In early June we distributed update 6.8.8 via email notification and electronic download. If you did not receive the email or need help downloading and installing the update please contact us.  Here’s a summary of some of the highlights in case you didn’t get it or didn’t have a chance at the time to review the update notes.

Fixes:

Previously, when using the Total Due function, if you unchecked an invoice and selected Print, the report would display all invoices, regardless of what you selected. This has been fixed to display only the selected invoices.

Updates & New Features:

Internet Tax Kiosk Payments

Downloading Internet Tax Kiosk payments processed by Invoice Cloud has just gotten easier. Previously, payment files were downloaded from the Tax Kiosk and then imported into Avitar Collect for processing. With this update you will no longer have to log into the Tax Kiosk to download the payment files.

What do I have to do to get this slick new feature? Simply contact us so we may enable the slick new feature in your Tax Collect program.

How do I use this new feature? Once enabled, go to Utilities | Internet Kiosk | Process Payments. The Import Payments tab allows you to import payments made via the Tax Collect Internet Kiosk.  You select a From Date and To Date and then click Retrieve Payments. If payments are found, they will display in a grid to the left for you to select. Selected payments are imported by clicking Import Payments. The Imported Payments can be edited and reviewed by selecting the Edit Imported Payments. Use the Apply Payments tab to apply the payments in Tax Collect.

Additional Owners/Mailtos

In this update, we have added functionality to distinguish between an additional owner and an additional mailto by simply checking a box on the Additional Owners/Mailtos dialog box. Once additional owners have been established, all owners (both the first owner of record and any additional) will receive copies of each notice (e.g. tax bill, lien notice, deed notice, etc.), as well as be included on all reports recorded at the Registry of Deeds.

What is the difference between an Additional Owner and a Mailto?  An Additional Owner is someone with a distinct ownership interest and an Additional Mailto is someone wishing to receive a duplicate copy of a bill or notice.

How do I add an Additional Owner or Mailto?  From the main menu select Edit Invoice | Add Additional Owner/Mailto and select This recipient has an Ownership Interest in this parcel check box and click Save. To add a new owner to the parcel select Create New and enter the owner’s name and address.

How do I change an Existing Additional Mailto  to an Additional Owner? Select their name and click Modify and select This recipient has an Ownership Interest in this parcel check box and click Save.

Can there be an Additional Owners and Additional Mailtos on a parcel?  Yes, Additional Owners and Additional Mailtos are added to a parcel in the system the same way except for the Additional Owners you will select This recipient has an Ownership Interest in this parcel checkbox.

Is there a report I can run on all Additional Owners/Mailtos? Yes, Reports|Additional Owners/Mailtos. The sort order options now include Order By Addt’l Owner/Mailto. The report will list all Additional Owners then the Additional Mailtos.

Do Additional Owners and Mailtos receive lien notices and deed notices?  Yes, when creating a new group of notices, you now have the option of including additional expenses for each Additional Owner that will be sent a certified notice. When you print the Lien or Deed List, if Additional Owners/Mailtos are found, the system will generate one report for the Additional Recipients and one report for the Owners of Record.

Can’t I print rather than photocopy notices for the Additional Owners/Mailtos?  Sure. When printing the notices/labels/certified forms, you will have three print options:

1. Primary Owners & Additional Owners & Additional Mailtos: This option prints the notices for all owners and mailtos.
2. Primary Owners & Additional Owners Only: This option allows you to print the notices that will be sent by certified mail.
3. Additional Mailtos Only: This option allows you to print the notices to be sent by regular mail.

Are the Additional Owners  listed on the Registry Lien Report and Lien Redemption Report? Yes, there is now an option to include Additional Owners on both reports.  After Lien Execution select Print Registry Report. If you want all owners to be included on the report to the registry, select Include Additional Owners check box. The Lien Redemptions Report has an option to,  Include Additional Owners. Check the box to print any additional owners on the redemption report.

