TX Supplemental Appraisal Data Import

With the appraisal data import features, you can import data from an appraisal district, match the imported properties with existing properties, and then merge the data into your database.

Supplemental data (new additions, changes, and/or deletions) can be imported either for a single year or multiple, certified years.

Certified data is the initial import for a single certified year (Supplement 0). For more information, see Certified Appraisal Data Import.

After you have gained experience performing the Supplemental Appraisal Data Import, you can use the following links to access quick reference cards that outline a condensed version of this procedure. Proceed in the following order:

1. Supplemental Appraisal Data card
2. Accepting a Supplement Group card
3. Creating Supplemental Bills card
4. Creating Supplemental Statements card
5. Printing Supplemental Statements card

Note:  The recommended procedures for an import are listed below. Some optional procedures and other procedures which are initially established (such as configuration procedures) within this documentation set are not required for each import, and therefore are not included in this checklist.

Once a year, prior to importing certified information, the entire checklist should be completed. After totals are balanced for the certified year, each subsequent import can be completed using the checklist below.

This procedure is optional but recommended if you have not used the appraisal data import procedures previously.

• Verify that the following user rights are assigned to your ID.
  • Appraisal Data Import
  • Edit All Property Shared Property
  • Edit Mineral Property Shared Property
  • Edit Mobile Home Property Shared Property
  • Edit Real Property Shared Property
  • Edit Personal Property Shared Property
  • View Import Menu
• Verify that the county appraisal districts that you import from have been set up as entities (File > Open > Entity) with the entity type Appraisal District.
  • If the CAD code exists, proceed to the next topic, Printing Adjusted Totals Reports from the CAD.
  • If the CAD code does not exist, select File > New Entity, set entity type to Appraisal District.

  

  ---

  Note:  In the CAD entity tax rate information, verify that there are tax rates of zero (0) for the year(s) you are importing data for.  As shown below, choose ‘None – Appraisal Entity’ as the Collection Option.

  ---

  

• Download exported appraisal information from the CAD. These should be placed in the server’s ImportDataPath folder, in a sub-folder named with the group id or certified sup num.
• The exported files are provided through one of the following options:
  • Email
  • Harris Govern’s FTP site (For more information, see Loading FTP )
  • CD disk

Important   To complete the import, you must have the following files for each year and entity that is in the supplement group (usually pdf):

• • Appraisal Transfer Tape Totals
  • Supplemental Roll
  • Adjusted Certified Totals
  • and the following text files:
    • appraisal_agent.txt
    • appraisal_entity_info.txt
    • appraisal_header_.txt
    • appraisal_info.txt
    • appraisal_mobile_home_info.txt
    • appraisal_tax_deferral_info.txt

Purpose

Use this procedure to print totals reports provided by the CAD. You will use these reports to balance the import.

Procedure

1. Open the folder containing the import files your received in the previous step.
2. Print all the PDF files or Crystal reports sent from the CAD. Take note of the number of pages as is circled below:
   

   ---

   Note:  After the certified total reports are printed, we recommend placing a note on the reports indicating they originated from the CAD because if the CAD also uses PACS, it may be difficult to tell where each report originated from.

   ---

   • Review the header information of the certified totals you printed.
     • At the top right-hand corner the heading displays how the report content was generated. For supplement imports, the totals should display As of Supplement xxx. The supplement displayed here corresponds to the supplement number being imported from the CAD.

       

     • If the report header displays “As of Certification", then the report was generated as of certification and is not a supplemental import total.

       Important If you are performing a certified import, and not a supplemental import, please see Certified Appraisal Data Import documentation.

Next Step

On your system, locate and open the header.txt file sent from the CAD.

• Review the file header to confirm that you are about to import the correct files. Refer to the example below when reading the header.txtfile:

  

  ---

  Note:  The number of characters is set by the system and is the same on every exported Appraisal_Header.txt file. Some character spaces may not contain any text.

  ---

  • A – Export run date (16 characters)
  • B – Customizable export description entered by users (40 characters)
  • C – Appraisal year (4 characters)
  • D – Supplemental number or sup group ID (4 characters), displays one of the following:
    1. Supplement Number

       Depending on what appears in column marked as L, this option indicates either (1) the individual supplement that was sent, or (2) the as of supplement that was sent.

       Example:  If an export is exported as of Supplement 25 for the 2009 year, then the export file will contain all properties that were supplemented from supplement number 1 through supplement number 25 for that year. The import will overwrite data loaded previously up to the current supplement number.

       ---

       Note:  Generally, this option is not used unless recommended by TA Support.

       ---

    2. Supplement Group Number (4 characters)
       

       ---

       Important   Supplement Group Number is the most common type exported to Collections sytems.

       ---

       This option indicates that an entire supplemental group was exported, and includes all years within the supplement for that group.

       Example: If Supplement Group 5 contained the following:

       – Year 2009 Sup number 5

       – Year 2008 Sup Number 26

       – Year 2007 Sup Number 15

       Then, the years shown above (2007, 2008, 2009) are included in the export.

    3. Individual Supplement Number

       This option indicates that the export includes one individual supplement number for one year.

