Dues Aging Report: How Old Is Your Arrears and What to Do About It

Many committees look at the month-end arrears total, feel uneasy, and then don't know where to start. Does ৳3 lakh in dues mean a hundred members missed one month, or ten members have paid nothing for a year? A dues aging report answers exactly that, and once you know the answer, the way you go about collecting changes.

What a dues aging report shows

"Aging" means how old each due is. The report groups every member's or flat's unpaid amount by how long it has been outstanding:

An ordinary dues list tells you who owes how much. The aging report tells you how old that money is, and old arrears are always the hardest to recover.

Step 1: Open the report and narrow it down

In Society Keeper, the aging report sits with the dues reports. Open it on a fixed day each month, such as the 10th:

1. Look at the overall picture: the total in each of the four groups
2. Open the 90+ group first and see who is in it
3. Export to Excel if you want to take it to the committee meeting

Step 2: A different action for each group

If everyone gets the same stern letter, regular payers feel insulted and long-standing defaulters ignore it. Work group by group instead.

0–30 days: a gentle reminder

Most people in this group have simply forgotten. With the monthly due-reminder SMS switched on, a large share pay without any further push. Nothing extra is needed.

31–60 days: polite but clear

Sample SMS:

"Dear member, two months' service charge is outstanding for your flat. Please clear it within this month. For any questions, contact the association office. — Treasurer"

Give your collector this group's list so those houses come first on the next round.

61–90 days: personal contact

At this stage you need a phone call or a visit. Have a committee member or the secretary speak to them directly. Often the real issue is something else: a dispute over the bill amount, an unresolved complaint, or a temporary money problem. Once you know the reason, the solution is usually easier.

90+ days: a committee decision

Discuss each name in this group at a committee meeting. Whether you offer instalments, send a written notice, or take other steps allowed by your constitution, record the decision in the minutes. If you are considering legal action, check your by-laws first and take advice from a lawyer.

Tip: In Society Keeper, a waiver or discount is not final until a second person approves it. Even if you settle old arrears for less, there is a clear record of who agreed.

Step 3: Compare month on month

A single month's report tells you only so much. Say a welfare association of 200 members has 12 people in the 90+ group this month. If that becomes 15 next month, people from the 61–90 group are slipping further, so your personal calls are not working. If it drops to 9, your approach is paying off.

Bring this short comparison to every meeting:

• The total in each group, next to last month's figure
• Who newly entered the 90+ group
• Who paid up and left an older group

What to avoid

• Posting defaulters' names on the notice board. It damages relationships and may cause disputes if your constitution does not allow it
• Sending everyone the same letter based on the total alone
• Quietly writing off old dues. Document every settlement

Running a savings-and-loan cooperative instead? Our sister product Somity Keeper — cooperative society software handles members, savings, loans and instalments, and small savings groups can start on mobile with Somity Keeper Lite.

The dues aging report in Society Keeper

In Society Keeper, the dues aging report updates itself from monthly bills and payment entries, so nobody has to work it out by hand. Monthly reminder SMS and a daily collection report by collector come with it. For more practical guides, visit the blog.