A non-profit hockey association is sounding off after an inflated invoice left members feeling like they'd been assessed a not-so-minor penalty by the city of Winnipeg.

The St. James-Assiniboia Minor Hockey Association said for years the organization leased the Kinsmen Allard Arena with a token $1 rental, but said board members were stunned when they found out the city was attaching a $250 administration fee on top of it.

What's more, the bill the association received in July was retroactive to 2011, putting SJAMHA suddenly on the hook for $1,317.75.

Secretary Bob King said the association has been renting from the city since 1991 “and we've never, ever received an invoice.”

“I just about fainted,” he said. “It's absolutely ludicrous ... and we've never had it in the 15 years that I've been involved so why all of a sudden now?

“Administration fees are about $20 or something because they have to pay some employee to put this invoice through, but $250 is ridiculous. It just makes no sense.”

King said the city eventually agreed to waive the retroactive charges and send a revised bill, but that will still include the administration fee.

King said the association sinks thousands of dollars into maintenance and upkeep of the arena, making added costs thrust upon it from the city more galling. He said they set aside $15,000 a year for upgrades.

“We're doing the city a favour by leasing the arena from them,” he said. “We've done like $200,000 in upgrades in the 15 years that I've been involved, and it's probably one of the nicest arenas in Winnipeg. It seems kind of silly that they want to charge us a $250 administration for $1 (rent).”

City spokeswoman Michelle Finley said the fee covers costs “associated with managing the lease agreement.” Finley said the fee is “typical of our not-for-profit agreements” on annual leases, and said the St. James group was previously operating on month-to-month leases.

“An annual lease was recently signed and the administration fee was applied retroactively,” Finley said in an emailed statement. “The administration fee is noted in the terms and conditions of the lease. The department spoke with the group’s Secretary yesterday and advised that a new statement will be issued for 2015 and the retroactive charges have been dropped.”