  • E – Entity code (10 characters)
  • F – Entity list (up to 40 characters)
  • G – Office name of the exporting CAD (up to 30 characters)
  • H – Operator, or name of user who generated the export files (up to 30 characters)
  • I – PACS version (10 characters)
  • J – Export version (10 characters)
  • K – Value option (10 characters)
  • L – Office use only (up to 50 characters)
    

    ---

    Important   The Office Use field is important because it is often used to describe the import type, i.e., whether it is a supplement group, as of supplement, or individual supplement.

    ---

The following two procedures may be necessary if either your office or the exporting CAD are new to the system. If the configuration has already been set, proceed to Importing Supplemental Appraisal Data.

Purpose

Use this procedure to specify the default settings for the appraisal district that you import into your system, the appraisal district’s software vendor, and the default Run Type for your imports.

Important   Once the default settings are set up, PACS Collections stores the entries and it is not necessary for you to re-enter the data.

Procedure

1. In PACS Collections, choose File > Import > Appraisal Data. The Appraisal Import List is displayed.
2. Right-click anywhere on the screen and choose Common Configuration. The Appraisal Import Common Configuration dialog box is displayed.
3. Complete the following fields for each CAD that you will be importing:
   • Default CAD – Sets the default appraisal district. Unless this is changed, PACS uses the appraisal district for the most recent import run.
   • Default Software Vendor – The software vendor the exporting CAD uses on their system.
   • Default Run Type – We recommend selecting Supplemental Imports as the default run type.
4. Click OK.
   

   ---

   Note:  Repeat this procedure for each CAD that imports data into your system.

   ---

Purpose

Use this procedure to specify the minimum import year and the import field mappings for an appraisal district. You need to carry out this procedure for each county appraisal district (CAD) from which you import data.

Important   Once this data is entered for the year, PACS Collections stores the entries, and it is not necessary for you to reenter the data. The data should be entered only once per CAD, and you should not change the data unless either an error occurred on the original mapping, or a new entity needs to be imported and mapped.

Procedure

1. In PACS Collections, choose File > Import > Appraisal Data.

   The Appraisal Import List is displayed.

2. Right-click and choose CAD Configuration.

   The Appraisal Import Configuration Selection dialog box is displayed.

   

3. Specify the CAD and their software vendor. Click OK.

   The Appraisal Import CAD Configuration dialog box is displayed.

   

4. In the Minimum Import Year for CAD field, use one of the following options to set the default year when importing data:
   • Home CADs – Either select None or select the earliest year available in the drop-down list so that prior years can be imported for supplemental changes.
   • ALL other CADs – Select the first year that imports were performed on your system for the CAD.
     

     ---

     Note:  For most offices, the first year to import from external CADs originated with the advent of HB1010 in 2008.

     ---

5. The Configuration Match Mapping section displays the fields that match between the importing CAD and your office. The imported records match your offices’ records using data stored in this field. Select either Geo ID or Property ID from the following drop-down lists:
   • Import Field
   • PACS Field
     

     ---

     Tip 

     If you import for multiple CAD’s who are not your home CAD, then we recommend matching using Geo IDs. Using Property IDs in this case may result in mismatches.

     If you import for only one CAD, you can match by Property ID as the default. However, you may run the import again using Geo ID to correct mismatches.

     If this is your first time importing and you are unsure of the mapping to use, please contact TA Support.

     ---

6. Entity Mapping: This section maps the entity codes from the importing CAD to the entity codes that your office uses. Below is information and steps on this process.

Important   Except for the BPP entities and CAD entities, entities that are mapped here are entities that you would like to add to properties. (BPP entities are not mapped here because they are managed separately within levy processing. CAD entities are not mapped because they are assigned based on the external CAD selected when importing appraisal data.)

The following two options are available for mapping entities:

1. Map only to entities that your office collects for. This is the most common option.
2. Map to entities in addition to the ones you collect for.

Keep in mind that any entities mapped here are added to your database and could result in an increase in the number of properties. Consider the following examples:

Example 1: If you are a city and only collect city bills, adding the county entity could create numerous properties that are not associated with the city entity.

Example 2: If you are the Tax Assessor Collector for the County and you collect special inventory for all entities, but normally do not collect ‘all‘ taxes for all entities, we highly suggest you import ‘all‘ entities to see all changes. This will also insure the accuracy of the UPTVF factor assigned to these properties as a multiplier for the sales inventory tax calculation. Special inventory entities can be marked to ‘collect special inventory only‘ so bills on these entities do not create on any other properties except for special inventory properties.

Example 3: You choose to map to entities in addition to the ones you collect for because you want to include properties associated with those entities in order to share this information with taxpayers.

To add a new entity:

1. Click New. The Entity Map dialog box is displayed.
2. Enter the first entity code from the importing CAD in the Imported Entity Code field.
   

   ---

   Note:  The importing CAD’S entity code can be found on the Certified Totals report received from the CAD. The importing CAD may have a different coding system set up.

   ---

3. Then, in the PACS Entities section, under the Available Entities, the system lists all entity codes available on your database. Select the one entity code that is used on your system that stands for the same entity code that your importing CAD uses. Click Select.

   

   ---

   Note:  The entity you select should have a code matching the code displayed in the Imported Entity Code field. Only one entity code should appear in the selected Entities box.

   ---

4. Click OK.

   Repeat steps 1-4 to add each entity.

To delete an entity code mapping:

1. Select the mapping and click Delete.
2. Click OK.

Purpose

Use this procedure to import supplemental runs after the initial Certified Data Import has been completed.

