WA Inquiring Processing

Purpose

Use this procedure to create an inquiry for a single property record.

(For information about creating an inquiry for multiple property records, see  Creating an Inquiry for Multiple Property. For information about creating multiple inquires at one time, see Creating Multiple Inquiries.)

Prerequisites

• In order to perform this procedure, the following user right is required:
  • ARB > Inquiry > Edit ARB Inquiry
• If you need to set up inquiry links, the following user right is required:
  • ARB > Inquiry > Edit ARB Inquiry Links
• If you need to manually enter inquirer name and address information for the inquiry, the Manual Entry check box must have been selected for the inquirer type in the Inquiry By code file in PACS.ADMIN (Tools > Code File Maintenance > ARB Inquiry Codes > Inquiry By). For more information, see Setting Up Inquiry By Codes. 

Procedure

1. In PACS 9.0, open a property record.
2. Open the BOE – Inquiries & Protests Panel. Then, in the Inquiries section, click Add.
3. In the Detail section of the General panel of the inquiry, complete the following options:
   • Year
   • Type

     Identifies the type of inquiry, such as a walk-in inquiry or an inquiry placed by telephone.

   • Nature

     Identifies the nature of an inquiry, such as an ownership inquiry or an appraisal inquiry.

   • Status

     Identifies the status of an inquiry, such as open or closed.

   • Additional Status

     Further classifies the primary status of an inquiry, such as AG for ag use or HS for homestead.

   • Recheck Date

     The date used in the monitor query indicating that the inquiry needs additional field checks.

4. In the Type field of the Inquiry By section, select the role of person making the inquiry, such as owner or future owner. Then do one of the following options as required:

   

   • If the Inquiryt By Type is enabled for manual entry, complete the name and address fields.
   • If the Inquiry By Type is not enabled for manual entry, use the following options are required:
     • Search – If the name of the inquirer is not displayed in Name drop-down list, use this option to search for the name.
     • Details – Opens the record of the inquirer that you selected.
     • Phones – Updates the inquirer’s phone number.
5. In the Comments section, enter notes pertaining to the taxpayer or appraiser. If required, you can use the Operator pane to record other details pertaining to the inquiry.
6. If you need to link this inquiry to one or more inquiries, use one of the following options:

   Note This feature can be useful, for example, to link multiple inquiries for one property owner, or to link adjoining properties so that an appraiser can evaluate the properties’ values or characteristics as a whole when deciding whether to make any changes.

   • To set up a new link group in which to add one or more inquiries, in the Links section, click Add. Specify criteria with which to retrieve a list of one more inquiries. Then select the inquiry or inquiries for the link group.
   • To add one or more inquiries to an existing link group, select the Link ID row for the existing group and then click Add to Existing Link. Specify criteria with which to retrieve a list of one more inquiries. Then select the inquiry or inquiries for the link group.
7. Click Save.

Next Steps

Enter additional inquiry data as required.

Purpose

Use this procedure to create an inquiry for multiple property records.

Prerequisites

• In order to perform this procedure, the following user rights are required:
  • ARB > Inquiry > Edit ARB Inquiry

Procedure

1. In PACS 9.0, choose Activities > BOE > Inquiry.
2. In the Create Inquiry dialog box, select the year for the inquiry.

   

3. Use one or more of the following options to associate property records with the inquiry:
   • Enter the property ID and click Search.
   • Enter the geo ID and click Search.
   • In the Properties grid, click Add to enter search criteria with which to search for and select a property record.
   • In the Properties grid, click Add Agent Properties to enter search critieria with which to search for an agent and add the agent’s properties.
   • In the Properties grid, click Add Owner Properties with which to search for an owner and add the owner’s properties.
4. Repeat the previous step as required until all property records that need to be associated with the inquiry have been selected.
5. View the Sales Information section as required.
6. In the Inquiry Details section, complete the following fields:
   • Type

     Identifies the type of inquiry, such as a walk-in inquiry or an inquiry placed by telephone.

