the school.

QueenStromba · 09/07/2013 10:28

Something about it being the rule that regular bookers don't have to pay the caretaker charge, rather than keyholders not having to pay it. He's a bit ocd about rules though - maybe the HT is too.

Original poster
freddiefrog · 09/07/2013 10:48

They way it's worded in the booking forms is a bit vague

It's something about regular hirers can become key holders and not have to pay the care takers charge

As DH was already a key holder then as far as I could see, we shouldn't have to pay the charge

It doesn't make it clear that only regular hirers who have keys are considered key holders in the context of not paying the additional charge

OP posts:
ZenGardener · 09/07/2013 15:00

Well they have lost the booking and a key holder now so they have shot themselves in the foot. Hope you enjoy the party at the other hall.

comingintomyown · 09/07/2013 18:28

YANBU what idiots and I expect its left a bit of a sour taste about all the help hes given

hermioneweasley · 09/07/2013 18:32

I would be RAGING! Just to confirm, has your DH 'resigned' as a key holder now? So they've lost his services?

Mehrida · 09/07/2013 19:23

That's ridiculous. I wonder how much other money they've made off the back of folks like your DH doing their dirty work for free.

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