Prerequisites

The CAD has provided:

• Text (.txt) files to be imported.
• The Transfer Tape Totals, Supplemental Roll, and Adjusted Certified Totals generated using their appraisal information export procedures.
  

  ---

  Note:  For CAD’s that use PACS, the following check boxes must have been selected on the Export Appraisal Information dialog box (File > Export > Appraisal Information): 1) Export Agent Information, and 2) Export Values.

  ---

The text files have been saved on your server under the ImportDataPath folder, in a folder named with the group id or certified sup num.

Procedure

1. In PACS Collections, choose File > Import > Appraisal Data.

   The Appraisal Import List is displayed. This is a historical list of all imports performed in the past.

2. Right-click anywhere in this window and choose New Appraisal Import.

   The Appraisal Import dialog box is displayed.

   

3. Complete the following fields:
   • CAD – The appraisal district being imported.
   • Software Vendor – The appraisal district’s software vendor.
     

     ---

     Note:  The Software Vendor field is automatically populated according to configuration settings.

     ---

   • Run Type – Select one of the following:
     • Supplemental Import - Use this option now to import runs after the initial Certified Data Import had been completed.
     • Certified Import – If you are using Certified Import, please see the Certified Appraisal Data Import documentation.
   • Year – This field is automatically populated using the default year set during configuration.  It is disabled for Supplemental Import as there are often multiple years being imported.
   • Minimum Import Year for CAD – When a file contains data prior to the year specified in this field, PACS does not import the prior year data. The default year is set in the configuration.
4. Select the file(s) to be imported by doing the following:

Non-Citrix clients

i. In the Import Files window, select the first file type listed and click Browse to display the Open dialog box.

ii. Select the file from a shared network format, such as \pacsserver\AppraisalImportData, where pacsserver is your server name andAppraisalImportData is the name of the folder where you placed the appraisal district’s file on your computer.

Note:  The system will not accept a file path beginning with a drive letter (for example, C: or D:). We recommend that you import from the PACS server rather than a PC on a network.

iii. Repeat the selection of a file name for each file type.

iv. Confirm that all file names listed in the Import Files window include the same number (see example below). After file types are correctly linked to the import files, click Import.

v. You are prompted to acknowledge that the import is complete. Click OK.

Result: The data has been imported into a staging area on the server pending next steps.

Citrix clients

i. In the Import File section, click the first file type listed to highlight its line, and then click Browse. For example:

ii. In the Open dialog box, select the drop-down arrow for the “Look in field”. For example:

iii. Browse to the location in which the files were placed when they were received from the appraisal district.

iv. Select Client_Documents on svithost03.

v. Repeat the selection of a file name for each file type.

vi. In the Appraisal Import dialog box, click once on the path in the Location column. Then click a second time so that a box is displayed around the path. For example:

vii. Move your cursor to the P:, and then type the following path to replace the P:

\svithost03client_documents

In some cases, if the system does not add it automatically, the office name may need to be added to the end of the file path. For example:

\svithost03clent_documentscityofpleasanton

viii. Repeat these steps for each file listed until the Location has been selected for all files.

ix. Click Import.

x. You are prompted to acknowledge that the import is complete. Click OK.

Result: The data has been imported into a staging area on the server pending next steps.

Purpose

Use the Appraisal Data Import Report to compare the values imported into PACS against the values listed on the appraisal district’s PDF or hard copy report titled something similar to Appraisal Transfer Totals.

Procedure

1. To access the report, (File> Import> Appraisal Data) and in the Appraisal Import List, select the run ID created from the import, right-click and choose Import Report.
2. Select Totals Only.
3. Use the Select and Unselect options to select entities as required.
4. Click Preview or Print as desired.

   Example – Reading the Appraisal Data Import

   

   In the example Appraisal Data Import Report above, the first year listed is 2008. For 2008 two entities are displayed: GWI and HOS.

   The second year listed is 2009. The same two entities are displayed for 2009: GWI and HOS. 2009 Entity Code GWI has 3 line items:

   • A – Additions
   • D – Deletions
   • M – Modifications

   The sum of these 3 line items is the overall total you will balance to the Appraisal Transfer Totals.

   Assessed Value 207904 + 0 + 14276191 = 14,484,095 Total Assessed Value

   Taxable Value 204904 + 0 + 13858900 = 14,063,804 Total Taxable Value.

   Balance the totals per year to the CAD Appraisal Transfer Totals report provided by the CAD.

Next Steps

• Balance the property counts, assessed values, and taxable values displayed on the following reports:
  • Appraisal Import Report from the Tax Office’s PACS system
  • Transfer Totals from the CAD

    

    

    ---

    Important   If these totals do not balance, contact PACS Support and do not continue with the process.

    ---

• If these totals balance, then continue to the next step.

Purpose

Use this procedure to match data imported from the CAD to data in your office’s Collections database, and to prepare unmatched data for manual matching (if needed). Properties that are not matched will be assigned new property IDs.

Procedure

1. In PACS Collections, choose File > Import > Appraisal Data.

   The Appraisal Import List is displayed.

2. Right-click the run ID and choose Match Imported Data.

   The Appraisal Import Match dialog box is displayed with the appraisal district’s entity codes that were imported.

3. In the Configuration Match Mapping section, review the mappings which default from the Appraisal District Configuration. Changing the mapping should not be necessary at this time.
   

