How To by Fax. Click the <Save> button if you are done. Click the <New> button to enter in another deed restriction

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1 How To by Fax Violations - Deed Restrictions Overview Using the Deed Restriction module is easy but setting it up properly requires some planning and thought about how your process works. This module is more than a single event followed by an action or a canned sequence of events. You have the ability to set up any combination of events and actions to meet the specific handling of the situation. The module can be used to track and handle violations, deed restrictions and architectural requests. In addition, it can be used for call tracking and follow-up plus any other activities requiring a follow-up action or sequence of actions. In general the module works from a set of rules and a set of actions if a rule is broken. Setting Up The first step in using the deed restriction module is to enter your base profiles Articles, Deed Status, Subject, and Letter. You are then ready to enter a Deed Code and Deed Code-Actions that take place. Once all of that is in place, an Event triggers the sequence of actions that occur. Articles: The article generally consists of the verbiage associated with the bylaws that are part of the covenants of the association. The information entered in the article can be merged into a letter that is sent to homeowners. Go to <<Deed, Deed Restriction Article>>, click the <New> button. Assign the Deed Article a Record ID. The Active checkbox determines if the article is available from the find list. In the body of the article, enter in the bylaws that are associated with deed article. For example, you can enter in an ID of Trash and a Long Description of Trash Can. The body would contain your association rules regarding the placement of trash cans. Click the <Save> button if you are done. Click the <New> button to enter in another deed restriction article. 6/2003 Violations - #530

2 Status Examples of deed Status are: reported, pending, resolved, approved, corrected, on hold and under review. The status is an easy way for the user to determine the next step to be taken. The status can change automatically based upon actions taken or can be changed by hand using the drop down menu. Go to <<Deed, Deed Restriction Status>> and click the <+> button. Enter in a Record ID for each of the status you will need. If the Active checkbox is marked, the deed status will appear on the drop down list. If the Resolved checkbox is marked, PROMAS will consider that violation as being resolved and will only show it on the resolved tab of the history screen and on resolved reports. If the Include in Ride List checkbox is marked, all events with that status type will appear on Ride List reports. For example, enter in a Status with an ID and Long Description of Reported. Put an x in the Active checkbox and the Include in Ride List checkbox. Click the <+> button. For the second status enter in an ID and Long Description of Pending. Mark the Active checkbox and the Include in Ride List checkbox. Click the <+> button. For the third status enter in an ID and Long Description of Resolved. Mark the Active checkbox and the Resolved checkbox. Do not select Ride List. Click the <New> button. For the fourth status enter in an ID of LTR Sent and a Long Description of Violation Letter Sent. Mark the Include in Ride List checkbox. Click <Save>. Subject Subjects are general topics of association rules. For example, you can have a deed subject of Trash, that can be used when a homeowner forgets to bring in his trash can, has the wrong color trash can, or has any type of violation that pertains to trash. Same with Lawn, you can have a deed subject of Lawn that would be used if a homeowner forgets to mow his lawn or has unapproved lawn decorations. You need to determine what the default status is for each subject. Since this is normally assigned at the time the violation is reported you could make the default status, reported for a violation or under review for an architectural request. Go to <<Deed, Deed Restriction Subject>> and click the <New> button. Enter in a Record ID of Trash and a Long Description of Trash Can Violation. Mark the Active checkbox. In the Default Status checkbox select the deed status of Reported that you created earlier. In the Remind After (Days) field enter in the number of days after the event is entered that you want to be reminded about it. For our example enter in the number 3. In the Respond By (Days) field enter in the number of days after the event is entered that you want to take some form of action, i.e.: send letter, call, etc. For our example enter in the number 8. Click the <Save> button. 6/2003 Violations - 2 #530

