WA Litigation Management

Use litigation features in PACS to track the progress of litigation involving unpaid taxes, bankruptcies, and related fees.

You can track various types of litigation. For example:

• Bankruptcy

  Note Bankruptcy litigation tracking can be set up for Chapter 11 or Chapter 13 tracking.

• Judgments
• Seizures
• Sheriff sales
• Suits filed

The types of litigation that you track and the codes used for tracking are customizable. Your office can determine what data needs to be monitored, and can then set up the litigation module accordingly.

Note Currently reports are not available for litigation data in PACS. However, Harris Govern Client Services can assist you with developing queries to retrieve litigation data.

Purpose

Use this procedure to create or modify Collection Pursuit Categories, which represent the highest level of categorization for collections pursuit. Examples include judgment, deferral, distraint, foreclosure.

Prerequisites

• In order to perform this procedure, the following user right must be assigned to your ID:
  • PACS Administrator > Code File Maintenance > Edit Code Files

Procedure

1. In PACS.ADMIN, choose Tools > Code File Maintenance > Litigation. Then double-click Collections Pursuit Category.
2. Click Add.
3. Enter a code and a corresponding description. Click Save.

   

4. If required, use the following options:
   • To review an existing code, select the code and click Edit.
   • To remove an existing code, select the code and click Delete.
5. Repeat this procedure as required to set up the various collections pursuit categories.

Purpose

Use this procedure to create or modify a Collection Pursuit Type code, which further classifies a Collection Pursuit Categories. For example, a Collection Pursuit Type of Chapter 11 further classifies a Collection Pursuit Category of Bankruptcy.

Prerequisites

• In order to perform this procedure, the following user right must be assigned to your ID:
  • PACS Administrator > Code File Maintenance > Edit Code Files
• The Collection Pursuit Category has been created in PACS.ADMIN Tools > Code File Maintenance > Litigation > Collections Pursuit Category). For more information, see Setting Up Collections Pursuit Categories .

Procedure

1. In PACS.ADMIN, choose Tools > Code File Maintenance > Litigation. Then double-click Collections Pursuit Type Maintenance.
2. Click Add.
3. Enter a code and a corresponding description. Then complete the following information as required:

   

   • Category

     The Collections Pursuit Category that the Collections Pursuit Type Code is associated with. The Collections Pursuit Category is set up in PACS.ADMIN (Tools > Code File Maintenance > Litigation > Collections Pursuit Category).

   • Property Types

     The property types to be associated with the Collection Pursuit Type Category.

   • Exclude Deferral Properties

     When selected, prevents deferral properties from being associated with the Collection Pursuit Type Category.

   • Exclude Bankruptcy Properties

     When selected, prevents properties in bankruptcy from being associated with the Collection Pursuit Type Category.

4. Click Save.
5. If required, use the following options:
   • To review an existing code, select the code and click Edit.
   • To remove an existing code, select the code and click Delete.
6. Repeat this procedure as required to set up the various Collection Pursuit Type Codes.

Purpose

Use this procedure to create or modify Collections Pursuit Status codes, which are used to identify the status of a Collection Pursuit Type.

Prerequisites

• In order to perform this procedure, the following user right must be assigned to your ID:
  • PACS Administrator > Code File Maintenance > Edit Code Files
• The Collection Pursuit Type has been created in PACS.ADMIN ( Tools > Code File Maintenance > Litigation > Collection Pursuit Type Maintenance). For more information, see Setting Up Collections Pursuit Types.

Procedure

1. In PACS.ADMIN, choose Tools > Code File Maintenance > Litigation. Then double-click Collections Pursuit Status Code.
2. Click Add.
3. Enter a code and a corresponding description. Then complete the following information as required:

   

   • Code
   • Description
   • Pursuit Type

     Pursuit type for the Collection Pursuit Status Code.

   • Enable Fee

     Enables the Fee drop-down list.

   • Fee

     The fee for the Collection Pursuit Status Code.

   • Enable Event

     Enables the Event drop-down list.

   • Event

     The event for the Collection Pursuit Status Code.

4. Click Save.
5. If required, use the following options:
   • To review an existing code, select the code and click Edit.
   • To remove an existing code, select the code and click Delete.
6. Repeat this procedure as required to set up the various Collections Pursuit Status Code.

Purpose

Use this procedure to create or modify litigation event type codes.