   • Nature

     Identifies the nature of an inquiry, such as an ownership inquiry or an appraisal inquiry.

7. In the Inquiry By section, enter owner information. Then use the following options as required:
   • Phones – Updates the owner’s phone number.
   • Search – If the name of the person making the inquiry is not displayed in Name drop-down list, use this option to search for the name.
   • New – Creates a new owner record.
   • Details – Updates the owner record.
8. If required, to enter comments, select the drop-down list in one of the fields in the Comments section. Then enter your comments in the displayed pane and click OK.

   

9. In the Assignments section, select the appraiser who appraised the property. Then complete the Options fields as required.
10. Click Process to create inquiries for the property records you selected.

Purpose

Use this procedure to enter information about:

• Taxpayer documents that your office requested
• A field check that your office requested
• The appraiser who appraised the property
• Staff members assigned to the property
• The value agreed upon for the property

Prerequisites

• The staff members to which you need to assign the inquiry have been assigned one of the following codes in PACS.ADMIN (Tools > Code File Maintenance > General):
  • Appraisers
  • GIS Staff
  • Support Staff

Procedure

1. Open an inquiry. Then open the Processing panel.

   

2. In the Taxpayer Documents section, complete the following options as required:
   • Requested (check box)

     When selected, indicates that your office has requested documents from the taxpayer.

   • Type

     Indicates the type of documentation requested, such as photos or the closing statement.

   • Requested

     The date that your office requested evidence from the taxpayer.

   • Expected

     The date your office expects to receive documentation from the taxpayer.

   • Received

     The date your office received documentation from the taxpayer.

3. In the Assignments section, specify the appraisers who appraised the property and other staff as required.
4. In the Field Check section, complete the following options as required:
   • Requested (check box)

     Indicates that your office has requested a field check for the property.

   • Appraiser

     The appraiser scheduled to do the field check.

   • Start Date

     The beginning of the date range in which the appraiser is scheduled to do the field check.

   • End Date

     The end of the date range in which the appraiser is scheduled to do the field check.

5. After your office and the taxpayer agree upon the value of the property, in the Value Agreement section, select the date that the agreement was either mailed or faxed. Then enter the date received for the taxpayer.
6. Click Save.

Purpose

Use this procedure to record the values that the appraiser assigned to the property.

Procedure

1. In PACS 9.0, open the inquiry for which a value was determined. Then open the Values panel.
2. Complete the following fields:
   • Appraiser Land Value

     The monetary value the appraiser has assigned to the land involved in the protest.

   • Appraiser Improvement Value

     The monetary value the appraiser has assigned to all improvements involved in the protest.

   • Appraiser Total Value

     The combined monetary value the appraiser has assigned to all improvements and land involved in the protest.

3. To view the estimated tax for the property with respect to the final value you entered, click Calculate Current Estimated Tax and review the data displayed in the Tax Preview dialog box.
4. Click Save.

Purpose

Use this procedure to set up a group of inquiries on an existing inquiry record. This feature can be useful, for example, to link multiple inquiries for one property owner, or to link adjoining properties so that an appraiser can evaluate the properties’ values or characteristics as a whole when deciding whether to make any changes.

(Information about setting up inquiry link groups when creating an inquiry is available in the Creating an Inquiry for a Single Property topic.)

Prerequisites

• In order to perform this procedure, the following user right is required:
  • ARB > Inquiry > Edit ARB Inquiry Links

Procedure

1. In PACS 9.0, open a property record.
2. In the Links section of the General panel, use one of the following options:
   • To set up a new link group in which to add one or more inquiries, in the Links section, click Add.  Specify criteria with which to retrieve a list of one more inquiries. Then select the inquiry or inquiries for the link group.
   • To add one or more inquiries to an existing link group, select the Link ID row for the existing group and then click Add to Existing Link. Specify criteria with which to retrieve a list of one more inquiries. Then select the inquiry or inquiries for the link group.
3. Click Save.