3 Letters Deed Restriction Letters are created under <<Mailings, Edit Letter>>. You can choose from any substitution in the upper right hand corner. Keep in mind that substitutions starting with the word deed will only print on letters that are compiled under <<Deed, Deed Restriction Letters>>. You can create form letters that will print to specific homeowners who have had a deed event entered for them. The form letter will pick up the substitution field to print the letter with the homeowner s name, the specific article they violated and the steps that need to be taken to resolve the issue. Go to <<Mailings, Edit Letters>> and click the <New> button. Give the letter an ID of Trash and a Long Description of Trash Violation. Select the Return Address from the drop down menu. Give the letter a title of Violation Reported. Click into the letter body field. Once your cursor is flashing in the letter body, go to the Substitution checkbox in the upper right hand corner and double click on Letter.Date. This will make {Letter.Date} appear in the Letter Body where your cursor was flashing. When you compile your Violation Letters the actual letter date will appear in place of {Letter.Date}. Complete the body of letter using any substitutions necessary. Click <Save>. Codes There are two types of Deed Codes, action and non-action. Go to <<Deed, Deed Restriction Code>> and click the <New> button. A blank deed Action code screen will appear. In the upper right hand corner, remove the X from the Action Code box. It is now an Event Code (non-action). Notice how the screen is laid out. There are four fields to fill in: Subject, Article, Immediate Action and Change Status To. The Immediate Action is a Deed Action Code. Click on the yellow file folder to the right. In this screen you need to select a letter from the drop down list and enter in the Follow up Days, the Follow up Action and the New Status. Remember, if you want this Deed Action Code to appear on your Ride List you must mark the Include in Ride List checkbox. The follow up action is another Deed Action Code. You can have many levels of deed action codes assigned. The first Deed Action Code may be sending a letter to the homeowner notifying them of the violation. The second Deed Action Code could be informing the homeowners that they need to appear before the neighborhood board. The third Deed Action Code could be sending the homeowner a letter informing them that legal action will be taken if the violation is not corrected within a certain time frame. The only fields that are required in the Deed Action Code are the ID and Long Description. When you want to stop entering in follow up actions you can create a Deed Action Code with an ID, Long Description, and New Status of Resolved or Sent to Legal. Go to <<Deed, Deed Restriction Code>> and click the <New> button. Take the X out of the Action Code checkbox. Give it and ID of Trash and a Long Description of Trash Can Violation. (You will end up creating many deed restriction codes, at least one for each of your HOA bylaws and ARB requirements. Remember that the first code you create will not have the Action Code checkbox marked the first in the series is always a non-action. In a later step you will create the action codes.) In the Subject field either type the word trash and click enter or click on the flashlight button and select the Deed Subject, trash, that was created earlier. In the Article field you also want to select the Deed Article, trash, that was previously entered. If you need to create a new one you can always click on the yellow file folder to the right. 6/2003 Violations - 3 #530