   ---

   Note:  Typically, when importing from an internal or Home CAD, property_id can be mapped to property_id, however, if importing from an External CAD, the geo_id should be matched with geo_id.

   ---

   ---

4. In the Entity Mapping section, review the mappings, which default from the Appraisal District Configuration. Changing the mapping should not be necessary at this time.
   

   ---

   Caution   If you need to change your import configuration for any reason after the import has been performed, you must undo that import and then perform the import again for your configuration changes to take effect.

   ---

   An appraisal import can be undone only if the Merging Imported Appraisal Data procedure has not been completed.

   ---

   Note:  When you select Match in the next step, the system automatically matches the imported property, entity, owner, and agent data to data in your office’s database.

   ---

5. Click Match.
   

   ---

   Note:  If there are imported entity codes that have not been mapped to your office’s codes, a warning is displayed.

   Important   After matching is complete, carefully review all unmatched properties. Failure to do so could allow the system to create duplicate properties.

6. ---

   The Appraisal Import Match Statistics dialog box is displayed. Any entity that is not mapped cannot be added to the property records in your database.

7. Select the item for which to generate a statistics report.
8. Select Print or Preview to review the statistics report.

Purpose

Use this procedure to review imported data that was matched and those which remain unmatched.

Procedure

1. In PACS Collections, choose File > Import > Appraisal Data.

   The Appraisal Import List window is displayed.

2. Right-click the run and choose Match Statistics.

   The Appraisal Import Match Statistics dialog box is displayed.

3. Select the item for which to generate a statistics report. You can select either matched or unmatched properties, owners, agents, or entities.
4. Optional- You can select Print or Preview.

Note that the only items you need to be concerned with are the unmatched properties. All other items are not relevant to this import process at this time.

Purpose

Use this procedure to match properties that were not matched to existing property records during the import, and to ensure that the unmatched properties do not exist on your database.

Caution   It is important to review all properties that are listed, and match as many properties as possible prior to continuing with the import. This step will ensure that duplicate properties are not created for the current year.

Note:  Duplicates could result in erroneous tax certificates being issued or delinquent taxes not being paid if a second account exists for prior years.

Procedure

1. In PACS Collections, choose File > Import > Appraisal Data.

   The Appraisal Import List is displayed.

2. Select the import run, right-click and choose Match Unmatched Properties.

   The Supplemental Import Match Unmatched Properties window is displayed. This window displays all properties that could not be matched to properties in your PACS Collections database.

3. Review the list and match any unmatched property using the following steps:
   1. Highlight a property and click Match.

      The Select Property Wizard window is displayed.

   2. Click Search.

      The Find Property dialog box is displayed.

   3. Enter criteria to locate existing properties on your system, such as owner name, legal, or even geo id. Then click Search.
      

      ---

      Note:  When matching by Geo ID, if a property being imported from the CAD has a Geo ID that exists on more than one tax office property, PACS does not automatically match to one or the other property. The eligible matches display in the list of unmatched properties and you must manually match it.

      ---

      The Select Property Wizard window is displayed with properties that match the search criteria.

   4. If any of the displayed properties match, highlight the line that features the matching Property ID. Then click Finish.The status of the previously unmatched property is displayed as Matched in the Status column.

      If a property is not found or the properties on the screen do not match, then select “Cancel” and the system will not match this property. When the Merge steps are completed a new property will be created on your system. This property should have the same prop_id as the one assigned to the Central Appraisal District. Once either of the above options are completed the Supplemental Import screen will display.

   Repeat steps (a) through (d) above as required for each unmatched property. Multiple searches may be necessary to match some properties.

4. If you need to remove a match, select a line with the status Matched. Then click the Unmatch button.
   

   ---

   Note:  When you select a line for a property that has already been matched, the text on the button changes from Match to Unmatch.

   ---

Next Steps

You can repeat this procedure multiple times until the number of properties matched is satisfactory.

We recommend matching as many properties as possible to keep each property’s taxes consolidated under one account.

Troubleshooting

If the PACS property you select has already been matched to another imported property, a message is displayed indicating that a different PACS property must be selected in order to view the property being mapped to. You can exit the export menu and open the property record. Then, select the Data Imports tab and review the mapping.

An alternative message may display, indicating that the property is not a Collections–only property. This means the property that you are attempting to map the imported property to is not a Collections–only property, but one entered by your home CAD. This instance is addressed in the next section.

Purpose

Use this procedure to set up a property ID mapping from an existing property record in your system to a property ID used by an appraisal district.

You can use this procedure, for example, if you notice that a correction is required when you are matching unmatched properties, or if you receive information from the CAD indicating that a mapping should be set up for a property.

You can map to only one CAD from the property record, but you can set up multiple mappings for the CAD for different software vendors if required (for example, if an appraisal district changes vendors). If a CAD changes its vendor, then your office should leave the old mapping as is, and create a new mapping for the CAD and its new vendor.

Procedure

1. In PACS Collections, open a property record.
2. Click the Data Imports tab. Then either click New to set up a new mapping, or select an existing mapping and click Details to change an existing mapping.

   The Appraisal Data Import Map dialog box is displayed.

   

3. Complete the following fields:
   • CAD – The appraisal district to which the property ID of the property record will be mapped.
   • Software Vendor – The software vendor for which the mapping is applicable.
   • Import ID – The appraisal district’s property ID to which the property record ID in your system will be mapped.
4. Click OK.

