Is it a mistake or an unexpected gift?

So, I just went to pay my rent online to find my account had a negative balance due (as in I already paid and paid more than I owed).

The office is closed today for the holiday, so I can't ask about it until tomorrow.

I am wondering if it is a mistake and they accidently posted someone else's check to my account (especailly since it was for more than I owed)? Or maybe someone thought that was what I owed and paid it as a gift?

I would try paying it anyway assuming it is a mistake, but the online system won't let you pay anything unless it says you owe something, so I am going to have to wait until tomorrow and pay the old fashoined way (by check) in the office if it is a accounting mistake on their part.

Hoping it will turn out in my favor (who wouldn't want free money?). But, if it doesn't it's not like it is an added expense.

Anyone else ever have weird things like this happen?

Yes. One day I saw that my checking account had hundreds more dollars in it than it was supposed to, instead of having hundreds taken out by my check for rent. In other words I had about a thousand dollars more than I was expecting to have and I didn't know why. I also initially thought that whatever it was, it looked really good. It turned out that instead of taking out the rent money by processing my check electronically, they had accidentally deposited money electronically. And it turned out that they didn't even need me to be nice enough to return the money. They took both the money they had given me and the money I had owed them, without my further participation.

I hope you also get responses from people who ended up being better off.

What a nice welcome to 2013 for you!
Even if it turns out to be a 'mistake' - you started out with with someone smiling on you!

I have gotten 'extra' money in my account before - but then it turned out that it was just my employer paying me for the vacation days I didn't use during the year. It still made me smile!

My bff deposits money in her grown kids accounts as a gift from time to time.

I hope it's an unexpected gift!

unless you know some very wealthy friends or great parents then i would guess it is a mistake on the part of the finance department.