Purpose

Use this procedure to change the status of multiple inquiries at one time.

Prerequisites

• In order to perform this procedure, the following user right is required:
  • ARB > Inquiry > Edit ARB Inquiry > Mass Update Status

Procedure

1. In PACS 9.0, use the Inquiry search to enter search criteria to retrieve a group of protests. Then click Search.
2. In the Inquiry Search Results window, select the inquiries for which you need to change the status en masse.
3. Right-click and choose Mass Update Status.
4. In the Mass Update Status dialog box, select the status to be applied to the inquiries.
5. Click OK.

Purpose

Use this procedure to reassign appraisers, GIS staff, or other support staff to a group of inquiries.

Prerequisites

• In order to perform this procedure, the following user right is required:
  • ARB > Inquiry > Edit ARB Inquiry > Reassign Inquiry
• The staff members to which you need to assign the inquiry have been assigned one of the following codes in PACS.ADMIN (Tools > Code File Maintenance > General):
  • Appraisers
  • GIS Staff
  • Support Staff

Procedure

1. In PACS 9.0, use the Inquiry search to enter search criteria to retrieve a group of inquiries. Then click Search.
2. In the Inquiry Search Results window, select the inquiries for which you need to change the status en masse.
3. Right-click and choose Re Assign Inquiries.

   

4. In the Re Assign Inquiry dialog box, select the staff assignments for the group of inquiries.
5. Click OK.

Purpose

Use this procedure to search for and display inquiries.

Prerequisites

• In order to perform this procedure, the following user right is required:
  • ARB > Inquiry > View ARB Inquiry

Procedure

1. In PACS 9.0, use the Inquiry search to enter search criteria. Then enter Search.
2. In the Inquiry Search Results window, double-click an inquiry to display the inquiry record.
3. If required, use the following commands in the Commands menu to open the agent, owner, protest, or property records associated with the inquiry:

   

   • Agent
   • Owner
   • Protest
   • Property

Purpose

Use this procedure to view changes made to inquiries.

Procedure

1. Open the inquiry for which you need to view the changes.
2. Open the Change Log panel to view the changes made to the inquiry, for example:

   

Purpose

Use this procedure to specify the rate at which the system automatically updates the inquiry or protest list.

Procedure

1. In PACS 9.0, use the Inquiry or BOE Protest search for either inquiries or protests to enter search criteria. Then click Search.
2. In the Search Results window, right-click and choose Auto Refresh.
3. In the Auto Refresh Rate dialog box, enter the refresh rate in minutes and/or seconds. Then click OK.

   Note To stop the auto refresh, enter zero for both the minutes and the seconds.

Purpose

Use this procedure to close an inquiry and prevent it from being changed any further.

Procedure

1. In PACS 9.0, open the inquiry to be closed.
2. Do one of the following:
   • Choose Commands > Close.
   • In the Status drop-down list of the General panel, select a status indicating that the inquiry is closed.

   

3. Click Save.

Purpose

Use this procedure to reopen an inquiry that has been closed.

Reopening the record enables the fields for editing and the options for selection.

Prerequisites

• In order to perform this procedure, the following user right is required:
  • ARB > Inquiry > Edit ARB Inquiry > Reopen Inquiry

Procedure

1. In PACS 9.0, open the inquiry with a closed status.
2. Choose Commands > Reopen so that the fields are enabled for editing and the options are enabled for selection.
3. Make changes to the inquiry as required.
4. Click Save.

Prerequisites

• In order to perform this procedure, the following user right is required:
  • ARB > Inquiry > Edit ARB Inquiry > Delete ARB Inquiry

Procedure

1. In PACS 9.0, use the Inquiry search to enter search criteria. Then click Search.
2. In the Inquiry Search Results window, select the inquiries to be deleted.
3. Right-click and choose Delete Inquiry.
4. You are prompted to confirm that you want to delete the inquiries. Click Yes.