Prerequisites

• In order to perform this procedure, the following user right must be assigned to your ID:
  • PACS Administrator > Code File Maintenance > Edit Code Files

Procedure

1. In PACS.ADMIN, choose Tools > Code File Maintenance > Litigation. Then double-click Event Type.
2. Click Add.
3. Enter a code and a corresponding description.
4. To create litigation events for property records when the event type is selected for litigation, select Show at Property Level.
5. Click Save.

   

6. If required, use the following options:
   • To review an existing code, select the code and click Edit.
   • To remove an existing code, select the code and click Delete.
7. Repeat this procedure as required to set up the various Litigation Event Type Codes.

Purpose

Use this procedure to assign descriptions to lien holders to be used when lien holders are assigned to a property for foreclosures.

Prerequisites

• In order to perform this procedure, the following user right must be assigned to your ID:
  • PACS Administrator > Code File Maintenance > Edit Code Files

Procedure

1. In PACS.ADMIN, choose Tools > Code File Maintenance > Litigation. Then double-click Lien Type Codes.

   

2. Click Add.
3. Enter a code and a corresponding description. Then click Save.
4. If required, use the following options:
   • To review an existing code, select the code and click Edit.
   • To remove an existing code, select the code and click Delete.
5. Repeat this procedure as required to set up the various lien type codes.

Note You can view lien data on the Deeds and Sales panel of a property record.

Purpose

Use this procedure to create or modify tax auction status type codes, which are used to describe and classify the different states of a property being sold through a tax sale.

Prerequisites

• In order to perform this procedure, the following user right must be assigned to your ID:
  • PACS Administrator > Code File Maintenance > Edit Code Files

Procedure

1. In PACS.ADMIN, choose Tools > Code File Maintenance > Litigation. Then double-click Tax Auction Status.
2. Click Add.
3. Enter a code and a corresponding description.
4. If you need to designate the code status as sold, select Enable Sold. Then click Save.

   Note Only one tax auction status code can have the Enable Sold check box selected.

   

5. If required, use the following options:
   • To review an existing code, select the code and click Edit.
   • To remove an existing code, select the code and click Delete.
6. Repeat this procedure as required to set up the various tax auction status codes.

Purpose

Use this procedure to set up bill adjustment codes, which you can use to:

• Group bills together
• Change penalty and interest (P&I) calculations
• Excluding properties from collections data exports
• Alert users that an adjustment code has been applied to a property record when the record is opened.

Prerequisites

• In order to perform this procedure, the following user right must be assigned to your ID:
  • PACS Administrator > Code File Maintenance > Edit Code Files
• If fees need to be split in half to support half payments, the Allow Half Pay check box must be selected in PACS.ADMIN (Tools > Code File Maintenance > Collections > Fee Type) for the fees involved.

Procedure

1. In PACS.ADMIN, choose Tools > Code File Maintenance > General > Bill /Fee Code.

   

2. In the Bill / Fee Code File Maintenance dialog box, click Add.
3. In the Details section, complete the following fields as required:
   • Code

     The ID that displays on the bill.

   • Description

     A description of the code.

   • Penalty
   • Interest/Month
   • Alert User

     When selected, displays a warning dialog box when a property or bill with this code is opened from the Treasurer role.

   • Partial Payment Indicator
   • Display on Warning Panel

     When selected, a yellow warning band displays in the warning panel at the top of a property record when the bill or fee code is set for the property record.

     For example:

     

   • Not Eligible for Half Pay
   • Bankruptcy

     Indicates that the code is for a bankruptcy.

   • Deferral

     Indicates that the code is for a deferral.

4. Click Save.

Purpose

Use this procedure to create a litigation record.

Note A litigation record cannot be created from a property record, but once it is created, it can be modified from a property record.

Prerequisites

• In order to perform this procedure, the following user rights must be assigned to your ID:
  • Litigation > Edit Litigation
  • Litigation > View Litigation
  • Litigation > Edit Litigation Images

Procedure

1. In PACS 9.0, choose File > New > Litigation.
2. In the Properties panel, complete the following options:

   

   • Cause #

     The unique ID for the litigation, which is usually assigned by the court. You can enter numbers and/or text.

     Note Each litigation record must have a unique cause number, which you can use when searching for the litigation record in PACS.

   • Collector

     The collector associated with the litigation. Collectors are not associated with properties.

   • Collection Pursuit Type

     The type of property tax or collection being pursued. The Collection Pursuit Type selection determines which Collection Pursuit Status codes are available. This field is required.

   • Collection Pursuit Status

     The status or progress of the collection pursuit.

