Trash bills — when they are issued and what they cover

If your HOA splits its trash bill through Fourplex, each unit gets a trash bill once a month (or once a quarter). This article explains when that bill is issued, which period it covers, when it is due, and how extra charges and credits show up.

When a trash bill is issued

• Trash bills are issued on the 1st and cover the month that just ended. The bill issued December 1 is for November. Quarterly trash is issued on the 1st after the quarter ends.
• The bill is due 14 days after it is issued, normally the 15th. If your board set a later due day, the bill is due on that day of the issue month instead.
• Autopay runs at 8 a.m. on the due date in your community's time zone, if you have turned on trash autopay.
• You can pay any time after the bill is issued. You don't have to wait for the due date.

In the portal, each bill is labeled by the month it covers, with the issue date and due date shown separately. For example: November 2026 service · Issued Dec 1, 2026 · Due Dec 15, 2026.

A new trash service bills after its first month ends. If trash billing starts December 1, the first bill is issued January 1, for December. If your board turns on trash billing with a first month that has already ended, each finished month is billed shortly after billing is turned on and is due 14 days later. This also applies when dues start later than trash.

A unit added partway through a month starts trash billing the next month. That month's trash amount is split among the units that were billed for it.

The switch-over month

Some communities used to bill trash at the start of the month for that same month. When a community moves to billing for the month that just ended, there is one month with no trash bill, because that month was already billed in advance.

Example: a community's October trash bill was issued October 1 and covered October.

Date	What happens
October 1	October trash is billed (the old way). This bill does not change.
November 1	No trash bill. October was already billed, and November is still in progress.
December 1	November trash is billed, due December 15.
January 1	December trash is billed, due January 15.

Every month is billed exactly once. During the month with no bill, the Utilities page in your portal shows a notice explaining when the next bill is issued and which month it covers. Nothing is owed or overdue for that month, and no late fee applies. Past bills keep their original dates, amounts, and payment status.

Extra charges, credits, and corrections

Once a trash bill is issued, it doesn't change. If your board records an extra pickup, a correction, or a credit after that, it goes on your next bill as its own line.

Each line shows:

• a description (for example, "Extra pickup")
• the period it belongs to
• the amount (credits show as negative amounts)

If a credit is larger than your bill, that bill comes to $0 and the rest of the credit carries to your following bill. You still get a bill email for a $0 bill. It lists your base share and the credit, says nothing is due, and nothing is charged.

An extra is split the same way as the base bill. A unit whose share is $0, such as a vacant unit on an occupancy split, gets no line for it.

Your bill email lists your base share and each extra or credit. When autopay is already on, it also lists the frozen processing fee and the total. When autopay is off, it lists the principal only. The lines add up to the bill amount. The same lines appear on your trash bill in the portal and on the payment receipt.

Before the next bill is issued, the Utilities page shows pending additions in a separate preview. They have no Pay button and are not owed until they appear on an issued bill.

Common questions

Why is my trash bill for last month?

Trash is billed after the service is provided, the same way water is. The bill issued on the 1st covers the month that just ended.

My HOA had no trash bill this month. Do I owe anything?

No. If your community just switched from billing trash in advance, one month has no bill because that month was already paid for. The next bill covers the current month and is issued on the 1st of next month.

Can I pay before the due date?

Yes. You can pay as soon as the bill is issued. If you pay manually, autopay won't charge that bill again.

My board recorded my check. Will autopay still charge me?

No. When your board records a check or other payment that covers the whole bill, autopay won't charge that bill. If the payment covered only part of it, the rest is still owed.

My trash payment was declined. Will autopay try again?

No. A declined trash bill stays unpaid until you pay it yourself in the portal, even if your board later changes its amount.

Why are there 14 days between the bill and autopay?

So you can see the exact amount before anything is charged. You get an email when the bill is issued. If autopay is already on, it shows the frozen processing fee, the total, and the autopay date. If autopay is off, it shows the principal only and a reminder to set up autopay. Turning autopay on after the bill is posted does not collect that bill. You have 14 days to review it, ask your board a question, or pay another way.

Who do I ask about a trash charge?

Your board. Tap How was this calculated? on any trash bill to see how your share was worked out.