Imagine going to the library to borrow a book but forgetting to return it on time. Most libraries would require you to pay a late fee for returning the book late.

What would you do if the library failed to notify you that you owed a late fee until years later? Would you pay the fee, or would you refuse since so much time had passed?

In this story, one person is in this situation and decides to comply, but if he has to pay the fee, he’s not going to make it easy on the library.

Let’s read the whole story.

Paying library late fee pennies at a time

Many years ago when I was a student I borrowed some books from the city library. In my country it’s free to borrow books but if you return them late you get a small fee (1-2$)

Typically you pay the fee next time you want to borrow a book because you leave the books on the counter and the librarian checks them when they have time.

Now days it’s automated with self scanning and so forth.

One day I receive a invoice by mail that I have a late fee for 1,5 $ and they added 5$ for administrative fee for the invoice.

I call the library as I haven’t set foot in there for over a year. And the accountant confirms and says it’s a late fee for a book I returned late 1 and half year ago.

But what’s the fee for?

I can’t argue as I normally don’t even remember what I had for dinner last night so I ask about the 5$ administrative fee.

According the Swedish law a claim for payment can be made up to 3 years after and they can ad a small administrative fee for the invoice.

I tell them that they had all of my info, phone, email etc. If they hade notified me that I had an outstanding balance I would have came to the library and payed the fee.

But the law is the law and they are in the right.

There’s no rule saying you have to pay it all at once.

So que malicious compliance. I log in to my bank account and start dividing the invoice in small irregular payments. 0,23$, 1,02$, 0,76$ and so on with a day between the payments.

I also deliberately pay 0,06$ more than the invoice.

I wait for all the payments to go through and then I call them back. Talk to the accountant that can’t find my payment.

I notified her that I did pay the invoice but may have divided it.

The librarian was not happy.

The phone goes silent and then she says with anger in her voice ” Was that you? Do you know how much work you caused us?”.

I replied that as they took out a administrative fee that I would get my money’s worth of work for it. Then I end with that I may have paid more than the invoice and would like my 0,06$ back.

After numerous correspondence with their legal person they concluded that it would cost them to much to repay 0,06$ so they couldn’t legally be forced to pay.

I thank her and end with that I have got my money’s worth of work for the 5,06$.

Haven’t set my foot in the library since, and it’s been 21 years.

If sounds like his action had the exact effect he was hoping it would have.

Let’s see how Reddit reacted to this story.

It’s a good thing the book wasn’t checked out.

A former library employee shares their experience.

Online renewal is so nice.

This person shares the librarian’s perspective.

It’s not the fee that’s the problem, it’s the delay in notification.

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