Purpose

Important   This procedure is only run as needed, and should be run only if an import needs to be re-imported due to data errors.

Use this procedure if you need to delete imported data. After an import has been merged, data cannot be deleted with this feature.

Prerequisites

The Merge Imported Data process has NOT been completed.

Procedure

1. In PACS Collections, choose File > Import > Appraisal Data.

   The Appraisal Import List window is displayed.

2. Right click the run and choose Undo Import.
3. You are prompted to confirm that you want to undo the import. Click OK.
4. You are prompted to acknowledge that the import run has been reversed. Click OK.

Purpose

Use this procedure to merge imported appraisal data into the database.

The merge process does the following:

• Backs up the affected database tables.
• Updates data for existing properties, owners, and agents.
• If necessary, creates new property, owner, and agent records.
• Inserts CAD mortgage company information on properties if the box is checked during export by the CAD to include this information.

Prerequisites

• You have matched and reviewed all properties as required.
• For shared sites: In PACS Appraisal a supplement group has been opened by the CAD by coding a property for supplement and then removing it. This creates a supplement group to be used in the import process; this sup group should be empty and ready to receive the imported property information.

Note:  Any properties that have not been matched to existing property records will be created as new property records.

Procedure

1. In PACS Collections, choose File > Import > Appraisal Data.

   The Appraisal Import List window is displayed.

2. Right click the relevant Run ID and then choose Merge Imported Data.

   Another Appraisal Import List window is displayed.

3. To overwrite your system’s mortgage data with mortgage data from the appraisal district, select Include Mortgage.
   

   ---

   Important 

   Before using this option, confirm that the importing CAD maintains up-to-date mortgage data.

   This option adds mortgage codes to properties as coded by the CAD. In addition, mortgage companies are added to the list of mortgage companies in the Collections database.

   ---

4. Click Next.
5. Use the following options to complete the Supplement Import Merge dialog box.
   • Supplement Group – Use one of the options New, Pending, or Available to select the supplement group.
     

     ---

     Note:  Use New when merging the import for the first time. Use Available only if re-importing a supplement group.

     ---

   • Supplement Code – Select the code identifying the reason for the supplement. The code is assigned to all properties in the supplement group.
   • Supplement Reason – Enter text describing the reason for the supplement.
     

     ---

     Note:  In the Supplement Reason field we recommend entering the Run ID, name of the importing CAD, and the CAD supplemental group number. It is also a good idea to summarize the reason(s) for the import to provide to auditors, etc.

     ---

6. Click Next.

   The merge summary screen is displayed.

7. View the summary information. Then click Finish.

Result

The Appraisal District’s data is merged into the database.

Purpose

Use this procedure to balance totals after merging appraisal data.

Important   To successfully complete this procedure, make sure that all values balance as required. If you encounter issues in balancing the values, contact PACS Support.

Procedure

1. Choose File > Import > Appraisal Data.

   The Appraisal Import List is displayed.

2. Select the run ID, right-click and select Print Totals.
3. In the Print Adjusted Certified Totals dialog box, select Print By Query.
4. Make your selections to print the totals. Choose the Year and last supplement number listed in the As of Supp # drop-down lists.
5. Review the following query in the Query box:

   select prop_id from appraisal_import_property where run_id = 8 (where run_id number matches the current import’s run_id)

6. Add the following line to the query:

   and prop_val_yr = 'xxxx'

   ---

   Note:  Replace xxxx with the year listed in the Year field in the Print Adjusted Certified Totals dialog box.

   ---

   

7. Click Verify Query to check the syntax of the query.

   The # of Properties box is populated. Verify this to the PACS Import Report that was previously run.

8. Preview or Print the totals.
   

   ---

   Note:  We recommend that you manually note at the top of the totals that they were printed at the tax office.

   ---

9. Verify that the totals balance to the CAD’s Appraisal Transfer Totals and the Import Report from PACS.
10. If the totals do not balance, contact PACS Support.

Next Steps

Once totals and property count are balanced, you are finished with the import process completed through the File > Import menu. The remaining steps are performed using the Supplemental Process menu under Activities.

Purpose

Use this procedure to lock the supplement group, which prevents changes from being applied to the properties within it.

Prerequisites

• You must have the user right Supplement Administrator assigned to your user ID.
• The supplement group must have a status of C (Coding).

Procedure

1. In PACS Collections, choose Activities > Assessment > Supplement Functions > Supplement Group Maintenance.

   The Supplement Group List is displayed.

2. Double-click the supplement group that was created as a result of the merge, or right-click and choose Details.

   The Supplement Group dialog box is displayed.

3. Change the status from C (Coding ) to L (Locked). Then click OK.

   

Purpose

This procedure is optional in Appraisal Data Import processing, and is used to identify the properties contained within a supplement group.

Prerequisites

You must have the user right Supplement Administrator assigned to your user ID.

Procedure

1. Choose Activities > Assessment > Supplement Functions > Supplement Group Maintenance

   The Supplement Group List is displayed.

2. Select a supplement group, right-click and choose List Properties in Selected Year’s Supplement.

   A list of property records within the supplement for the selected year is displayed.

Purpose

Use this procedure when all changes to property records within a supplement group have been completed and you are ready to apply the changes in the system.

