AN A319 CREW WAS ADVISED TO LOWER THE FLAPS DUE TO A RUBBER SEAL MISSING ON R WING FAIRING. SHORTLY AFTER ADVISED READY TO PUSH. NO DETAILS OR NEW MAINT RELEASE ON FLAP WORK. FINALLY DEMANDING RELEASE FROM MAINT IT WAS SENT OVER ACARS.

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WE PULLED A RELEASE VERIFICATION AT XA33 FOR AN XB02 SCHEDULED DEP. A MECH CAME UP ON THE INTERPHONE AND TOLD US TO DROP THE FLAPS DUE TO A RUBBER SEAL MISSING ON THE R-HAND WING #2 AFT MANUAL FAIRING INBOARD SIDE. WE DID SO AFTER BEING TOLD AREA WAS CLR. AT NO TIME DID MAINT TELL US PREVIOUS TO THIS THEY WERE WORKING OR PREPARING TO WORK ON AN ITEM. AT XB00 WE WERE TOLD BY PUSH CREW; 'READY TO PUSH; MECH HAS LEFT; YOU CAN PUT UP THE FLAPS; WE ARE READY TO PUSH.' WE RELEASED THE BRAKES FOR PUSH AND IT OCCURRED TO ME TO RECHK THE RELEASE. IT CAME UP AS THE ORIGINAL RELEASE NUMBER AND TIME FROM THE XA33 REQUEST. WE CALLED MAINT TO QUESTION WHAT WAS GOING ON. WE WERE NOT TOLD A NEW RELEASE WOULD BE NEEDED EVEN THOUGH IT WAS OBVIOUS WE DID. AT NO TIME DID WE RECEIVE AN 'EXPECT NEW RELEASE' MESSAGE TO THE COCKPIT PRINTER. IT APPEARS THE ITEM WAS NEVER OPENED TO CANCEL THE CURRENT RELEASE BEFORE MAINT ACTION WAS TAKEN. WHEN THE BRAKES WERE RELEASED WE NEVER RECEIVED THE 'REPLACEMENT RELEASE REQUIRED BEFORE TAXI' MESSAGE AS IS SUPPOSED TO IF AN ITEM IS OPEN. WHEN WE CALLED MAINT WE WANTED TO VERIFY WE WERE REALLY CLRED ON THE FLAPS AS QUESTIONED WHAT WAS GOING ON. AFTER 10 MINS WE CALLED AGAIN. AT THAT TIME WE WERE TOLD THE SITUATION WAS BEING LOOKED AT AND THAT 'WE'VE GOT CTL OF YOU.' THERE WERE SEVERAL FAILURES IN THE WAY WE DO BUSINESS. MAINT NEVER INVALIDATED OUR RELEASE PRIOR TO WORKING ON THE ITEM AND FROM OUR STANDPOINT; NEVER INTENDED TO AS BY WHAT WE WERE TOLD BY THE PUSH CREW. WE FINALLY RECEIVE AN OPEN LOG ITEM ACARS AT XB12. THIS IS A SERIOUS BREACH IN PROC AND COULD HAVE LED THIS CREW TO BOTH TAXIING AND EVEN TAKING OFF WITHOUT THE PROPER RELEASE AFTER MAINT ACTION WAS ACCOMPLISHED. WE FINALLY RECEIVED A NEW RELEASE AT XA13; RECHKED THE RELEASE; WHICH WAS NOW LEGAL AND DEPARTED.