Purpose

Use this procedure to schedule a meeting for an inquiry or protest.

Prerequisites

• In order to perform this procedure, the following user rights are required:
  • ARB > Inquiry/Protest > Edit ARB Inquiry/Case> Schedule Appraiser
  • ARB > Inquiry/Protest > Edit ARB Inquiry/Case > Set Appraiser Meeting Date
• Appraiser meeting settings have been made. For more information, see Setting Up Appraiser Meeting Settings. 

Procedure

1. Open either the inquiry or protest for which you need to schedule an appraiser meeting.
2. Open the Appraiser Meeting panel.
3. Click Schedule.
4. In the ARB Protest Hearing Docket Search dialog box, use the filter options as required to limit the view of dockets that you can choose from.

   

5. Select the docket to be used for setting the appraiser meeting date and time. Then click Select.
6. If required, in the Appraiser Meeting panel, enter taxpayer or appraiser comments.
7. Click Save.

Procedure

Use this procedure to create an audio recording of a meeting or hearing.

Prerequisites

• In order to specify audio settings, the following user right is required:
  • Codefile Maintenance > ARB > Audio Settings

Procedure

1. In PACS 9.0, open a protest.
2. Choose Commands > Record Hearing Minutes.
3. In the Hearing Case dialog box, to specify the audio settings, complete the following options:
   • Recording Device

     The device used to record the meeting.

   • Codec

     The file type.

   • Quality

     Specifies the quality of the recording.

4. In the Hearing Case dialog box, to record a meeting, use the record, stop, play, and pause options throughout the meeting as required.

   

Purpose

Use this procedure to scan documentation or forms.

The barcode that is on the form indicates the type of form that is being scanned, and the PACS master record to which the form is to be attached.

For protests, you can scan documentation that the owner brings for a meeting or hearing.

Prerequisites

• In order to perform this procedure for BOE processing, the following user right is required:
  • ARB > Inquiry/Protest > Quick Image
• The Image Type, Record Type, and Sub Type for the forms or forms to be scanned have been set up. For more information, see Setting up Image and Document Codes. 

  Note An image type can be set up so that it can be viewed only by users logged on to PACS in a BOE role. For more information, see Setting Up an Image Code.

• The Barcode module has been selected for the PC that will be used for scanning. For more information, see Module Administration for Forms Processing.

Procedure

1. In PACS 9.0, choose Activities > BOE > BOE Quick Image. Then do the following:
   • Select the Type of record and the Year.
   • In the Added By field, use one of the following options to specify the case or property record to which the image will be attached:
     • Enter the case ID and click Case ID.
     • Enter the property ID and click Property ID.
     • Enter the geo ID and click Geo ID.
2. Complete the following fields:
   • Image Type

     The type of document or image, such as a letter or a picture of the property.

     Tip We recommend using TIFF Picture Type Image Types when attempting to scan multiple pages into a single file. When viewing images, only the TIFF format supports multiple pages, so the multiple page navigation options are only enabled for TIFF images that have more than one page.

   • Record Type

     Further classifies the Image Type, such as Exemption for an Image Type of Letter.

   • Sub Type

     Further classifies the Record Type, such as Homestead for a Record Type of Exemption.

   • Image Date

     The date associated with the image. If applicable, this is the date that determines when an image becomes inactive.

   • Effective Year

     The year in which the image can be used.

   • Scan Date

     The date to be inserted on the corresponding record indicating when the image or form was scanned.

   

3. Complete the Image grid by clicking Scan to begin scanning the documentation. Repeat as required.
4. Click OK.

Purpose

Use this procedure to scan documentation or forms.

The barcode that is on the form indicates the type of form that is being scanned, and the PACS master record to which the form is to be attached.

