MO Letter Processing

PACS allows the user to create custom letters with in the application. Letters generated in PACS has the option to be tracked in the system through Event Management. This flexibility allows the user to easily view by property, agent, and owner what letters have been processed and sent to taxpayers.

Purpose:

Use this procedure to set up a letter template to be applied when the associated letter is printed. With this procedure, the user will create letter and insert tags as required in the body of the text. PACS will replace tags with data as letters are created.

Prerequisites:

If user requires a letter event, the letter type must already have been set up in Code Maintenance. See Create Event Code in PACS.

PACS requires that the AutoRecover feature is turned off in Microsoft Word. If it is not turned off, the letter created could become corrupt.

To turn off Autorecover, click the Microsoft Office button > Click Word Options > Click the Save Band> Clear the Auto Recover Information checkbox. Then click OK

Procedure:

• In Microsoft Word, select the PACS Menu ribbon. Then click the Letter Processing Maintenance button and choose Letter Maintenance.

NOTE:   If you do not see the PACS Menu ribbon in Microsoft Word, please contact support.  The Folders that are highlighted in GREEN are the recommended letter tags to pull the letter tags (specifically owner and property tags).  

• In the Letter Maintenance dialog box, create or select letter to alter, then click Details
• In the Letter Details dialog box, click Edit Word Document to display letter tags in the left pane

• In the Letter dialog, type the letter as desired.
• To prevent the content retrieved from being double-spaced, set the content of the letter to single spacing by clicking CTRL-A to select all lines of the document, right click and select Paragraph. In the Paragraph dialog box, set the Line Spacing to Single.

• To insert a tag, which PACS will replace with the associated data when the letter is printed, click the cursor on the position for the tag within the letter. Then double-click the tag. Repeat as needed for other tags required for the letter.
  • Most letter tags labels are self explanatory
  • If flex fields are set up for a letter, you can access the fields within the Flex Field Category

NOTE:   If flex fields were not created for a letter, flex fields are not displayed for selection.

NOTE:   The lettermergeglobal category contains date formats that will reflect the date the letter is printed.

• In the PACS ribbon, click Save Letter to save the letter within PACS.

Purpose

If the user would like to create a code to track a letter in PACS, the user must create an event type code to map to a specific letter.

For example, if the user wants to create a Buyer Letter, they can create a Buyer Event Type Code to track the buyer letter in event management. When the Buyer Letter Template is created, the user can associate the event code with the Buyer letter. The result is that each time the Buyer letter is generated in PACS, there would be an event generated for the property record to identify the letter. This is optional.

Procedure

• Browse to PACS Application Button>Tools>Code Maintenance>General>Event Type Code
• Click Green Plus button to create the Event Type Code

• Code: Enter the desired code for which you would like to track
• Description: Enter the description for the event
• Appeal Flag: Check this box ONLY if the event is associated with an appeal
• Event Source: Choose the event source. NOTE: Event Source is controlled through Tools>Code Maintenance>General>Event Source
• Generated by: U = User; S = System
• Inactive: Choose this if user wants to inactivate this code.
• Is Read Only Event: This locks the event down to read only; no edits are allowed
• Must have the “View User Right Event”: PACS user must have the “View User Right Event” in order to view the event
• System Flag: This field is not editable. System Flags are hard coded
• System Type: This field is not editable. System Types are hard coded
• Type: AG = Agent, AR = Arbitrator, AT = Attorney, LN = Lien, MO = Mortgage Company, OW = owner, P = Property. The most common Type is Property; this means user can see the even at the property level.
• Click Save

Purpose

Flex fields allows the user to create custom fields in letter processing. These can be field where the user can enter free form data that may not exist in PACS.

For example, a user would like to create a standard exemption cover letter. Because there are several different exemptions, instead of having to create a cover letter for a homestead exemption, a cover letter for an disability exemption, etc.; the user can create a drop down list using flex fields and/or create a free from field they can enter data in to.