3. Click Add Properties to display the wizard with which you add the properties involved in the litigation and select the statements to be included in the litigation.
4. In the Property Statement Search Wizard, choose from the following search options in the Property Selection section:
   • All

     File As name and/or Property Type can be entered.

   • Property ID

     An individual property ID can be entered.

5. In the Bill/Fee Option section, choose from the following search criteria:

   

   • Tax Year(s)
   • Tax District(s)
   • Special Assessment(s)
   • Fee Type(s)
   • Bill Type(s)
   • Bill/Fee Code(s)
     • Include Codes

       Properties with the specified bill/fee codes will be included in the search results.

     • Exclude Codes

       Properties with the specified bill/fee codes will be excluded in the search results.

   • Delinquent Due Date
6. Click Next.
7. To add an event to each of the properties associated with the litigation, locate the Event Options section, select Enable Property Event, then select the Event Type and Event Recheck Date.

   

8. Select the Bill Code drop-down menu to apply a bill code to all statements selected in the Property Statement Search Wizard. Use the Comment field to add a comment to the bills of selected statements.
9. Review the list of excluded properties in the Excluded Statements – Select Items to Include section. Select properties that should be included in the litigation as required.

   Note Only excluded properties display in the grid in the wizard. Excluded properties include properties with bill/fee adjustment codes with bankruptcy or deferral attributes, property types that do not match the selected collection pursuit type code, and properties with active, locked, or pending payout agreements.

10. Click the ellipses button next to the Accepted Count to view the list of accepted properties. Deselect or select properties for inclusion in the litigation record as required.
11. Click Finish.

Result

The litigation record is created.

Troubleshooting: Adding Statements

• Statements with a zero balance cannot be added to the litigation records.
• A statement can be associated only with one litigation record at a time; you cannot place a statement on a litigation other than the one to which it is initially assigned.

Purpose

Use this procedure to:

• Apply bill codes and bill code comments to statements associated with litigation
• Pay statements associated with litigation

Procedure

1. In PACS 9.0, open a litigation record and expand the Properties panel
2. To specify a bill code and enter a comment which will print on the litigation reports, click Set Bill Code in the Statements section. In the Set Bill Code Dialog, bill codes can be applied to a single statement, or to all statements associated with the litigation.

   Note To remove all properties and their associated statements from the litigation, click Remove all Properties in the Properties section. Properties that have tax sales are not removed.

3. To pay statements, highlight the property associated with the statement in the Properties grid, then select the available statements in the Statements grid and use the Pay H1/Next or Pay Full option.

   

4. Review the payment information in the Payment Cart and click Post.
5. In the Payment Information section of the Post Payment dialog box, complete the following options as required.

   

   • Change Batch

     Click this button to create a new batch, select an already existing batch, or change the current batch. The selected batch is displayed in the field to the right of this button.

   • Drawer

     Click this button to create a new cash drawer, select an already existing cash drawer, or change the current cash drawer. The default is the last drawer you selected in the current PACS session.

     The cash drawer selected will be displayed in the field to the right of this button.

   • Paid Under Protest

     Select this option if the payment is being made under protest.

   • Paid By

     The payor. To clear this field and to document who the payment is being received by without creating a new taxpayer or selecting an existing taxpayer, click the X to the right of this field.

   • Change

     Click this button to change the payor; it opens the Account Search Wizard and will allow you to choose an existing taxpayer or create a new taxpayer.

   • Amount Due

     The amount due.

     In the payment cart, this field displays the total amount due from the cart.

   • Payment Code

     Indicates the type of payment.

     • Full – The taxpayer paid exactly the amount that was owed.
     • Partial payment – The taxpayer paid less than the amount that was owed and will have to pay the rest later. The money will be distributed among the bills and fees that can be partially paid.
     • Underpayment – The taxpayer paid an amount less than what was owed, but within the allowed underpayment variance. The taxpayer will not be billed for the difference.
     • Overpayment – The taxpayer paid an amount more than what was owed, but within the allowed overpayment variance. The taxpayer will not be refunded the difference.
     • Overpayment credit – The taxpayer paid more than what was owed outside of the allowed overpayment variance.  An Overpayment Credit will be created that can later be refunded.
6. In the Amount Paid section, enter information about the tenders, one per row, used to make the payment.

   

7. To add a tender, click Add.
   • To delete a tender, select it and click Delete.
   • To edit a tender, double-click it and complete the following fields as required:
     • Tender Type

       The tender type, such as Check or Cash.