For protests, you can scan documentation that the owner brings for a meeting or hearing.

Prerequisites

• The Image Type, Record Type, and Sub Type for the forms or forms to be scanned have been set up. For more information, see Setting Up Image and Document Codes.

  Note An image type can be set up so that it can be viewed only by users logged on to PACS in a BOE role. For more information, see Setting Up an Image Type Code.

• The Barcode module has been selected for the PC that will be used for scanning. For more information, see Module Administration for Forms Processing.

Procedure

1. In PACS 9.0, choose Activities > Forms Processing > Quick Image Scan. Then, in the Quick Add/Standard Search field of the Quick Image Scan dialog box, use one of the following options to specify the property record to which the image will be attached:
   • Enter the property ID and click Property ID.
   • Enter the geo ID and click Geo ID.
   • Click Search to search for a property record.
2. To associate the image with an Improvement record, click Select Improv in the Reference Property grid.

   

3. In the Image Details section of the Quick Image Scan dialog box, complete the following fields:
   • Image Type

     The type of document or image, such as a letter or a picture of the property.

     Tip We recommend using TIFF Picture Type Image Types when attempting to scan multiple pages into a single file. When viewing images, only the TIFF format supports multiple pages, so the multiple page navigation options are only enabled for TIFF images that have more than one page.

   • Record Type

     Further classifies the Image Type, such as Exemption for an Image Type of Letter.

   • Sub Type

     Further classifies the Record Type, such as Homestead for a Record Type of Exemption.

   • Image Date

     The date associated with the image. If applicable, this is the date that determines when an image becomes inactive.

   • Effective Year

     The year in which the image can be used.

   • Scan Date

     The date to be inserted on the corresponding record indicating when the image or form was scanned.

4. In the Property Options section, make the following selections as required:

   

   • Notify Linked Properties When Present

     When this option is selected, linked properties will display a message in the Warning Panel.

   • Add Property Group Code

     If adding a property group code, click Add  in the Property Group Code grid and select group codes as needed.

5. Complete the Images grid by clicking Scan to begin scanning the documentation. Repeat as required.
6. If there is more than one image for a record, to specify the image as the image to be displayed on the record’s Summary panel, select Main Image.
7. Click OK.

Purpose

Use this procedure to print letters for inquiries or protests.

Prerequisites

• In order to perform this procedure, the following user rights are required:
  • ARB > Inquiry/Protest > Individual Letter
• The letter to be printed has been selected. To do this, in PACS.ADMIN, choose Tools > ARB Maintenance > System Settings and select the letter in the BOE Options – Letters tab.

Procedure

1. In PACS 9.0, choose Activities > BOE > Individual Letter.
2. In the Print BOE Letters dialog box, choose one of the following methods and complete the fields according to your choice:
   • If you choose Criteria, then complete the options in the Criteria section to select a group of inquiries or protests.
   • If you choose Query, either select or enter the query and click Validate to validate the query.
   • If you choose Case IDs (comma separated), select the year and then enter the case numbers separated by commas.
3. In the Options section, complete the following fields and options as required.
   1. Complete the following fields:
      • Letter Printer

        The name of the printer used to print the letters.

      • # of Copies

        Number of copies to be printed.

      • Sort Order

        The order to use for sorting the letter.

      • Mailing Date

        The mailing date of the letters.

   2. Choose from the following options as required:
      • Reprint Letters

        Reprints letters that were created previously.

      • Print Undeliverable

        Prints letters for owners with addresses marked as undeliverable in the owner record.

      • Print Offsite
      • Print Appraisal Cards

        Prints the appraisal card for each property. You must select a printer for the appraisal cards.

      • Print Comp Grids

        Prints the comp grid for each property. You must select a printer for the comp grids.

   3. Choose one of the following options:
      • All Protestors

        Prints for both primary and non-primary protesters.

      • Primary Protestors Only

        Prints letters only for primary protesters.

