Notice Schedule

Master Timeline for PreDue, OverDue, and High Balance Notices

PreDue Notices

These do include an eight-day, "freshly-overdue" notice. These notices are sometimes referred to as "reminders".

Receiving these notices is a patron opt-in choice. It's keyed off of User Cat2, now labeled as PreDue. Delivery methods are email, phone, and text.

Emailed notices are sent during the 7AM hour; Text and Phone are sent at noon.

• Three Days before due date: First Pre-due notice
• One Day before due date: Second Pre-due notice
• Two Days Overdue: Overdue notice decommissioned²
• Eight Days Overdue: Overdue notice

Overdue Notices

Overdue notices are only sent on Wednesdays; thus the timing of event can vary by as much as 6 days.

Delivery options are email, phone, and text and is indicated by User Cat6 ("OverDues"). Patrons can't opt out of receiving overdue notices. USPS remains an option, but it is only for those with no ability to receive electronic delivery methods. The Third Overdue / Bill for Items Not Returned is always sent via USPS.

Emailed notices are sent at 6AM; Text and Phone are sent at 9AM.

• Two Weeks (15-21 days): First Overdue Notice
• Four Weeks (29-35 days): Second Overdue Notice
• Six Weeks (43-49 days): Third Overdue / Bill for Items Not Returned. Patron billed for replacement cost of item. This notice includes mention of future collections action and additional fees if not rectified.
• Eight Weeks (57-63 days): Patron is turned over to UMS if overdue items have a total value of $25 or more. A $15 REFERRAL bill is created, and patron status changes to COLLECTION. There is no MFRL notice sent for this action.

High Balance Notices

In addition to notices for checked out items, MFRL also has a schedule of notices for patrons with large unpaid balances. These notices are sent on Wednesdays, and always sent via USPS on a crash mailer.

• Two Weeks with High Balance
  • Notice sent if amount due on bills created 15 or more days ago total $25 or more
  • Includes mention of future collections action and additional fees if not rectified
  • States deadline to pay before being sent to collections
    • Deadline is slightly less than three weeks after notice creation; 8PM on the Monday before "three weeks" occurs
    • This time and day revolves around Paymentus hours, not library hours.
  • Also states that no additional notices will be sent, and online payment is available
• Five Weeks with High Balance
  • Patron is turned over to UMS if the balance on bills as described above is $25 or more
  • Newly created bills are not added in this calculation
  • A $15 REFERRAL bill is created, and patron status changes to COLLECTION.
  • There is no MFRL notice sent for this action.

INSTITUTE patrons

The only notice listed above that Institutional patrons receive is the Eight Days Overdue: Second Overdue email¹.

Patrons in Collections Status

When a patron is turned over to UMS, a collection fee of $15.00 is automatically added to the account. This fee is Non-negotiable. This fee defrays the cost that MFRL incurs when sending patrons to UMS.

• Once in Collection status, a patron must pay their entire balance due to get out of Collection status.
• If a patron in collections wishes to make scheduled payments to their account, branches can "suspend" UMS actions (calls and letters from UMS) through a UMS interface.
• It is not possible to delay the sending of a patron to UMS.

See also

• Predue and Overdue Notices - Schedule and Examples of our Predue and Overdue automated electronic notices. Examples of PreDue, Overdue, and High balance notices
• Hold Notice Schedule - Q: When do Hold Notices go out? A: Multiple times per day.

References

¹As per 01/31/2017 Management Meeting

²As per 11/14/2017 Management Meeting; PBWorks Event and Configuration Change Log; "Sirsi WF OD eMail Report Fail - 11/03/2017"