9.0.39 Release Notes

Release Notes

Bill Codes

New functionality has been added to allow Bill Codes to be added to multiple properties from Activities> Mass Maintenance Bills > Mass Update Bill/Fee Codes (Treasurer Role).

• The new dialog will present a history of Bill Code updates and allow a user to create a new update run.
• For any specific run, a user can:
  • View the details of the run
  • Print a report for the run
  • Undo the run

Click Add:

• When creating a new run, the user can
  • Enter update information:
    • Bill/Fee Code – leaving the field blank will remove the code from the selection
    • Tax Year – One or more years can be selected to update the code.
    • Comment
  • Selection Criteria:
    • Tax Year – One or more years can be selected to update the code.
    • Bill Due Date – This will select all bills with due dates equal to or before the selected date.
    • Include/Exclude Paid Bills
  • Type
    • Standard
      • Tax District
      • Special Assessment
      • Bill/Fee Code – This will find properties where bills have the bill/fee code assigned.
      • Fee Type– This will find properties where fees have this fee type assigned.
    • Property List – allowing a user to enter a list of property IDs
    • SQL Query
  • Verify Property Count
  • Update – All properties meeting the criteria that have statements for the selected year will be updated.
    • The selected bill/fee code will be added to all bills/fees associated with the statement for the selected year for the properties selected.
    • Any existing bill/fee code will be replaced.
    • A new row will be added to the Mass Update Bill/Fee Code run list.
  • Print a report – the report will list all properties updated in the run with the following:
    • Property ID
    • Tax Statement Year
    • Previous Bill/Fee Code
    • New Bill/Fee Code

New functionality has been added to allow Bill Codes to be added to multiple properties from the Property Search Results List context menu (Treasurer Role).

• The new menu option will launch the new Mass Update Bill/Fee Code dialog, bypassing the run list.

• The dialog will default the selection type to Property ID. The selected property IDs from the search results will be listed in the Property ID list.
• The Tax Year will default to the property search tax year.
• Clicking Update will process the bill/fee code update. A new row will be added to the Mass Update Bill/Fee Code run list for the update.

Change of Value Notice

Configuration options have been added for the Change of Value Notice from PACS.Admin> System Configuration> Reports. This will allow a client office to format the Notice.

• Footer Text
• Show Change Reason Field
• Show Prepared By Field

Exemptions

Additional functionality has enhanced exemption proration capability. The following scenarios can now be addressed:

• A Past Prorated Exemption – Earlier in the year, the property had a different exemption, and possibly a different owner and value. These were captured in a previous supplement.
  • Add an EX (total exemption) to a property that had a SNR/DSBL exemption
  • Add a SNR/DSBL for new owner to property with existing SNR/DSBL for previous owner
• A Past Supplement without an Exemption – The property has a prorated exemption now, but there was a period of time earlier in the year when the property did not have an exemption, and the tax calculations used the value that the property had during that time, instead of the current value.

New columns have been added to the Exemptions grid for the proration dates.

Validation has been added to the proration date fields on Exemption details dialog. PACS will verify:

• The end date is equal to or later than the begin date
• The proration date range does not overlap the date ranges of any past-supplements or exemptions that have been included in the new history grid.

A new Proration Exemptions paragraph has been added to the Property View. It will display only for properties in supplement mode when there are also prior supplements involving prorated exemptions associated to the property.

Selecting the supplements will allow PACS to calculate the appropriate values and tax amounts for creating supplement bills or estimating levy taxes and exemption losses.

EXAMPLE

Property 1234 has an existing senior exemption associated with Taxpayer A. After notification is received, the exemption needs to be prorated off as of 7/1/2012. The property is sold and a new senior exemption associated to Taxpayer B needs to be prorated on as of 9/1/2012. Separate supplements need to be performed to allow PACS to track and calculate the total taxes appropriately. Below is the suggested workflow.