     • Amount Tendered

       The amount of the tender.

     • Ref. Number

       The reference number of the tender, such as the check number.

     • Desc. (Date, Name, etc.)

       Stores reference information of your choice. This field may be useful, for example, for storing individual payor names when there are multiple payors contributing to a payment.

     • DL Number

       The driver license number.

     • DL State

       The state in which the driver license was issued.

8. In the Amount Paid section, complete the following fields as required:
   • Credit Card

     The amount of the credit card payment.

   • Type

     The type of the credit card, as selected from the drop-down list in this field.

   • Last 4#

     The last four digits of the credit card.

   • Auth. Code

     The authorization code of the credit card.

   • CCCC

     Credit card convenience charge of 3%, if applicable.

   • Swipe

     The amount in the Credit Card field plus the credit card convenience charge (CCCC). Total amount paid.

   • Total Paid

     The total amount of payments to be posted.

     In the Payment History panel, this field reflects the sum of the amounts in the Amount Paid column.

   • Balance Due

     The balance that will remain due on the bills included in the transaction.

   • Change Due

     Change due to the payor that was paid in excess of the amount due.

9. In the Options section, select the following options as required:

   

   • Print Receipt

     If the application is configured to use a receipt printer, a receipt printer is used to print a receipt.

     Receipt printers are configured in the Workstation Configuration dialog box in PACS.ADMIN (Tools > Configure Workstation).

   • Copies

     The number of receipts to print.

   • Validate Checks

     Select this option to validate the checks with a check validator attached to your workstation.

     For information about configuring this option, see Configuring Workstation .

   • Print Statement

     This option will print a tax statement for the properties and tax years included in the payment transaction. When this box is selected it will enable the As Of Date field to be used to calculate the penalty and interest on the statement.

10. Click Post to post the payment.
11. If you selected the Overpayment Credit payment code, in the Payment Distribution dialog box, specify the property or properties that should receive the credit and then click OK:

    Note If you need to select a property that is not listed, click Add to add the property to the list.

    

12. If a slip printer is configured for your workstation, after any receipts have been printed, in the Validation dialog box, use the following options as required:
    • Validate & Advance – Sends the validation line to the slip printer and advances the selection to the next row.
    • Validate – Sends the validation line to the slip printer.
    • Skip – Advances the selection to the next row.

Prerequisites

• In order to perform this procedure, the following user rights are assigned to your ID:
  • Litigation > Edit Litigation
  • Litigation > View Litigation
• If you need to use customized fields to track information related to litigation, the fields must have been created in PACS.ADMIN (Tools > User Table Management) for the user_litigation table.

Procedure

1. In PACS 9.0, open a litigation record. Then expand the Miscellaneous panel.
2. Complete the following fields as required:
   • Court

     The name of the court associated with the litigation. If the name is not available, you can enter text such as Not Assigned or Unknown.

   • Judge
   • Reason for Suit
3. Complete the following fields as required:

   

   Note If the following information is unknown, you can leave these fields blank.

   • Date Filed
   • Date Certified
   • Trial Date
   • Jury Type
4. In the Comments area, we recommend entering the property IDs and the years associated with the litigation. Enter other comments as required.
5. If customized fields have been set up for your office to track information related to litigation, complete values as required in the User Values grid.
6. Click Save.

Purpose

Use this procedure to add a fee to property records selected from search results.

Prerequisites

Fee types and amounts have been set up in PACS.ADMIN (Tools > Code File Maintenance > Collections > Fee Type).

Procedure

1. In PACS 9.0, conduct a litigation search, right click a record, and select Add Property Fee.
2. Complete the following information in the Add Fee Wizard as required:

   

   • Fee Type
   • Year
   • Fee Amount
   • Override

     If required, use this option to override the default fee amount.

   • Due Date
   • Batch
   • User
3. In the Assigned To section, choose one of the following options as required:
   • Property Tax Statement

     When selected, upon creation of the fee, the statement ID becomes the same statement ID that exists for the property taxes of the selected property and year. If property taxes do not exist, then the statement ID is set to zero.

   • Statement ID 0

     When selected, upon creation of the fee, the statement ID is set to zero.

4. In the Fee Options section, complete the following options as required:
   • Apply Fee to Individual Properties

     Applies the fee to each property selected in the next page of the wizard.

   • Lump Fee

     Distributes the fee evenly among properties selected in the next page of the wizard.