      • Non-Primary Protestors

        Prints letters only for non-primary protesters.

4. Click Print to print the letter.

Purpose

Use this procedure to view letters, reprint letters, and track the letters sent to protesters.

Procedure

1. In PACS 9.0, open the inquiry or protest.
2. Open the Letters panel.
3. In the History section, review the letters created for the inquiry or protest and if applicable, the mailing date.
4. Use the following options as required:
   • To print the inquiry, in the Print Inquiry Form section, click Print.
   • To print the appraisal card, in the Print Appraisal Card section, click Print.
   • To print a letter, select a letter from the Letter drop-down list. In the Number of Copies field, select the number of copies to be printed, and then click Print.
   • To print a template, in the Print Letter Template section, select a template from the Template drop-down list and then click Print.

Purpose

The following reports are included in the report options:

• ARB Inquiry Listing – Provides a list of inquiries with address, value, and ownership information.
• ARB Inquiry Report – Provides a list of inquiries with meeting date and status information.
• ARB Multi Protest Listing Report – Provides a list of owners with multiple protests.
• ARB Panel Decisions Report – Provides a list of properties that went through the protest process and a description of the panel’s decisions for the properties. You can sort the listing of properties by taxpayer or by meeting appraiser.
• ARB Protest Listing Report – Provides data about prior and current property values as well as general property information for the accounts that have protests.
• ARB Protest Report – Provides a list of accounts that have protests. The report provides the values of the properties.

Procedure

1. In PACS 9.0, choose Reports > BOE > BOE Reports.
2. In the Print BOE Report dialog box, in the Report drop-down list, select one of the reports.

   

   Note Required entries will vary for the following fields depending on the type of report you select.

3. To specify how data is sorted in the report, use the following options in the Sort section as required.
   • To arrange the order of the columns, select a column name and then use the Move Up and Move Down buttons.
   • To arrange the data in either ascending or descending order, use either the Ascending or Descending option.
4. To retrieve inquiries or protests by year and/or the assigned appraiser, do the following in the Case Options section.
   • To retrieve active and/or closed protests, use the Active, Closed, or Both option.
   • Select the year for which to retrieve protests.
   • To retrieve protests with particular statuses, use the Status field.
   • To retrieve protests with particular appraiser assignments, use the Appraiser field.
   • To retrieve protests according to the assigned panel, use the Panel field.
5. To retrieve protests according to scheduled meetings dates, select one of the options in the Appraiser Meeting Dates section.
6. In the Establish Prior Value As section, indicate whether the prior value should be based on last year’s appraised value or this year’s notice value.
7. To retrieve protests according to hearing docket type, select one of the options in the Hearing Docket Type section.
8. To retrieve protests according to scheduled hearing dates, select one of the options in the Hearing Dates section.
9. In the Appraisers section, select the meeting appraisers and the last appraiser as required.
10. To set the output settings, complete the following fields in the Output Settings section:
    • In the Format drop-down list, select the report output format.
    • In the Filename field, enter the report file name.
    • In the Description field, enter a report description.
11. Click Preview to preview the report. Click Post to generate the report.

Purpose

Use this report to review a list of inquiries that are linked to other inquiries, based on the criteria that you specify.

Procedure

1. In PACS 9.0, choose Reports > Linked Inquiries Report.
2. In the Linked Inquiries Report dialog box, specify the assessment year – tax year range with which to run the report.

   

3. Select one of the following options to enter IDs or codes with which to run the report.:
   • Property IDs
   • Case IDs
   • Neighborhoods
   • Assigned Appraisers
4. Select the sort option.
5. In the Output Settings section, do the following:
   • In the Format drop-down list, select the report output format.
   • In the Filename field, enter the report file name.
   • In the Description field, enter a report description.
6. Click Preview to preview the report. Click Post to generate the report and create a PACS inbox item from which you can view the report.