• Supplement 0: Senior exemption for Taxpayer A
• Supplement 1: Senior exemption for Taxpayer A, prorated from the start of the year until 7/1/2012
• Supplement 2: no exemption
• Supplement 3: Senior exemption for Taxpayer B, prorated from 9/1/2012 until the end of the year

In this example, the new Prorated Exemptions grid will appear, showing supplements 1, 2, and 3. Supplement 0 will not appear because the exemption is not prorated within that supplement. It is the original exemption that was intended to be effective for the whole year, before Taxpayer A sold the property. Supplement 1 prorated the exemption.Supplement 2 is required to indicate to PACS that the exemption is no longer effective. Supplement 3 would be performed after Supplement 1 and 2 are in at least Accepted Status. The user, most likely in the Assessor office, should select Supplements 1-3 in the Prorated Exemptions grid prior to accepting Supplement 3 to ensure correct tax calculations.

A property should not have both exemption proration and destroyed property proration in the same year. However, if that scenario exists, Destroyed Property Proration will take precedence. A recalculation error will be initiated where a prorated exemption exists on a property designated as Destroyed Property and vice versa.

PACS allows only a single exemption to exist on a property at one time. In processing prorated exemptions with the new functionality, it is important to retain all exemption information possible. When deleting an exemption from a certified year where the property is supplemented, if no proration dates are entered, a deletion warning message is displayed.

Handling SNR/DSBL exemption market and frozen values in reference to property characteristic changes has been enhanced. Rather than trying to automatically update frozen values, PACS can now warn the user when a change is made which impacts frozen values.

The warning is enabled by default.  It can be disabled from:

PACS.ADMIN> Tools > System Configuration > Property > Show frozen value warning

Once the setting is enabled, the warning is given when a property has senior/disabled frozen value after the following events:

• The homesite percentage of an improvement is changed.
• The homesite percentage of a land detail is changed.
• An improvement is deleted.
• An improvement detail is deleted.
• A land detail is deleted.

NOTE For changing values, the segment must be successfully saved without validation errors.

Improvement and land details belonging to a sale instead of a property will not trigger these warnings

Effective Acres Group

There is a need to create effective acre groups for specific years. Previously, the user could not add an effective acre group to a certified year. Creating a group now opens a new separate dialog, where a user can select a year and enter an initial description. If the user clicks OK, PACS creates the group and opens the full Effective Acres Group edit dialog. This allows the user to assign properties.

File > New > Effective Acres Group

Select to add properties to group:

NOTE Effective Acre groups can be edited in a certified year without supplementing the property. This is existing functionality.

General

The ability to control which Property Link Types generate a warning in the yellow warning banner has been added from PACS.ADMIN> Tools > Code File Maintenance> Property > Link Type.

A new checkbox Notify When Present controls the warning notification for the link type on each property associated with the link.

The ability to inactivate certain code files has been added. When inactivated, the code will no longer appear in code lists in PACS for users to choose from.

• Abstract/Subdivision Code
• Inquiry Status
  • Inquiry view – Inquiry Status combo box
  • PACS.ADMIN, when selecting the details of an inquiry to be created automatically when a petition is filed (Tools > BOE Maintenance > System Settings > Inquiry Settings)
  • Mass Update Status (from the Inquiry Search results context menu)
• Land Adjustment Code
  • Inactive codes cannot be selected when the user is editing the land adjustments on a land detail.
  • Inactive codes that already exist are still displayed.
• Improvement and Improvement Detail Adjustment
  • Inactive codes cannot be selected when the user is editing the improvement adjustments on an improvement detail.
  • Inactive codes that exist already are still displayed.
• Income Unit Type

Imaging

With the ability to associate images to improvements, several items have been enhanced. The improvement ID now displays on Property Images > Thumbnail view for images that are associated with improvements. The improvement ID is indicated with “I.”

The Property Image Details dialog has been modified to allow a user to associate an existing image with an improvement.

A comment field has been added to the Quick Image Scan dialog. The comment is specific to each image added and will update for each image.

We have implemented the ability to set an image associated to an improvement as a main image from:

• The property view’s Images panel
• Quick Image Scan

Improvements

Modifications have been made to the display of improvement adjustments.

When improvement adjustments exist, the Adjustments button on an improvement will display in Orange with the number of adjustments.

The ability to update multiple improvement details from a single dialog has been enhanced to allow update of common features.

