Upon the end of my lease at the place I was last living, part of my contract was that upon leaving I pay to have the room professionally cleaned. I did this, through the company the landlord (well, a property management group I was paying rent to) recommended. I paid these people in cash as it seemed like a very small informal business. Stupidly I didn’t ask for a receipt.

Anyway, now, more than FIVE MONTHS on, I just received an email invoice saying that I owe them the money. I KNOW I paid the day the people came to clean my room, but I can’t prove this.

Given that they can’t prove I didn’t pay any more than I can prove that I did, what will happen if they decide to take this matter to a small claims court or something? They did send me the invoice shortly after the cleaning took place as I needed to forward a copy of this to the property management group as evidence I’d had the room cleaned. I didn’t open the attachment though so I didn’t see that it said I had an outstanding balance…because, I THOUGHT I’d paid and this was just a record of the transaction.

The cost was only $ 60, but I’m not double paying on the principle of the matter. The company seemed pretty dodgy so no doubt they’ve done this to other people, or the staff have taken money off other customers and not notified the company, meaning they company believes they haven’t been paid.

What should I do? I’ve looked up bank statements to try and prove, even though it wouldn’t be conclusive evidence, that I withdrew $ 60 shortly before the cleaning took place but I couldn’t find anything so I must’ve just had that much cash on me already…evidentially speaking, whilst I have no evidence that I paid, I can prove that I have plenty of money in the bank (indicating I wouldn’t try and rip off these people), I have no other debts and no credit cards even (indicating I don’t want to be indebted to anyone, although I am only 18) as well as plenty of people that would back up my good character….

It would all be hearsay I would think, but someone I spoke to about it said that in a small claims court, I’d most likely be ordered to pay.