When you accept a supplement group, the system carries out data validation checks and applies freeze ceilings to the property records as necessary.

Important   You must accept supplement groups in the order they were created.

Prerequisites

• You must have the user right Supplement Administrator assigned to your user ID.
• You have verified that the supplement group to be accepted has a status of L (Locked).

  You can use the information displayed in the Supplement Group List (Activities > Assessment > Supplement Functions > Supplement Group Maintenance) to verify the status. For information about locking supplement groups, see Changing the Status of a Supplement Group.

• All prior supplement groups have a status of Bills Created

Procedure

1. In PACS Collections, choose Activities > Assessment > Supplement Functions > Supplement Group Maintenance.

   The Supplement Group List is displayed.

2. Right-click the supplement group and choose Accept Supplement Group.

   The Supplement Group Accept Wizard is displayed.

3. Select the supplement group to accept, and then click Finish.

   A message indicating freeze ceiling processing is displayed.

4. You are prompted to acknowledge that the system has accepted the supplement group. Click OK.

Purpose

Use this procedure to balance imported appraisal data after you have accepted the supplement group.

Important   To successfully complete this procedure, make sure that all values balance as required. If you encounter issues in balancing the values, contact PACS Support.

Prerequisites

You must have the user right Supplement Administrator assigned to your user ID.

Procedure

1. In PACS Collections, choose Activities> Assessment > Supplement Functions > Supplement Group Maintenance. Double-click the group, or right-click and choose Details.
2. Click Print Totals.

   The Print Adjusted Certified Totals dialog box is displayed.

   

3. Select the required Year and the As of Supp # from the drop-down lists.
4. If you import from only one CAD that is also your home CAD, then do not select Print by Query, and skip down to step 8. Otherwise, select Print by Query and continue with step 5.
5. Select the entities.
   

   ---

   Note:  Balance totals for each year, and for each entity in the supplement group.

   ---

6. Select Print Grand Totals (unselect others in Print Options section unless you have a specific reason to run them).
7. In the Query field, type the following:

   select prop_id from property_val where cad_id = 'XXXXX' and prop_val_yr = 'YYYY'

   • In your query, let XXXXX = the entity_id for the importing cad, and YYYY = the year displayed in the Year field of the Print Adjusted Certified Totals dialog box. Locate the importing CADs entity code by choosing File > Open > Entities and locating the ID column of the Entity List.

   ---

   Note:  In a few instances, the query may be different than the one displayed above. If PACS Support provided you with a different query, use it.

   ---

8. Repeat this procedure as required for each year that is in the supplement group.

Next Steps

• After the certified total report is printed, we recommend placing a note on the report indicating the totals are tax office totals.
• Important Balance these adjusted certified totals to the CAD’s adjusted certified totals sent with the export files. Balance the Assessed Value and the Net Taxable Value. If these do not balance, contact PACS Support.

  

  

Purpose

Use this procedure to create bills for the properties in the supplement group.

Important   You must create bills for supplement groups in the order in which the supplement groups were created. For example, if there are two open supplement groups, 128 and 129, you must first create bills for supplement group 128 before you can create bills for supplement group 129.

Recommendation Part of this procedure involves selecting a batch. We recommend that you create a separate batch for each supplement group, which allows you in the future to identify when and where changes were made.

Note:  To ensure accurate reporting and balancing, consider the following when creating bills and refunds:

• Any refunds resulting from the supplement process will be reported as having occurred on the Batch Balance Date used in this procedure.
• Any bills created using the supplement process will be reported on the Modified Bill Report as having been modified on the Created Date of the batch used–not the Batch Balance Date.
• If you have closed the day and now intend to modify bills through supplemental bill creation, you need to reopen the day.

Prerequisites

• You must have the following user rights assigned to your user ID:
  • Accept & Create Bills for Supplement
  • Create Bills
  • Supplement Administrator

Procedure

1. Choose Activities > Assessment > Supplement Functions> Supplement Group Maintenance.

   The Supplement Group List is displayed.

2. Identify the supplement group with the status Accepted for which you need to create bills.
   

   ---

   Important   When you select a supplement group, the system processes every year within the group.

   ---

3. Select a supplement group and right-click Create Bills for a Supplement Group.

   The Supplement Group Create Bills dialog box is displayed.

   

4. Click Change Batch to select a batch for the process. You may create a new batch for this procedure.
5. To specify a due date other than the system-created date, check the box and select the due date
6. Select the supplement group to create bills for.
   

   ---

   Note:  The Effective Due Date is the day on which you would like P&I to begin to calculate on bills, for all bills in the supplement group that have tax amounts due. Due dates should fall on the last day of the month.

   ---

   The system sets the Effective Due Date based on taxable increase or decrease, omitted supplemental code and date the supplement was accepted.

7. If required, select one of the following options:
   • Printed Defaulted Installment Agreement Report – When selected, any properties within the supplement group that have installment agreements will be listed on the Defaulted Installment Agreement Report.
   • Include BPP Rendition Penalty Bills – When selected, bills are created for BPP rendition penalty bills within the supplement group.
8. Click Finish.

   A message is displayed indicating that the bills are being processed.

9. You are prompted to acknowledge that the process is complete. Click OK.

Result

The bills are created and, if you selected the Print Defaulted Installment Agreement Report, the report is printed.