5. Enter comments as required. Then click Next.
6. Review and select the properties to receive the fee and click Finish.

   

   Note The balance displayed for a property is the balance due on the total of the statements associated with the property.

Result

The fee is added to the property records.

Purpose

Use this procedure to:

• Add a litigation event
• Attach a file to a litigation event
• Specify re-check data for a litigation event
• Copy litigation events

Prerequisites

Litigation event types have been set up in PACS.ADMIN (Tools > Code File Maintenance > Litigation > Event Type).

Procedure

1. Open a litigation record and expand the Fees/Events panel.
2. Use the following options as required:
   • To add a new event, do the following:

     a. In the Events panel, click Add.

     b. In the Edit Event dialog box, select the event type. Then click OK.

   • To attach a file to a litigation event, do the following:

     a. Select the event and click Details.

     

     b. In the Attached Objects section of the Edit Event dialog box, click Add.

     c. In the Open dialog box, select the file to attach to the event. Then click OK.

     d. In the Edit Event dialog box, click OK again.

   • To indicate that an event has been re-checked, do the following:

     a. Select the event and click Details.

     b. In the Edit Event dialog box, select a re-check date. Later, when the re-check is complete, select Re-Check Complete.

   • To copy an event to other property records associated with the litigation, do the following:

     a. Select the event and click Copy Event to Property.

     b. In the Copy Event to Property dialog box, select the properties to copy the event to. Then click OK.

Purpose

Use this procedure to view tax sales or enter tax sales when a property associated with a litigation has been sold.

Procedure

1. In PACS 9.0, open the Tax Sale panel of a litigation record.
2. In the Tax Sale grid, use the following options as required:

   

   • Click Add to add tax sale details to a property and do the following:
     • Select the property in the Tax Sale Wizard.

     

     • Enter the following information in the Tax Sale Wizard dialog box as required:

     

     • Property ID
     • Auction Date

       The date of the auction. Changing the auction date recalculates the minimum bid.

     • Auction Status

       Auction status associated with the property and open litigation.

     • Sale Description

       Identifies items sold under distraint.

     • Delinquent Taxes and All Fees

       This option calculates the minimum bid as the sum of delinquent taxes, fees, and penalties & interest as of the auction date and fees.

     • Current and Delinquent Taxes

       This option calculates the minimum bid as the sum of items currently due on the property.

     • Sold

       Indicates if the property was sold at auction.

       This indicator is available for selection in the Tax Sale panel when the Enable Sold indicator is selected for the Tax Auction Status code in PACS.ADMIN (Tools > Code File Maintenance > Litigation).

     • Winning Bid Amount

       Note Options in the After Tax Sale section are active when the Auction Status has the Enable Sold attribute selected.

   • To view a record’s tax sale information, click Details in the Tax Sale grid, then review or modify information in the Tax Sale Details dialog box as required.
   • To remove tax sale details from a property, highlight the property and click Delete.
   • To open a property record associated with a tax sale, highlight the property ID in the Tax Sale grid and click Open Property.

Purpose

If required, use this procedure to add images or documents, such as a bankruptcy document or abstract of judgment, to the litigation record.

Prerequisites

• In order to perform this procedure, the following user rights must be assigned to your ID:
  • Litigation > Edit Litigation Images
• The Image Type, Record Type, and Sub Type codes that you need to use have been set up. For more information, see Setting Up Image abd Document Codes.

Procedure

1. In PACS 9.0, open a litigation record. Then expand the Images panel.
2. In the Add New Image dialog box, complete the following fields as required:
   • Image Type

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

   • 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.

   • Scan Date

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

   • Image Date

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

   • Effective Year
3. Either click Scan to scan the image or click Browse to select an existing image.
4. Click OK.

Purpose

Use this procedure to determine the current owner and, if necessary, change ownership.

Important Changes made to ownership elsewhere in PACS will not be reflected in this Owner History panel. To maintain an up-to-date owner history on this panel, you need to add new owners on this panel as required.

Prerequisites

• In order to perform this procedure, the following user rights must be assigned to your ID:
  • Litigation > Edit Litigation
  • Litigation > View Litigation

Procedure

1. In PACS 9.0, open a litigation record. Then click the Owner History panel.

   

2. Use the following options as required:
   • To display the current owner record, click Open.
   • To assign a different owner to the litigation, click Change and search for the new owner.
3. Click Save.

Purpose

Use this procedure to search for and display litigation records in the system.

This feature is useful, for example, if you would like to review all litigation with an open status code.