Procedure:

• Browse to the letter template you would like to add a flex field to and/or create new letter.
• Click Details
• In the Letter Details Dialog box, click the Green Plus in the Flex Field section

• Using the scenario used in the example above, the user can add an exemption type as the Flex Field Description. (In this example, they would enter HS for Homestead, DP for Disabled persons, OV for Elderly. Click OK.

Result:

When the user creates a letter, they will use the tag “Flexible Field” as the tag to pull in the specific letter. When the letter is printed, PACS will prompt the user to which Flex Field item they would like to select.

Purpose

Allows user to create templates to create a collection of letters in PACS. Example: A user may want to print a group of letters or forms for Appeals or Damage Assessments.

Procedure

• Browse to PACS Application Button>Tools>Letter Template Maintenance
• To create letter template, click green Plus Button

• The following Letter Template Detail dialog box is rendered:

• Template Name: Name the letter (example: AG DENIAL)
• Template Type: Letter or Form
• Letter Type: Choose where the letter is accessed from. The most common type of letter type is Property.

• Click Green Arrow; this allows user to choose what letters they want to include in the template
  • Letter: Choose Letter created
  • Printer: Choose default Printer location
  • Copies: Choose standard # of copies to be printed

Purpose

Use this procedure if you need to print a letter and have been adding new letter tags to the letter template which is still open in Word. By choosing Generate MAP in this scenario, the latest modified version of the letter map is used for printing when the letter template is still open in Microsoft Word.

Otherwise, after a letter template has been modified and Microsoft Word closed, the system automatically applies the latest version of the letter upon printing.

Procedure

In Microsoft Word, select the PACS Button. Then click Generate MAP.

Purpose

Generate letter for a mass selection of properties.

Prerequisite

In order to perform this procedure, the user must have the ‘Letter Processing’ user right assigned.

Procedure

• Browse to PACS Application Button>Activities>Letter Processing

• User may choose to print the following Letters. The most used letter is the Property Letter. This is where this guide will focus. The Print Letter function is similar in all dialogs.

• The following dialog box will appear

• Select Letter or Template radial button
  • Letter – select individual letter
  • Template – select Letter Template. See Create Letter Template in PACS

• Print Methods
  • Group Code – select group code. Group code must exist in Code Maintenance and exist on property.
    • Remove Group Code – when letter is generated, the group code will be removed if this checkbox is selected
  • Event Code – select event code. Event code must exist in Code Maintenance and exist on the property.
    • Start Date and End Date – choose date range
  • Query – select or write query
    • Select Query – choose existing query
    • Open Text – User may write query
  • Property ID’s – user may list property id that are separated by a carriage return

• Letter Options
  • Sort Order – user may sort letter by zip, name, etc
  • Primary Owners – if more than one owner, PACS will use primary owner
    • Non Primary Owners – if more than one owner, PACS will use non primary owner
    • Include deleted properties for group and event code method – PACS will print for deleted properties if user chooses event code/group code method.
    • Print to linked owners accounts – PACS will print to linked owner accounts.

• Flex Fields – if flex fields exist for the letter, user may enter data that is associated in the Flex Field Value field.

• Choose Print, Preview or Cancel

Purpose

Generate letter for a mass selection of properties.

Prerequisite

In order to perform this procedure, the user must have the ‘Letter Processing’ user right assigned.

Procedure

• Open Property > Commands > Print Property Letter

• The following dialog box will appear

• Select Letter or Template radial button
  • Letter – select individual letter
  • Template – select Letter Template. See Create Letter Template in PACS

• Print Methods – this area is inactivated
• Letter Options
  • Sort Order – this option is inactivated
  • Primary Owners – if more than one owner, PACS will use primary owner
  • Non Primary Owners – if more than one owner, PACS will use non primary owner
  • Include deleted properties for group and event code method – PACS will print for deleted properties if user chooses event code/group code method.
  • Print to linked owners accounts – PACS will print to linked owner accounts.

• Flex Fields – if flex fields exist for the letter, user may enter data that is associated in the Flex Field Value field.
• Choose Print, Preview or Cancel