When the Supplement Group List is refreshed, the list displays a status of Bills Created for the supplement group.

Purpose

Use this procedure to print the Modified Bill Report, which allows you to see any bills that have been modified, including those that have been modified with the use of supplement processing.

You may use this report to balance any supplement processing changes in order to verify that bills were modified correctly.

Procedure

1. Choose Reports > Collections > Modified Bill Report.

   The Modified Bill Report dialog box is displayed.

2. You may select any combination of the following options as required.

   

   • Entity – Filters on only the entities specified here.
   • Supp Code – Filters on the supplement codes specified here. Supplement codes typically specify a reason why a property was supplemented.
   • Modify Code – Filters on specific code(s) specified here. Modify Codes specify a reason why a change has been made to a record or bill.
   • Bill Adjustment – Filters on specific code(s) specified here. Bill Adjustment Codes typically specify a special instance for the bills, such as Suit Filed or Bankruptcy.

     If you chose Bill Adjustment, then choose one of the following options:

     • Include Codes – Only records with the specified Bill Adjustment Codes are included in the report.
     • Exclude Codes – Records with the specified Bill Adjustment Codes are excluded from the report.
   • Year – Select the year for which to print bills.
   • Sup Group – Select the supplement group associated with the year you selected to print bills.
   • Date Range – Select Date Range and specify beginning and end dates to print a report for bills created within a particular date range.
   • Totals Only – The report displays only totals, and details are omitted.
3. Click either Preview or Print as required.
4. Compare the Gain/Loss Tax amount on the grand total pages of the supplement roll to the grand totals for each entity on the modified bill report.

   If these do not balance, a detail report could be used as a comparison to find differences.

For information about printing the supplement roll, see Printing the Roll documentation.

Purpose

Use this report to identify which bills within the supplement now have a refund due.

Prerequisites

When supplement processing, you must have balanced the supplement roll with the Modified Bill Report.

Prior to creating a supplemental tax statement (which only reflects positive amounts due), we recommend that you identify which bills on properties have both negative and positive amounts due and apply refunds to taxes due so that net effect is what is on the corrected tax statement.

Procedures

1. In PACS Collections, choose Reports > Collections > Refund Due Report.

   The Print Refund Due Report dialog box is displayed.

2. Select the entity, the year of the bill that is due for a refund, and the end date.

   Recommendations

   • Run the Refund Due Report for all entities and all years, specifying only an End Date in the Date Range section. This allows you to see all refunds due. Enter additional criteria if you need specific entity or year information.
   • If other bill adjustments were made on the batch’s balance date, you may be unable to differentiate between refunds created during supplemental bill creation and those created previously.
   • If your supplement group Batch Balance Date falls on a weekend, we recommend entering that date for the Begin Date, and using the date this report is being generated as the End Date to ensure only those supplemental bill transactions that created the refunds due are included on the report.
3. Click either Preview or Print.

Purpose

Use this procedure to create and print supplement bill statements.

Statement Groups

The statement groups referenced in this procedure are the ones created at the time levy statements were printed. You may have more than one statement group per year to choose from, depending on which entities were printed together on the levy statements.

Note:  Statements must be created for all years in the statement group so that statement IDs can be properly assigned to bills. Statements do not need to be printed.

Year Selection

The year defines the year for which statements are printed.

Procedure

1. Choose Activities > Assessment > Supplement Functions > Supplemental Statement Maintenance.

   The Supplemental Statements window is displayed.

2. Right-click anywhere in the window and choose Create Supplemental Statements.

   The Levy Statement Wizard is displayed.

3. Select the year.
4. Select the levy entity statement group for the supplement.
   

   ---

   Important   You must create statements for each year in your supplement group.

   ---

5. Click Next.

   Another window of the Levy Statement Wizard is displayed with every supplement that has had statements processed in PACS for the year you selected in the previous window.

6. Select the supplement for which you need to create statements, and then click Next.

   Another window of the Levy Statement Wizard is displayed.

7. Complete the options used to define the creation of the statements, including the following:

   

   • Generate by – If you select Property, the system prints one statement per property with no consideration of the owner. When creating statements as part of the Supplemental Appraisal Data Import process, you should only generate by Property.
     

     ---

     Note:  Generating tax statements by Owner is only recommended during Levy Processing.

     ---

   • Property Types – Selected check boxes indicate the property types to be used for creating statements. To exclude properties based on property types, clear the property type check boxes as required.
   • Sort Order – Choose the sort order in which you need the statements to be generated (alpha, geo, or zip order).
     

     ---

     Tip  If you print statements in-house, and you plan to print the statements in a specific sort order, selecting the same sort order now allows you to resume the print job from a particular statement id if the print run is interrupted. You do not have this option if the print sort order is different from the generate sort order.

     ---

8. To include comments in statement runs about delinquent taxes or an escrow balance on a property, select one or more of the following options.
   • Include “Delinquent taxes exist…” Comment on Statements – a comment about delinquent taxes is printed on the statement.
   • Include “Escrow balance exists…” Comment on Statements – a comment about an escrow balance is printed on the statement.
   • Include “Return Service Requested…” Comment on Statements – the phrase “Return Service Requested” is printed on the statement.
9. Click Finish.

   A message is displayed indicating that statements are being created.

10. You are prompted to acknowledge that the statements have been created. Click OK.
11. Repeats steps 2-9 for each year in the supplement group.

