Liens Processing Prompts

Create a New Workfile

or

Load Existing Workfile

You can load a workfile that is already in process or start another lien process.

To load a workfile that is already in process, click Load Workfile .

To create a new workfile, enter or select the following options:

• Description - Enter a description of the workfile if desired.  This can be helpful if you have multiple workfiles.

• Services - Select the services to lien or select All to include all services.

• Companies - Select the companies to lien or select All to include all companies.

• Finance Periods - Select the finance periods to lien or select All to include all finance periods.

• Books - Select the books to lien or select All to include all books.

• Ages - If your customers are balance forward, select the age balances to consider for liens or select All to include all age balances.  
  Note:  If your customers are open item, skip this option.

• Invoice Billed Dates - If your customers are open item enter the invoice bill date or select All Dates to include all invoice billed dates.
  Note:  If your customers are balance forward, skip this option.

• Interest Through Date - Enter a date through which interest will be calculated for lien balances.  Note:  You can change this date after the workfile has been built.  If the date is changed, the interest for each account is recalculated and updates the account on the list.

• Lien MM/YY - Enter a date to assign as the Lien month and year.

• Multi Service Cost - To print a single letter for all of a customer's services and to include one letter cost for their services, check this box.  To print separate letters for each service, leave this box unchecked.

• Minimum Balance - Enter the minimum lien balance the account must have to be included in the workfile.

To begin generating a workfile,click Generate New Workfile .  If the following message displays, then there are no accounts to lien based on the options that were selected.

Organize Lien Workfile

When the workfile is created, a small dashboard with statistics displays at the top with the number of accounts in the workfile and a list that shows all the accounts in this workfile that are eligible to be liened.  You can click any of the tiles and the list will only show those accounts applicable to the tile.  For example, to see the list of accounts with notices printed, click the notices printed tile.  You can also see account and location details by clicking the link for the account.  

You can review the list and remove accounts if needed.  The list can be sorted, filtered and grouped so that you only see the desired accounts.  

Tip:  Use settings in the list to add or remove the columns to display in the list.  

Sort List

To sort the list, click the desired column heading.  To sort in reverse order, click the column heading a second time.  For example, you can sort the list by customer ID or lien balance.

Grouping

To organize items by a specific column like book, drag the desired column heading to the box above the list.  For example to group the accounts by book or finance period drag that column heading to the box.

Grouping Box:

Filters

To limit the accounts to those that meet certain criteria, click Filter next to the desired column heading.  Any column can be filtered.  The available filter choices display.  Here is an example of books filters.  To select the choices to use as criteria, click to check the desired box or boxes and then, click OK.

Note:  Advanced filtering options are available by clicking Text Filters.

Remove Account

To remove a customer from being liened, click to check the select box for the desired account and then click Remove Account .  The following message displays.  
Click Yes to continue. After clicking yes, the account is removed and the number of lien accounts listed on the dashboard is reduced by the number of accounts that were removed.

30-day Notices Processing

Use the Notices function to print 30-day notices for the selected customers.  The customer's lien notice tracking is updated each time a notice is printed for them.  You can view the notice in the Documents View of the Inquiry.

To generate notices, first select the accounts to receive a notice by clicking to highlight the desired lines of the list or click to check the check all box in the Select column.  Then click Notices.  
The following screen displays for you to confirm the transaction codes for generating liens, lien costs and lien interest along with the dollar amount for the flat cost and letter cost.  The transaction codes and the cost amounts come from Lien Parameter Maintenance, but you can change them here if needed.  You can add optional messages, if desired.

Lien

Lien Cost

Lien Interest

The transaction codes for generating the liens, the lien costs if applicable and lien interest display.  You can select a different transaction code from the list if needed.  If the transaction code is changed, the new transaction code will stay with the list.

Flat Cost

Letter Cost

The flat cost and the letter cost display the dollar amount to assess customers for the cost of processing their lien.  You can change the amount, if needed.  This amount will be included in the notices.

Messages 1-5

Enter up to 5 lines for an optional message to include on the notices, if needed.

To generate the 30-day notices, click Notices and then click View to print to the screen or Print to generate paper notices.  

A confirmation displays.  

Click Yes to continue.  Then select the job if applicable.

