Parking fees are one of the sources of public revenue for residential communities.

"This money is the community's 'pension fund'—we must recover every penny!" Recently, residents of Shanglong New Village in Minhang District reported that Yin Yang Property, the former management company, ended its service and withdrew at the end of July this year. However, the over 170,000 yuan in prepaid public revenue has yet to be returned to the homeowners. The homeowners' committee has launched a "debt recovery" campaign on behalf of the residents. Although local authorities in Meilong Town have intervened and explicitly demanded repayment, the funds remain unpaid.

**Community Operations Rely on Public Revenue** Shanglong New Village, located on Shangzhong West Road, is an old residential complex built in the 1990s, comprising 76 residential buildings with over 1,000 households. Zhai Fengxian, former head of the homeowners' committee, explained that the community, now over 30 years old, is a typical "old and dilapidated" neighborhood with low property management fees—less than 1 yuan per square meter. Additionally, the maintenance fund has hit a critical threshold, making it unable to cover routine public area repairs.

"Public revenue is the lifeline for community maintenance, ensuring homeowners have funds for urgent repairs," Zhai said. The community's public revenue comes from multiple sources, primarily parking fees, along with income from express locker rentals, public space leases, and indoor electric vehicle parking fees. Parking fees account for the largest share, with clear pricing: 100 yuan per month for the first car owned by a resident, 200 yuan for the second, 400 yuan for tenant vehicles, and standard rates for temporary parking. "Parking fees alone generate about 300,000 yuan annually, making public revenue substantial."

**Financial Irregularities Discovered** Shanglong New Village, already reliant on public revenue, faced another major issue this year when the homeowners' committee uncovered financial discrepancies during an audit. Yin Yang Property had served the community since 2022, with its original contract expiring in March this year. Zhai Fengxian stated that during pre-contract expiration checks, the committee found irregularities: "A significant portion of public revenue that should have been deposited into the homeowners' association account was diverted to the property management's own account."

Upon discovering the discrepancies, the committee immediately informed all homeowners and proposed not renewing the contract with Yin Yang Property. Due to a committee reshuffle, the decision was postponed until June, when a homeowners' meeting voted unanimously against renewing the contract. Yin Yang Property officially withdrew in July.

**Failed Recovery Efforts** Surprisingly, after its withdrawal, Yin Yang Property failed to transfer the prepaid public revenue of over 171,000 yuan as required. Zhai provided detailed payment records showing that the amount primarily consisted of prepaid parking fees for August to December, with some residents even paying in advance for January to June 2026, totaling 171,000 yuan.

"The property management has withdrawn and no longer provides services. These prepaid funds should either be deposited into the homeowners' association account or transferred to the new management company," Zhai emphasized. Despite repeated attempts to recover the funds, Yin Yang Property has not complied. The committee then sought assistance from local authorities in Meilong Town.

**Authorities Intervene** After intervention, Meilong Town authorities convened a meeting with the committee and Yin Yang Property. Meeting minutes revealed that Yin Yang Property claimed only 87,000 yuan of the prepaid revenue remained, with the rest allegedly spent on community repairs. However, local authorities clarified that public revenue must first be deposited into designated accounts before any expenditures, prohibiting direct deductions or off-book offsets. They ordered Yin Yang Property to transfer the full 171,000 yuan to the new management company by November for deposit into the homeowners' association account.

As of the deadline, Yin Yang Property has yet to comply. Local authorities have penalized the company with a "credit deduction," barring it from bidding on property management projects for one year.

"This money is crucial for future community repairs and operations—it's our 'pension fund.' We won't give up," Zhai declared. Beyond recovering the 171,000 yuan, the committee plans to investigate alleged fraudulent accounting and misappropriation of homeowner funds during Yin Yang Property's tenure to safeguard residents' rights.