Prerequisites

• In order to perform this procedure, the following user right must be assigned to your ID:
  • Litigation > View Litigation

Procedure

1. In PACS 9.0, within the Search band, choose Litigation.
2. Enter search criteria as required. Then click Search.
3. Review the litigation records that the system retrieved based on your search criteria.
4. In the Litigation Search Results window, select a litigation record. Then right-click and choose Details.

Purpose

Use this procedure to access, enter, and review a litigation record from a property record.

Prerequisites

• To edit a litigation record, the following user rights may be required:
  • Litigation > View Litigation
  • Litigation > Edit Litigation
  • Litigation > Edit Litigation Images

Procedure

1. In PACS 9.0, open a property record and expand the Litigation panel.

   Note When a property has a bill or statement having a Bill/Fee Code with the Alert User attribute, you are prompted to confirm the code’s presence.

2. In the Litigations section, review the litigation records associated with a property. To display a litigation record, select it and click Details.

   

3. In the Litigation Contacts section and grid, click the Details button to view the selected contact’s record. To add a new/different contact, click Change Contact to open the standard account search wizard.

   

4. In the Bankruptcy Case section, review or enter the following information as needed:
   • File #

     Not required on a new litigation record, but may be entered when appropriate: for example, if a litigation is of pursuit type Bankruptcy then the bankruptcy number can be entered here.

   • Bankruptcy #

     This is not a required field; it can be left blank, or if you do enter a number, it can be changed after the litigation record is saved. This number can be the same number as the Cause #.

   • Bankruptcy Status

     Specifies the type of litigation, such as SF for suit filed or SS for sheriff sale.

   • Date Filed
   • Trial Date
   • Court
   • Judge
   • Reason for Suit
   • Litigation Status
   • Comments
5. View or edit Attorney or Trustee accounts as needed. To change the contacts attached to the property’s litigation, click the Change Attorney or Change Trustee buttons and use the account search wizard.
6. Click Save.

Purpose

Use this procedure to update bill codes on more than one property when working within the Litigation view.

Procedure

1. Open the Litigation record and expand the Properties panel.
2. In the Properties grid, select the properties whose Bill Fee Codes you wish to modify. Then click the Bill Fee Code button on the grid toolstrip.

   

3. Then, choose the desired code and enter comments as needed.
4. Click OK.

Purpose

Use this procedure to remove properties and the statements associated with a property from a litigation record.

Prerequisites

• The following user rights are assigned to your ID:
  • Litigation > Edit Litigation
  • Litigation > View Litigation
• The statements associated with the litigation record have been paid and the litigation has been dismissed.

Procedure

1. In PACS 9.0, open a litigation record.
2. Expand the Properties panel.

   Caution  Once you choose Delete in the next step, you must proceed in removing the property from the litigation record; there is not an option to cancel the deletion.

3. Select the property to remove and click Delete.
4. In the Bill Code drop-down list of the Set Bill Code dialog box, select the bill code. Then do one the following:
   • To apply a bill code to the statements for the removed property, select a bill code, and if required, enter a comment, which is displayed in litigation reports. Then click OK.
   • To remove the property without applying a bill code to the statements, click Cancel.
5. Click Save.

Result

The properties that you selected are no longer displayed in the Properties panel, and statements for the properties are no longer displayed in the Statements panel.

Purpose

Use this procedure to print letters for a litigation record.

Prerequisites

• The letter that you need to print must have been set up with type LIT in the Letter Processing module. For more information, see Letter Processing.
• If you need to use a letter template to print a group of letters and/or forms, the letter template must have been set up in PACS.ADMIN (Tools > Letter Template Maintenance).

Procedure

1. In PACS 9.0, open a litigation record. Then expand the Letters panel.

   

2. Select the letter from one of the following drop-down list options as required:
   • Letter
   • Template

     A collection of letters and/or forms that can be printed as a group. The number of copies to be printed for each item in the collection can be specified.

     The template is set up in PACS.ADMIN (Tools > Letter Template Maintenance).

3. Click Print.

Result

A log of letters that have been printed for the litigation record is displayed in the History section.

Purpose

Use this procedure to add a lien to a property, or to add properties to a lien.

Prerequisites

• Lien Type Codes have been created in PACS.ADMIN. For more information, see Setting Up Lien Type Codes.
• If you are processing documents or letters with the lien, then the documents are set up through Letter Processing. For more information, see Letter Processing.