• If one imprv detail is selected, it will list all features associated with the segment.
  • The user can make changes to Detail Features.
  • Only that particular detail and its features will be impacted.
• If one imprv detail is selected, it will list all features associated with the segment.
  • The user can make changes from the General or Adjustment Factors in addition to the Features.
  • Only that particular detail and its features will be impacted.
• If multiple imprv details are selected, it will only list common features between the two segments:
  • Common features will have matching values in each of the following fields:
    • Type
    • Feature
    • Unit Count
    • Up/Adj
    • Value

EXAMPLE

Construction Style, 1 ½ Story 2nd Unfinished exists on both imprv details above with different unit counts.

In this scenario, PACS would NOT pull these in as common features. The user would be expected to update these separately.

• If a common detail feature is removed, it will be removed for all selected imprv details.
• If a detail feature is added, it will be added for all selected imprv details.
• If a feature unit count is modified, it will be modified for all selected imprv details.

EXAMPLE

• Add a Porch Deck Roof and give it a Unit Count of 4.
• 4 units are added to each new detail feature.
• When the dialog refreshes, the Unit Count will display 4 units.

Income

A user can now open the details of an income improvement detail matrix from PACS.Admin> Tools> Schedule Maintenance> Income> Income Improvement Detail Schedule by using the mouse double-click option in addition to the Details icon.

The ability to create a matrix using the fireplace feature has been added.

NOTE The attribute ID 10, generally used as the fireplace feature, is used for this functionality.

A comment field has been added to the Schedule (Improvement Level) grid from Property > Values > Income > Details. The field will allow 30 alpha-numeric characters for each record in the grid.

The following fields displayed in the Schedule (Improvement Level) grid will display with a total:

• GBA
• NRA
• Unit Count
• GPI
• Reimbursed Expenses
• Secondary Income
• EGI
• Expense Overall
• NOI

Previously, new system settings were implemented based on a request to follow the Appraisal Institutes calculation method for Effective Gross Income. Without these configurations, PACS will calculate PGS, then multiply PGI by Occupancy % and Collection Loss and then add reimbursed Expenses and Secondary Income to that result to determine the Effective Gross Income (EGI). When the settings are in use, Reimbursed Expenses and Secondary Income are added to Potential Gross Income (PGI) BEFORE multiplying the PGI by Occupancy % and Collection Loss.

Additionally, functionality was introduced allowing the Income Schedule to use either Unit Count or NRA depending on user input. Unit Count usage is linked to these new system settings. For clarification, additional modifications have been made to address usability issues.

For the new system settings in Tools> System Configuration> System> Income Valuation Options:

• Unit Count field(s) will be disabled when both system settings are set to False.
• True/False = Unit Count is enabled, use unit count (if entered) for first calculation ONLY
• False/True = Unit Count is enabled, use unit count (if entered) for second calculation ONLY
• False/False = Unit Count is disabled, unit count is NOT used in either calculation

Letter Processing

To accommodate notification to taxpayers, several letter tags have been added for Inquiry type letters.This will allow users to create letters with total values for land and improvements rather than the individual homesite and non- homesite portions. The letter tags have been implemented to represent value changes involved with an Inquiry record in PACS. Letters can be created to display the value before and the value after a change was made. The ‘value before’ will populate from the previous supplement in that year. The ‘value after’ will populate from the current supplement for the same year.

Market Land – sum of:

• Land_hstd_val
• Land_non_hstd_val
• Ag_hs_mkt
• Ag_market

Market Improvements – sum of:

• Imprv_hstd_val
• Imprv_non_hstd_val

Market Total – sum of:

• Land_hstd_val
• Land_non_hstd_val
• Ag_hs_mkt
• Ag_market
• Imprv_hstd_val
• Imprv_non_hstd_val

Current Use Land (in program) – sum of:

• Ag_hs_use_val
• Ag_use_val

Current Use Land (Non-program) – sum of:

• Land_hstd_val
• Land_non_hstd_val

Current Use Improvements – sum of:

• Imprv_hstd_val
• Imprv_non_hstd_val

Current Use Total – sum of:

• Ag_hs_use_val
• Ag_use_val
• Land_hstd_val
• Land_non_hstd_val
• Imprv_hstd_val
• Imprv_non_hstd_val

Senior/Disabled Frozen

• Appraised_classified

Senior/Disabled Frozen

• Appraised_non_classified

Senior/Disabled Frozen Taxable – calculated as:

• (Taxable_classified + Taxable_non_classified) – appraised_non_classified

Total Base For Real Property Taxes – sum of:

• Taxable_classified
• Taxable_non_classified

Litigation

The way comments are stored on the property litigation panel has been modified. Previously, the litigation was limited to a single comment for each property. The comment now has a distinct row that can be viewed or edited and is tracked by who and when the information was added. The comments can also be printed (exported) in their entirety using the event functionality.

