Can I get my full housing fee refunded if I am overcharged?
I live in a rented villa in Dubai,
■ which I will be vacating soon. I have been paying a very high housing fee for the last three years. The authority has agreed to refund the difference for the last six months. However, I find this unacceptable. I have been overcharged a sum of Dh3,200, so am I not entitled to a full refund? Housing fees are levied on all residential units and are collected by Dubai Electricity and Water Authority on behalf of Dubai Municipality. The housing fee is a service fee calculated at 5 per cent of the rental value for non-Emiratis in exchange for services provided by Dubai Municipality.
If the questioner believes that the calculation is wrong, then she or he needs to provide a letter to Dewa, which will then be updated in the municipality’s system and checked. Copies of the rent contract and the title deed must also be provided. Whatever extra is paid will be credited to his/her account if one is overcharged. In case the calculation is right, the person will continue to pay the same amount on a monthly basis.
According to Dewa, it is Dubai Municipality, and not Dewa, who is responsible for this amount to be updated and any extra amount ought to be either adjusted with the monthly Dewa bill or it can even be refunded to the applicant if he or she applies on the Dewa website for a refund through the ‘Request for Refund’ service and chooses the amount to be refunded through:
■ Refund through Western Union, for a fee of Dh18.37 or 1 per cent of the total refund amount (whichever is higher).
■ Refund through IBAN, at no fee.
■ Refund through cheques, for a fee of Dh2.
Salary deduction
Under what circumstances
■ does the UAE Labour Law allow the employer to deduct an employee’s salary?
UAE Federal Law No 8 of 1980, Article No 60 says the following: “No amount of money may be deducted from a worker’s remuneration in respect of private claims, except in the following cases:
■ The recovery of advances or amounts of money paid to the worker in excess of his entitlements, on condition that the amount deducted in that case does not exceed 10 per cent of his periodic remuneration.
■ Contributions that the worker is required by law to make from his remuneration, e.g. towards social security and insurance schemes.
■ The worker’s contributions towards savings fund or repayment of advances repayable.
■ Contributions towards any welfare scheme or in respect of any other privileges or services provided by the employer and approved by the Labour Department.
■ Fines imposed upon the worker for any offence he has committed.
■ Any debt payable in execution of the judgement of a court. Questions answered by lawyer
■ Mohammad Ebrahim Al Shaiba of Al Shaiba Advocates and Legal Consultants.