Procedure

1. In PACS 9.0, open the property to which you want to add a lien, and expand the Deeds & Sales panel.
2. In the Property Liens section, click Add. If the property already has a lien, and you wish to add properties to the lien, then select the lien in the Property Liens grid, click Details, and proceed to step 6.
3. In the Lien dialog box, make the following selections as required:

   

   • Lien Type

     The lien type code describing the lien.

   • Program

     The Ag Use code indicating the Current Use program specified in the lien.

   • Fee Type
   • Year

     The assessment year during which the lien is created.

   • Acres Liened

     The number of acres to which the lien applies.

   • Effective Date

     Date the lien goes into effect.

4. To generate documents or letters, select the following as needed in the Documents section:
   • Lien Document
   • Taxpayer Letter
5. In the Recording Information section, enter the following as needed:
   • Volume
   • Page
   • Comment
   • Recorded Number

     The number identifying the lien. This number may be a letter tag in any lien release documents generated in the future.

     Important After a value is entered in the Recorded Number field, and the Lien record is saved, you can no longer change the lien information or add properties to the lien, as these areas become read-only.

6. To add a property to the lien, click Add in the Properties section and use the Property Search Wizard to search for and select properties. Repeat as needed.

   Note When a property is added to a lien record, the lien displays in the Deeds and Sales panel of that property record.

7. In the Legal Description panel of the Lien dialog box, enter descriptions as required in the Agricultural field, Designated Forest Land field, and/or Open Space/Timber field.

   

8. In the Release panel, verify releases as required. For more information about releasing a lien from a property, see Releasing a Lien,
9. Click OK or Apply.
10. If you are printing lien documents, the Print Lien Letters dialog box displays. Select Cancel to exit the dialog, saving the lien without printing any lien documents. Or, select from the following options as needed and select Print.

    

    • Print Lien Document
    • Print Taxpayer Letter

Purpose

Use this procedure to release a lien on a property.

Prerequisites

• If you are processing documents or letters with the lien, then the documents are set up through Letter Processing. For more information, see Letter Processing.

Procedure

1. In PACS 9.0, open the property to which you want to add a lien, and expand the Deeds & Sales panel.
2. In the Property Liens section, select the lien to be released and click Release.

   

3. In the Release Lien dialog box, select one of the following:

   

   • Complete Release

     100% of the specified property is released from the lien and the lien is no longer in effect.

   • Partial Release

     A piece of the property is released from the lien. The lien is still in effect and title to the land cannot be transferred.

4. Verify metes and bounds information as needed.
5. Click OK.

   Note The lien is released from all properties associated with the lien.

Purpose

Use this procedure to generate lien documents or lien taxpayer letters from a lien record.

Prerequisites

• Lien documents and letters are set up through Letter Processing. For more information, see Letter Processing.

Procedure

1. In PACS 9.0, open the property to which you want to add a lien, and expand the Deeds & Sales panel.
2. In the Property Liens section, select the lien for which you are generating documents and click Documents.
3. In the Lien Documents dialog box, select the following options as required:

   

   • Create Lien Documents
   • Create Taxpayer Letter
4. Click Print or View to generate the documents.

   Note On printing/previewing documents and letters, an event is created for each property.

Purpose

Use this procedure to generate the Property Lien Report which can be used to track liens recorded in PACS 9.0.

Prerequisites

• If you are processing documents or letters with the lien, then the documents are set up through Letter Processing. For more information, see Letter Processing.

Procedure

1. In PACS 9.0, choose Reports > Property Lien Report.
2. In the Property Liens dialog box, use one or more of the following search criteria:

   

   • Lien Date

     The range of dates during which liens were created.

   • Owner

     Click the ellipses to open the Account Search Wizard and select a property owner with a lien.

   • Legal Description

     The legal description of the selected property. A partial description is acceptable.

3. In the Sort Order section, select one of the following options:
   • Property ID
   • Owner Name
   • Legal Description
   • Number of Acres
   • Lien Date
4. 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.
5. 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.

Purpose

Use this report to generate a list of personal and mobile home properties with uncollected taxes and the tax amounts due.

Procedure

1. In PACS 9.0, choose Reports > Collections > Annual Auditor Report.

   

2. Select the sort order, years, and property types.
3. 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.
4. 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.

Procedure

1. In PACS 9.0, open the property record for which to generate a bankruptcy claim form. Choose Commands > Generate Bankruptcy Claim Form.

   

2. Enter the name of the court involved in the claim in the Bankruptcy Claim Form field, and/or enter the Case Number.
3. 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.
4. 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.