From the property, the following actions can be performed:

• Review the COMMENT section which is now a grid
• Add/remove/edit comments as needed

NOTE When editing a comment, the TYPE may not be changed.

• PRINT GRID gives the ability to export the data to the regular event grid formats.

Comment Event Types can be customized from Tools > Code File Maintenance> Litigation> Property Litigation Comment Event Type.

Miscellaneous Receipting

Modifications have been made to the code file maintenance of Miscellaneous Receipt templates.

• The ability to COPY a Miscellaneous Receipt Template has been added. The user is prompted to name the new template while keeping the Primary Accounts, Descriptions and order of accounts intact.

PACS.Admin (Treasurer Role)>Code File Maintenance>Collections>Misc Receipt Template

Click Copy.

The name entered here will be listed as the Code for the template created. The Description will be retained from the original template but can be edited once the new template is created.

• Functionality has been added to allow a user to manage the order of Primary Accounts listed in a template through the code file template details.

• When templates are used in PACS Misc Receipting Post Payment dialog, the order of accounts as maintained through Code File Maintenance is now retained. The accounts will be listed in the same order that they are displayed in the code file template details.

Changes in posting miscellaneous receipts have been made to allow the user flexibility in using templates to post payment.

• A new Comment field is available when posting miscellaneous receipts.
  • The field will store 240 characters.
  • The field display in the Post Payment dialog can be sized to accommodate the Comment field.
  • The Comment is displayed on the printed receipt, though truncated.

PACS > Activities > Posting > Collections > Misc Receipt Post Payment

The ability to modify account descriptions is limited when posting Miscellaneous Receipting where a template is assigned.

• If a template is used, the Description displayed for each Account Code will be retained from the code file template and will not be editable.
• If an Account Code is added to the account listing in the post payment dialog, the Description will populate from the original account but will be editable.

• For clients using Oracle GL ONLY: The NEW Comment field has been added for processing Miscellaneous Receipts. This has been added as line_description in the Oracle GL_Interface view.

  NOTE Other exports, i.e. EDEN will not be affected.

• Detailed Receipts printed for Miscellaneous Receipting have been modified as displayed in the receipt portion below.
  • Property listing previously printed with ‘ITEMS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH PROPERTIES’ has been removed for receipts printed where only miscellaneous receipting transactions exist
  • Account Line item list has been added with the following columns:
    • Account Description
    • Account
    • Amount
    • Comment

NOTE The summary receipt has not been modified.

REET

Multiple Tax Areas

Per the DOR, as long as the REET is calculated and distributed correctly, properties can be in different tax areas. The REET module has been modified to allow this. REET Distribution is controlled by REET rates at the Tax District level, where a REET rate is classified as City or County.

A property is added to the REET Affidavit Panel ONLY when:

• Matching City location code exists with other properties on the Panel.

OR

• If the property to be added and the existing properties on the REET do not have any city location codes but have a common county location code.

EXAMPLE:

Property A in City 10 and County 100

Property B in City 20 and County 100

Property C in County 100

Property D in City 10 and County 100

Property E in County 100

Property F in City 20 and County 200

Properties that can be added to the REET

Property A and D (common city)

Property B and F (common city) 

Property C and E (NO city and common county)

In the remaining combinations, a validation message is displayed and the property is not added to the REET.

Variable Affidavit Processing Fee

According to the DOR REET affidavit, a minimum of $5.00 shall be collected in the form of tax and processing fee. A processing fee is due on all transactions where no tax is due and on all taxable transactions where the tax due is less than $5.00. (RCW 82.45.180) If the excise tax due is less than $5.00, then the affidavit processing fee will be variable to maintain the minimum requirement; calculated as $5.00 minus the amount of the total excise.

New REET Configuration has been implemented with two new System Configuration settings in the REET Configuration section. 

• Affidavit Processing Fee Type identifies the REET affidavit fee type from existing REET fee types. The default is set by looking for any existing REET affidavit fee type.
• Minimum Amount Due is the minimum total amount due for a REET, when it’s configured.

