1. Notices Sent Stage
When a Notice of Intent to File is sent to a resident (e.g., letters mailed or notices posted on doors), the following actions should be taken to restrict partial payments:
In the Property Management Software (PMS):
Mark the resident's account as "Full Payment Required". This setting ensures that partial payments are no longer accepted for the resident.
In Buzz Dashboard:
Update the status to "Notices Sent". This action syncs with the PMS setting and triggers Buzz to reference the instructions provided in the eviction notice, preventing residents from circumventing the process by making partial payments.
Outcome: Buzz will communicate with the resident based on the notice instructions, guiding them to follow the documented steps.
Note: The timing of these actions depends on the notice period requirements specific to the property's jurisdiction.
2. Eviction Filed Stage
Once the eviction packet is sent to the attorney, additional steps are required to update the resident's status:
In The Property Management Software (PMS):
Update the resident's status to "Eviction". This ensures Buzz handles the account differently, blocking all partial payments.
In Buzz Dashboard:
The system will automatically restrict payment options and direct residents to contact the legal representation listed in the eviction filing documents.
Outcome: Residents are guided to follow the legal process, and Buzz enforces full payment requirements.
Additional Considerations
Jurisdictional Compliance: Always verify the notice period and legal requirements for the property's jurisdiction before updating settings in Entrata or Buzz.
Manual Overrides: Once Single Sign-On (SSO) access is set up for your team, authorized users can log into Buzz and manually interject in resident conversations. Buzz will defer to manual instructions provided by team members.
Temporary Workarounds: If SSO access is not yet available, contact the Pay Ready team to manually handle specific resident cases (e.g., responding to a resident like Debora in Apt 2013).
Configuration Steps
Access Property Management Software (PMS):
Log into your Property Management System (e.g., Entrata, Realpage, Yardi).
Locate the resident's account.
Update the account status to "Full Payment Required" during the Notices Sent stage or "Eviction" during the Eviction Filed stage.
Access Buzz Dashboard:
Log into the Buzz dashboard (once SSO is configured).
Update the resident's status to "Notices Sent" or confirm the "Eviction" status as needed.
Verify Settings:
Ensure the PMS and Buzz settings align to prevent partial payments.
Check that Buzz is referencing the correct notice or legal instructions.
Troubleshooting
Issue: Partial payments are still being accepted.
Solution: Verify that the resident's account is marked as "Full Payment Required" in the PMS and that the Buzz dashboard reflects the correct status ("Notices Sent" or "Eviction").
Issue: Lack of access to Buzz dashboard.
Solution: Confirm with your leadership team that SSO access is being set up. In the interim, contact Pay Ready support for manual assistance.
Issue: Unsure about jurisdictional requirements.
Solution: Consult your legal team or property guidelines to ensure compliance with local notice periods before updating settings.