Purpose

Use this report to list properties scheduled for sale on future auction dates, or properties that have been sold at auction.

The report displays:

• Auction Date
• Bidder name
• Bid amounts
• Property details

Procedure

1. In PACS 9.0, choose Reports > Collections > Bid List/Sold Property Report.

   

2. Complete the Report Options.
3. 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.
4. 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.

Purpose

Use this report to generate a certificate of delinquency document, which displays:

• Owner information
• Property information, including, if applicable, personal properties linked to the main property account
• Taxes due

Procedure

1. In PACS 9.0, do one of the following:
   • From a property record, choose Commands > Generate Certificate of Delinquency
   • Choose Reports > Collections > Certificate of Delinquency
2. Specify the Selection Criteria.
3. In the Linked Properties grid, select linked properties for inclusion in the report as needed.

   

   Note The grid displays linked properties with the same owner. Linked properties are excluded from the report when those linked properties have zero tax due, even if they are selected in the grid.

4. 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.
5. 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.

Purpose

Use this report to generate a list of properties that have delinquent taxes and that qualify for the commissioner’s report.

The report displays:

• Bill code
• Base tax due
• Owner name
• Property ID
• Tax district / agency / fee type

Procedure

1. In PACS 9.0, choose Reports > Collections > Collection Review Report.

   

2. Complete the Report Options.
3. 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.
4. 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.

Purpose

Use this report to review data about taxes that have not been paid.

Note This report may take an hour or more to generate on some databases. The time needed depends on the amount of data and on the report criteria selected by the user.

Procedure

1. In PACS 9.0, choose Reports > Outstanding Balances Report.

   

2. In the Print Outstanding Balances dialog box, select one or more of the Report Options. To specify particular codes to be included or excluded in the report, click and use the arrows to move items from the left column to the right column.
3. Select either Include Codes to include the codes you selected, or Exclude Codes to exclude the codes you selected.
4. Select one of the following option and complete the corresponding date:
   • Details & Totals – Uses the Effective Date to calculate what is due on bills and fees, including penalties and interest.
   • Totals Only – Uses the As of Date to retrieve transactions with a batch balance date before or equal to the As of Date.
5. Select a sort option.
6. 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.
7. 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.

Purpose

Use this report to generate a listing of delinquent properties that require action either for the commissioner or the superior court.

The report lists properties as well as:

• Property type
• Base tax due and the corresponding tax year
• Bill adjustment code descriptions

Procedure

1. In PACS 9.0, choose Reports > Collections> Judgment Report.

   

2. In the Report drop-down list, select either Commissioner's or Superior Court.
3. Specify the years for which to retrieve data for the report. Then complete the following options:
   • Sort Order
   • Selection Type
     • Property IDs – Use this option to enter the property IDs of records to be updated.
     • SQL Query – Use this option to enter a SQL query with which to retrieve records.
   • Bill/Fee Code
4. Specify whether to include or exclude the bill or fee codes you selected.
5. Do one of the following:
   • If you selected Property IDs as the Selection Type, in the Property ID(s) section, enter property IDs separated by a comma or a carriage return.
   • If you selected SQL Query as the Selection Type, in the SQL Query section, either enter a SQL query with which to retrieve property IDs or click Get Query to select a query.
6. 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.
7. 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.

Purpose

Use this report to review payment activity for accounts that are under pursuit.

The report lists the properties with pursuit types that you specify as well as totals for:

• Base amount
• Interest
• Penalty
• Total paid
• Refunds/overpayment

Procedure

1. In PACS 9.0, choose Reports > Collections > Pursuit Account Payment Report.

   

2. Use the Payment Date options to specify date criteria with which to retrieve the report.
3. Specify the pursuit types with which to retrieve the report. Then specify the sort order.
4. 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.
5. 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.

Purpose

Use this report to generate a list of properties with delinquent taxes and review a report with:

• Information about actions taken for a property (such as phone calls made and delinquent notices mailed
• Number of payments received
• Percentage of delinquent taxes recovered

Procedure

1. In PACS 9.0, choose Report > Collections > Pursuit Activity Report.

   

2. Complete the following options as required:
   • Activity Date
   • Pursuit Type(s)
   • Pursuit Status(es)
   • Collector(s)

     Displays a list of PACS user names to choose from.

     PACS users are assigned as collectors with the Assign Collector button in the Properties panel of a litigation record.

   • Include Unworked Accounts
3. 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.
4. 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.