Next Steps

If multiple years exist in the supplement group, repeat this procedure for each year. After all statements are created, continue to the next step.

Purpose

Use this procedure to print a supplement statement for every property within a supplement group.

Procedure

1. Choose Activities > Assessment > Supplement Functions > Supplemental Statement Maintenance.

   The Supplemental Statements window is displayed.

2. Right-click the supplement group for which you need to print statements and choose Print Supplemental Statements.

   The Print Supplemental Statements Wizard dialog box is displayed.

3. Select one of the following Print By options as required to print statements:
   • Property – All properties within the statement group.
   • All Mortgage Companies – All the mortgage companies within the statement group.
   • Mortgage Company – Only for a specific mortgage company. Select the mortgage company from the drop-down list.
   • All Agents – Properties with agent assignments that have the authority to receive a tax bill.
   • Agent – A specific agent. Select the agent from the drop-down list.
   • Undeliverable – Property owners with addresses coded as undeliverable. (The status undeliverable indicates that the Mail returned check box is selected in the owner record.)
   • Special Inventory – Those properties flagged as special inventory properties.
   • Foreign Address – Property owners with any address other than a U.S. address.
   • All Taxservers – All tax server coded accounts.
   • Taxserver – A specific tax server.
4. Click Next.

   Another version of the Print Supplemental Statements Wizard is displayed.

5. Select the agent, mortgage, and tax server printing options.
   1. Select one of the following print options to:
      • Print Agent Statement Copy – Send a statement to the tax agent (and the taxpayer if required) that has authority over the property.
      • Print Mortgage Statement Copy – Send a statement to the mortgage company of the property (and the taxpayer if required).
      • Print Taxserver Copy – Send a statement to the tax server (and the taxpayer if required) of the property.
   2. Select the following agent, mortgage and taxserver printing options as required:
      • Print Agent & Taxpayer Copy – If you want a copy of the tax statement to be printed to the taxpayer and any and all agents on a property, select this option.
      • Print Agent Copy Only – If you do not want the taxpayer to receive a copy of the tax statement, select this option, which generates statements only to the agents on a property.
      • Do not print Agent or Taxpayer Copy – To skip properties with an agent, select this option.
        

        ---

        Note:  If you prefer to run your taxpayer statements in one group and your agent statements separately, select this option. You can then make a second print run and select Agents on the first Print Levy Statements Wizard screen.

        ---

6. Select the following options as required to:
   • Include Undeliverable Addresses – Include statements in the run for property owners with addresses coded as undeliverable. (The status Undeliverable indicates that the Mail Returned check box is selected in the owner record.)
   • Include Foreign Address – Include statements in the run for property owners with any address other than the US.
   • Include Statements with Zero Tax Due – Override the PACS default that suppresses statements from printing with zero tax due.
   • Include Statements with Zero Tax Due if OV65 – Override the PACS default that suppresses statements with zero tax due if over 65 automatically.
     

     ---

     Note:  You may wish to use this option to send out zero tax due statements to over 65 taxpayers that will use the zero tax statement as a receipt that they do not owe any taxes.

     ---

   • Include Special Inventory Accounts – Include statements for special inventory properties in the run.
   • Print Summary Statements – Print statements in owner ID order. For owners that have multiple statements, a summary statement is printed after the last statement for that owner.
   • Sort Option – Select alphabetical, geographical or zip code order.
   • Print beginning with statement ID – Reprint groups of statements starting with a specific statement ID number.
7. Select print or export options.
   • Print – When selected, sends statements directly to your printer.
     

     ---

     Note:  To print to PDF format, we recommend that you use PrimoPDF, and not Adobe Distiller or Adobe PDF Writer.

     ---

   • Export – When selected, allows you to create a print-image file that you can either copy to storage media or e-mail to a printing company.
     

     ---

     Note:  If you selected Include “Return Service Requested…” Comment on Statements in the Levy Statement Wizard and you are sending the export to a print vendor, you must inform the print vendor to include the comment.

     ---

8. Click Finish.

   A message is displayed indicating that statements are being printed.

9. Repeat steps 1-8 for each year statements were created for.

Purpose

Use this procedure to create a log for tracking imports into PACS Collections, and to record matches between CAD and tax office supplement groups.

Example:

A CAD system uses supplement numbers and supplement group numbers that do not match the numbers in your tax office’s system. When discussing a property with the CAD office, the CAD may have the property in group 26, as displayed in line 1 of the example below, while your tax office system uses group 203.

This log allows you to identify the property’s correct supplement group in the CAD system. If you require more information about that property, you can reference the correct supplement group when conferring with the CAD.

This log can also help you track what has been imported, and determine what to import next.

Tip  We recommend that you record certified imports in the supplemental log for reference.

Procedure

• Refer to the example below and create a log that allows you to track imports and supplement groups. The log can be created manually or by using software tools such as Excel spreadsheets.

Note:  Supplement groups with multiple years can be listed as shown in Run ID 34 of the example.

Note:  The next time you perform a supplemental import we suggest you use the Supplemental Import Quick Reference Card alongside this user guide. After you have run the process a few times and gain experience with it, then the quick reference card can be used on its own. However, first check the Knowledgebase after product updates to make yourself aware of any changes. The Quick Reference Card can be found at the beginning of this guide in the Knowledgebase website.