Updating Book and Page

With this update, it is now possible for you to maintain multiple book and page records for liens, including the book and page of the original deed, the lien recording, and the lien redemption. Selected lien invoices will have an icon next to the Book and Page sections on the Details tab. Click on the icons to display the Edit Book & Page dialog box. There are three tabs for your use:

1. Original Deed: This is for the original deed book and page for the owner of this parcel. This should be populated by the system when the lien is originally created.
2. Lien Recording: This tab is used to record the Registry of Deeds Book and Page number for this parcel.
3. Lien Redemption: This tab is used to record the Registry of Deeds Book and Page number of the release of the lien.

What about when the lien comes back from the registry?  To update the liened book and page use the Query tab to search for your liened invoices (e.g. query for Invoices | Like | 2013L01%). The query will return a set of liened invoice records to update the Lien Recording Book and Page fields. Advancing to the next liened invoice is easily done by selecting OK/Next. Continue this process until you have updated every liened invoice in the set of records.

Deposit Summary of Tender Types/Totals

A Summary of Tender Types/Totals is now added to page one of the deposit report showing the total collected in Cash, Check, and Electronic. It will also display the Deposit Date, and PY (prior year) Deletions.

Credit Reports

Multiple filtering is now possible in Credit Reporting. The Filter Credits option identifies specific data with multiple parameters providing a customized report. For example, you can select credits assigned to receivables that were from a prior fiscal year and were assigned within a given date range.

Include Prior Amounts Owed on Tax Deed Notice

Why doesn’t the notice show everything I owe?  How many times have you heard this from deed notice recipients? Well, now you can show everything on the deed notice with this update. For example, if you are sending the tax deed notice for the unpaid 2011 lien and there is an unpaid 2010 lien, the notice can include the total amount owed for the 2010 and 2011 unpaid invoices with all interest and cost up to the deed date. If you decide to include the prior amounts owed, a message will print on the letters stating the total amount owed includes all unpaid invoices up to and including the deeding lien year.

Interest Calculator

Can I calculate the interest owed as of next Friday and print and send it to a closing company?  Absolutely. Printing the results of the Interest Calculator is now possible by clicking the printer icon in the calculator section.  Additionally you can include a description to the printed results (i.e. parcel address, owner’s name or even a disclaimer) for insertion above the calculation. It is a handy little tool for your customers and you.

How exciting, tell me how I can add a description.  Select Update Description (link located on the lower left hand section of the Interest Calculator dialog box). Select the font size and the alignment and type the description into the text box and select Save. Click on the printer icon and answer yes to display your description or no for no display to be included.  Note, the last entered description will remain unless it is modified or deleted.

Skipped Labels

Don’t waste unused labels.  Now you can print labels on a partially-used sheet of labels by skipping the partially-used areas on the sheet. For example, the last time you printed labels, the last sheet of labels only used five labels, leaving the rest of the page unused.  Now when printing if you respond yes to skipping labels, you will be prompted to enter the number of labels you want to skip.

How can I be sure labels were skipped? Prior to printing, a sample of the label placement on the sheet is displayed to confirm placement.

Printer Selections Within Reports

How can I print to a different printer temporarily?   Now you can select the printer you want to use from within the report print process. The alternate printer you select is temporary and is for that specific print job only. Selecting the alternate printer does not  change the default printer.

That sounds great, how do I select an alternate printer?  At the top of the report preview screen click Print Setup and then Printer Options. Use the Printer Name drop down menu to select the printer for this report and click OK. Once back on the report preview screen, click on the printer icon to print.

Monthly Balance Report

The Monthly Balance report has been updated to include details of any adjustments or prior months’ credits assigned.

Why would I need this detail?  If credits were assigned or adjustments were made (e.g. a receipt from a previous month was deleted), you will have an additional page(s) showing the details of each transaction. This can be a real time saver and assist you when it is necessary to review details.

Deposit Slip Preview

When the Deposit Slip option is enabled and you select Print Preview on the Prepare Deposit screen, you will now have the option to preview the Deposit Slip, as well as the Deposit.

Help Topics

What are the blue question marks for?  Those little blue question mark icons strategically located in various dialog boxes throughout the application are to assist you with the topic at hand. Clicking on the blue question marks wherever you see them will bring you to the corresponding help topic within our online documentation.