   NOTE The minimum amount is the TOTAL minimum due and includes the State Technology fee, currently $5.

Existing REET Configuration:

In the REET > REET Type Code codefile, the user can choose which REET fee types are associated with each REET Type.  Any REET of that type will have those fees added on.

From CodeFile Maintenance > Collections > Fee Type, the REET AfProc fee details can be seen.

Though it is indicated as $5, since it is set as the processing fee in the System Configuration, PACS will calculate the variable fee due per REET record if added to each REET Rate Type.

The minimum amount due functionality works when these conditions are met:

• REET affidavit fees are configured where
  • Affidavit Processing Fee Type is set to a valid REET fee type
  • Minimum Amount Due > 0
• The REET Type has an associated Affidavit Fee

If the total amount due for the REET, excise plus other fees, is less than the Minimum Amount Due, the Affidavit Fee is calculated to bring the total up the minimum.  If the total amount due is equal to or greater than the minimum, the Affidavit Fee is set to a zero value.

Otherwise, all REET fees have their default value specified in the Fee Type code file.

Typically, in the REET configurations that are set up now, only the Exempt / non-tax REET types are set up with an affidavit fee – these generally calculate as zero excise and just the fees, with the Affidavit fee making up the difference between the other fees and the minimum.

If Taxable REET types don’t have the Affidavit Fee, the minimum value doesn’t apply to them.  The Affidavit Fees will need to be added to taxable types in order for this new functionality to apply.

REET Taxable where variable processing fee is calculated by PACS:

REET Taxable where variable processing fee DOES NOT need to be calculated by PACS:

Same record, different sale price entered

Refunds

A user can now Search by Check Number from the Refund Paid Search.

The refund receipt now displays a column for Tender Type under the section re-named Payments Made. Previously, only the check number or information in check reference number displayed on the receipt.

Reports

The Modified Bill report has been enhanced with a Totals Only option.

Sales

Sale Price has been added to the Ownership History grid.

Tax Statements

Modifications have been made to the tax statement property selection options for Delinquent Notices, Levy Statements, Corrected Statements, and Supplemental Statements.

• Property ID has been added to the Sort options.
• Property Group Code has been added as an option to select properties.
  • Include – only print if the property has the included property group code(s)
  • Exclude – do not print if the property has the excluded property group code(s)
  • Property Group Codes can be effective and expired. The following examples illustrate how those dates should be handled for this new functionality.
    • Assessment Year:

If effective date is in year < Assessment Year, the property group code selection should not interfere with the Delinquent Notice property selection.

Property Group Code Assessment Year = 2012-2013

Delinquent Notice printed = 10/25/2013

Property Group code is recognized in property selection

Property Group Code Assessment Year = 2013-2014

Delinquent Notice printed = 10/25/2013

Property Group code is recognized in property selection

Property Group Code Assessment Year = 2014-2015

Delinquent Notice printed = 10/25/2013

Property Group code is not recognized in property selection, has no affect on property selection

• Expiration Date:

If effective date is in year > expiration date, the property group code selection should not interfere with the Delinquent Notice property selection.

Property Group Code Expiration Date = 10/26/2013

Delinquent Notice printed = 10/25/2013

Property Group code is recognized in property selection

Property Group Code Expiration Date = 10/01/2013

Delinquent Notice printed = 10/25/2013

Property Group code is not recognized in property selection; has no affect on property selection

User Rights

New user rights have been added for BOE processing. Setting these User Rights will enable the user to only Add / Edit Protest Events in a BOE Protest. They will be unable to create a new Protest on a Property or Edit any other panel on the BOE Protest View.

• Create Protest Event Only
• Edit Protest Event Only

New user rights has been added to limit access to Effective Size.

• Edit Effective Size
  • Remove all rights within Legal Description segment; displays panel in view only mode
  • Assigning only Edit Effective Size right; displays panel in view only mode EXCEPT for Effective Size field which can be edited and saved.
  • Remove Edit Effective Size user right and Assigning Edit Real Property Legal Description, and Real Property viewed; panel is editable including Effective Size.
  • Remove Edit Effective Size user right and Assigning Edit Mobile Home Property Legal Description, and Real Property viewed; panel displays in view only mode.

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