I live in Maryland and (foolishly) went into a lease agreement which states: " Routine yard work at the house is done by a neighborhood child who currently charges $20 per cut during grass growing season"... "tenant pays half of the yard work costs per month". Today my evil landlady hired two young boys to cut the grass, directed them to request payment from me, and promptly left the property. I had no cash on my person I was unable to do so I left her a note about the situation to which she replied: "I will give you until Friday to either call Jacob and arrange to pay him or leave $20 dollars for me to pay him. Beyond that time this will be considered a late payment as part of your lease and I apply late fees as per your lease to this payment."
Any language in the lease pertaining to late charges is mentioned in the context of rent.
On a side note- as we alternate yard service payment it was in fact her turn. She had someone cut half of the front lawn last week and is claiming that that was her "turn".

Check the portion of your lease that discusses the yard work. Does it say anywhere that the payment for the yard work will be considered as "additional rent"? If the payment for yard work is not specifically designated as "additional rent" then I think you would have a very good case for arguing that late fees cannot be applied. However do you really want to go to court over the late fee on a $20 charge?

I suggest that you clarify the procedure here: for example, establish that you will pay the child directly for the first cut of the month and the LL will pay for the second cut, it being understood that there will be two cuts per month.

Thanks very much for your response. At this point I pretty much have our lease memorized and quote sections almost daily in response letters to her incessant pestering. It does not mention it as "additional rent" at all. I certainly wouldn't go to court over something so trivial, but we are heading that way ultimately anyway over a slew of other infractions.. just another to add to the list. Wrong or right I am going to give those children their money- As nasty and illogical this woman has been, I never would have thought she would stoop to involving children- it is just absurd. I am filing for a peace order tomorrow

Good luck!

Thankfully, this will be my last month at this residence and the payment I will make to the children tomorrow will close the issue. I won't allow her to hold children in the middle of her incessant attempts to cause as much hardship as humanly possible to me. I appreciate your response as well

Thank you- I am sincerely looking forward to our court date- I imagine it will be somewhat like Christmas :)