Create Notice Transactions for Notice Costs

If you want to assess the accounts for the cost of sending the notices, use the Create Notice Transactions function.  The cost transactions include the costs associated with processing and sending the 30-day notices including the cost of certified mailers and postage.  The notice cost amounts are generally included on each 30-day notice.

Create Notice Transactions

Select the accounts to assess notice costs by clicking to highlight the desired lines or click to check the check all box in the Select column.  Then click Create Notice Transactions.  The following screen displays.  To begin click Yes.  Or to stop click No.  When the transactions are created and the routine is finished, Complete   displays.  You can close the window.

Lien Journal

After the notice cost transactions are created, open the Billing Explorer to run a lien journal.  Use the journal to confirm the notice costs are correct.  

Note:  If there are errors on the journal, use Lien Entry in the Billing Explorer to remove the costs from the account.

The journal options display.

Select the services, companies, and finance periods to include on the journal.

Select how the journal should be sorted.

Then select Print View or Print.  To see a sample of the journal, click here.

Lien Post

To update the accounts with the costs, run the Lien Post.

From the Billing Explorer, select Post and then select Lien.  The following screen displays.

Select the services, companies, books and batches for posting.  

The update date displays today's date but can be changed to another date, if needed.

Click Proceed to begin.  When complete confirm the Lien Post Summary totals are correct for the notice costs.

Generate Lien Letters

Note:  Be sure to send the letters at the appropriate time.

Use the Generate Lien Letters function to generate lien letters for the selected customers in the workfile.  The customer's lien notice tracking is updated each time a lien letter is printed for them.  For more information, see the Documents View of the Inquiry.

To generate letters, first select the accounts to receive a letter by clicking to highlight the desired lines or click to check the check all box in the Select column.  Then click Notices.  The following screen displays.  The transaction codes and the cost amounts come from Lien Parameter Maintenance.  

Lien

Lien Cost

Lien Interest

The transaction codes for generating the liens, the lien costs if applicable and lien interest display.  You can select a different transaction code from the list if applicable.

Flat Cost

Letter Cost

The flat cost and the letter cost display.  This will be included in the notices.

To generate the lien letters, click Lien Letters and then click View to print to the screen or Print to generate paper lien letters.  The customer's status is updated to letter printed for all customers that had a lien letter generated for them.  A confirmation displays.  

Click Yes to continue.  Then select the job if applicable.  

Generating Lien Transactions and Updating Accounts with Liens

Use Create Lien Transactions  to create the lien transactions for the selected customers.  This routine will create transactions for the lien amounts and lien cost transactions if there is a letter cost included.  The lien transactions do not update the customers until you run the Liens Post Transactions.  

Create Lien Transactions

Use Create Lien Transactions  to create the lien transactions for the selected customers.  This routine will create transactions for the lien amounts and lien cost transactions if there is a letter cost included.  The lien transactions do not update the customers until you run the Liens Post Transactions.

Note:  If you assess a separate cost for liens and lien notices go back to Lien Parameter Maintenance before you create lien transactions and change the letter cost or flat cost amount.  If you charge for the 30-day notice, but not the lien letter, change the amount to $0.00.  If you do not charge for 30-day notices, but charge for lien letters, enter the cost in at this time.

To create lien transactions, select the accounts to receive a notice by clicking to highlight the desired lines or click to check the check all box in the Select column.  

Then click Create Notice Transactions .  The following screen displays.  

To begin click Yes.  Or to stop click No.  

When the transactions are created, processing complete displays.  You can close the window.

Run Liens Journal

After creating the lien transactions run a lien journal to review the accounts and the lien amounts.  For directions, see the Lien Journal step above.

Run Liens Post

When the journal approved, run the lien post.  This will complete the lien process by updating the eligible customer lien amounts from their regular age buckets to the lien balances.  It will also apply the lien costs to the customers' at this time, if applicable.  For directions, see the Lien Post step above.

Viewing Customer Lien Information

After the Post Lien Transactions routine completes, you can see the lien amounts in the lien buckets, from the Account Balances screen or in the balances area of Bill Entry or Cash Receipts Entry.  The details can be seen in the Transaction view of the Inquiry and in the Customer History.

Lien History in Transaction View or Customer History