4 Click on the yellow file folder to the right of Immediate Action. A new Deed Restriction Action Code will appear. Enter in an ID of Trash LTR and a long description of Trash Violation Letter. In the Letter field, select the trash can violation letter that you created in a previous step. In the Follow up Days field enter in the number 3. Click on the yellow file folder to the right of the Follow up Action field. This will bring up another Deed Code. Enter in an ID of Drive By and a Long Description of Drive By. Leave the four main fields empty. Mark the Include in Ride List checkbox. Click <Save>. You are now back in the original deed Action Code, Trash Violation Letter. Leave the Change Status to field empty. Mark the Include in Ride List checkbox. Click <Save>. You are now at the deed NON-action code, Trash Can Violation. In the Change Status To field select the Status, Violation Letter Sent. Mark the Include in Ride List checkbox. Click <Save>. You are now ready to enter in a violation. Deed Events A Deed Event is created anytime a member is reported for a violation or if a homeowner submits an architecture request. To record an event, go to <<Deed, Deed Restriction Event>>. The date will default to the system date. In the Site field enter in the unit. In the Code field, select Trash Can Violation. The Status field will automatically fill in with the Status Violation Letter Sent. You may change the Status field if the default does not pertain to this specific deed event. The Note section is a free form field where you can enter information about the event. This note can include who reported the violation. Keep in mind the Deed Event Note is a substitution choice for Deed Letters. The Remind After Days will be 3 days after the posting date and the Respond By Days will be 8 days after the posting date. This information is taken from the Deed Subject created earlier. Click <Post>. You can now view this event in <<Deed Restriction History>>. You are now ready to send out letters notifying homeowners of violations. Go to <<Deed, Deed Restriction Letters>>. Click <Compile>. A list of members who have had deed restriction events entered on their unit will appear. Click the report button at the bottom right. This will print a report showing every member who is going to have a violation letter sent to them. The report includes the member name, unit address, the name of the violation letter being sent, and the deed restriction code that was entered in against their unit. After reviewing the report you can choose not to send members a letter by marking the skip box next to their name. You can now click the compile button and PROMAS will merge the information from the member and the deed restriction event into the violation letter you created. Once you print the letters the following warning screen will appear, Ready to mark the letters as sent. Please verify that the letters have successfully printed before continuing. If the letters printed, click the <OK> button, if there was a problem and you need to reprint click the <Cancel> button. Once you click the <OK> button the Deed Restriction History will show that a letter was sent to that member. 6/2003 Violations - 4 #530

5 Deed Restriction History This history function is similar in layout to the Maintenance module Work Order History. It gets updated as actions take place. There are five tabs: Unresolved, Remind this Week, Respond this Week, Resolved, All. The upper portion of the screen contains each event line item while the bottom portion has each action line item for the highlighted event. The filter button can be used to find a particular violation or group of violations. A new event can be entered using the event speedbutton and a new action can be entered for an existing event. Both the event and the action can be edited from the history screen. Event Line Items Date - the posting date of the event Site - usually the unit Code - the name of the deed event code Status - shows the status of the event Note - from the event. This field can be included on deed restriction letters. Remind - the remind date from the last code or action processed Respond - the respond date from the last code or action processed Action Line Items Date - the effective date of the action Description - the long description of the Action Code Status - the status of the event Letter Sent - date the letter was printed Note - can be entered by using the Edit Event button. Appears on reports but not in letters. Action Buttons Filter - Use to eliminate unwanted entries from the line items. Filtering on Site, Code, or Status can let you focus on the line items you are interested in. New Action - Use to add a new action to an existing event. Edit Event - lets you edit the event, make changes, and delete the event. Edit Action - lets you edit the action, add a note, make changes and delete the action. Deed Restriction Follow-Ups Selecting a Scheduled Through date and clicking <Compile> will search the deed restriction line items to determine if there are follow-up actions to post. When the follow-up action is posted it updates the history and will be a candidate for a letter if that is part of the action. The follow-up candidates can be Restricted To an association, a fund or a unit. 6/2003 Violations - 5 #530

6 Follow-ups Compiled Date - the date the follow-up becomes active Unit - ID and Long Description of the site Event - ID and Long Description of the event Follow-ups - ID and Long Description of the action Skip - mark this checkbox if you want to skip this follow-up candidate Deed Restriction Reports The report function in Deeds is similar to that in Reports. Since this is an optional module all the reports and letters are contained herein. In addition to the reports here, there are reports from Followups, Letters, Codes, Articles, Status and Subjects. Using the checkboxes, reports can include events with a Status of Resolved, Unresolved or Both. Report Name - options include Event Details, Event Summary and Ride List. Sort Order - the default is site. Other options are unit, association, subdivision and location. Report Date - select the date range Restrict to - options are association, unit, subdivision and location Limit to Status/Code selecting information in these fields acts as a filter Remind / Respond After - choosing date ranges for either or both will filter out those not matching Click <Compile> to bring up the report. Send Directly to Printer or Preview on Screen. Property Management Software-PROMAS Home page Association Property Software-PROMAS Home page 6/2003 Violations - 6 #530