When dues are late: a courtesy first, then a record

The short answer: send a short courtesy while the balance is still small enough to fix with one payment, then keep every later step on the door's record. Most late dues are a missed envelope, not a fight.

If the balance stays open, the steps get more formal. A ladder that lives in one person's sent mail is not a record the next board can use, and a resident should never be surprised by a formal step nobody can show them first.

Each step names the amount, the door, and the date it was sent. A person approves each one before it goes by text, email, or letter.

• Courtesy: a short note while one payment still fixes it
• On the record: what was sent, when, and by which channel, kept on the door
• Formal: the next step your governing documents provide, stated plainly
• Heard: how the owner replies or asks to be heard, with a date

The door's history shows what was already sent, so the next treasurer does not start guessing and the resident can find the same record.

What your documents and your state allow, including late fees, liens, and timelines, is a question for your governing documents and your own advisors. This page is general information, not legal advice.