Scheduling and Hearing Options: #
*Scheduling settings are for Non- Harris Cama Clients only.
- Hearing Scheduled Status set by CAD – Hearing must be scheduled in PACs and appeal status set to match chosen setting from drop down menu to prompt Hearing Scheduled email notification to be sent to user.
- Hearing Rescheduled Status set by CAD – Hearing must be Rescheduled in PACs and appeal status set to match chosen setting from drop down menu to prompt Hearing Rescheduled email notification to be sent to user.
- Hearing Scheduled Online Status – When Taxpayer schedules their ARB hearing online through the taxpayer portal, the status will be updated in PACS to the status chosen in the drop down menu.
- Hearing Rescheduled online Status – When Taxpayer Reschedules their ARB hearing online through the taxpayer portal, the status will be updated in PACS to the status chosen in the drop down menu.
- Enable Taxpayer Appeal Schedule (check box) – this setting along with the protest specific settings in PACS controls the display of the online scheduling button on the Protest. To enable protest specific Online Scheduling option, select “Allow Online Scheduling” on the protest in PACS.
- Enable Taxpayer Appeal Rescheduling (check box) – This setting will allow Taxpayer to reschedule their ARB hearing from the taxpayer appeal detail page. Only protest dockets that are made available for online scheduling will appear for the taxpayer.
- Enable Taxpayer to Reschedule on Same Day – (Check box) by default, taxpayer will only be able to reschedule their ARB hearing through the taxpayer appeals portal until midnight the day before their scheduled hearing. If this setting is enable, the taxpayer will be able to reschedule online the day of their scheduled hearing.
- Minimum Advance Time in hours for Taxpayer Appeal Scheduling – number of hours controls the available hearing dockets taxpayer will see in the reschedule ARB hearing pop up. If you set the hours to 72 hours, the taxpayer will only see available hearing dockets for dates after the 72 hour period for minimum advanced time.
- Enable ARB Hearing Video Conference – Enable check box to display the option taxpayer UI to allow them to request a video conference hearing.
- Enable Special Panel Request – Enable check box to display the yes/no option taxpayer UI to allow them to request a Special Panel. Special Panel is only available for clients with over 120k in population.
- Enable Request for Informal Conference – Enable check box to display the yes/no option taxpayer UI to allow them to request an informal hearing.
- Enable Request for Single Member Panel – Enable check box to display the yes/no option taxpayer UI to allow them to request a single member panel.
- Enable Request to appear by Written Affidavit – Enable check box to display the option taxpayer UI to allow them to request to appear by written affidavit.
Hearing Notices and Reminders #
- Send notification to paper protest – Harris Clients: enable sending hearing reminder email template to paper protests who have requested a hearing reminder by email. Email must be present in ‘Contact Info’ email field and ‘Hearing Reminder Requested’ checked in the appeal screen in PACs.
- Hearing notice deliver options – check boxes to turn on ability for taxpayer to request hearing notice by first-class mail and/or certified mail. *If taxpayer is filing appeal online, they are registered for the BIS Taxpayer Portal. All registered users can receive their hearing notice through the taxpayer portal if published in PACS for Harris cama clients or if uploaded the portal by other cama client Admins.
- Over 120k Population: check yes or no. This will change the taxpayer appeal form options based on the Texas State comptroller form.
- Enable Hearing Reminder – (for clients with over 120k in population)
- Number of Hours Prior to Send Hearing Reminder – Text field will only allow 2 numeric digits. Enter the time frame for when you would like to have hearing reminder sent prior to scheduled ARB hearing.
- Show Taxpayer ‘Request a Haring Reminder’ option for New Appeal – check box turns on/off the taxpayer request field in the taxpayer appeals step 4.
- Allow Taxpayer to select Email Electronic Hearing Reminder- yes/no to display option for taxpayer to request and email reminder
- Allow Taxpayer to select Text Electronic Hearing Reminder – yes/no to display option for taxpayer to request a text reminder. This option requires the client to have a Twilio Account. Twilio credentials will need to be added to system settings menu.
Settlements #
*Settlement settings are for Harris Cama Clients Only. Other Cama clients will manually create settlement offers in the Online Appeals Admin Dashboard.
- Automatic Distribution and Close Accepted Offer – Check box to enable automatic distribution of value in PACS. If this box is not checked, settlement offers will be manually reviewed and processed by CAD staff.
- Distribution (Drop Down Menu)
- Distribution Failed Status (drop down menu pull statuses in from PACS)
- Value Method (Drop Down Menu)
- Close Status (Drop Down Menu pulls statuses in from PACS) – chose a closed status to update in PACS when online appeals user accepts settlement offer.
- Allow Auto Settlement – Check box turns on/off Auto Settlement feature
- Enable Settlement Offers by Value Comparison – Check box – must be checked to enter offer criteria
- Offer Criteria – Choose criteria to trigger auto settlement offer my either difference in value or percentage based on market value and taxpayers entered opinion of value.
- Offer Status – When auto settlement offer is generated, appeal status in PACS will update to the chosen status from the drop-down menu.
- Disable Settlement Waiver Acceptance – Turns off ability for taxpayers to sign (accept/reject) any online settlement offers still pending for entire appeals site.
Property Settings #
- Show Property Details Link for each Property – Enables hyperlink to property search for each PID in the appeal summary grid
- Property List Settings – For Harris cama clients, this controls which properties are allowed to appeal online in conjunction with the efile eligible status set in PACs. Standalone cama client functionality is driven by the Properties/PIN menu.
Protest Settings #
- Evidence Requested Flag – enables the option for taxpayer to request evidence in step 3 of filing their appeal
- Allow Withdraw Appeal – Enables Withdraw button for taxpayer to withdraw their appeal online.
- Withdraw Appeal Defaults – For Harris Cama Clients, chose status from drop down menu. When appeal is withdrawn online, PACS appeal status will be updated.
- Appeal List Settings – Harris Cama Clients can choose to display paper protests entered into PACS in the taxpayer appeals summary grid. If taxpayer registers and files appeal with mailed in form, it can be displayed online.
- Use Evidence Types – Enable Evidence types drop down inside the file upload popup box for taxpayer. Evidence types display on the uploaded File in the online appeals dashboard. This setting is not recommended for Harris Cama Clients as the evidence types do not push into PACS.
- Appeal Status – (Drop-down menu from PACs) Harris Clients choose appeal status for new online appeals pushed into PACS
- Appeal Type Code – (Drop down menu from PACs – Harris Cama Clients)
- Owner Type – (Drop Down Menu – Harris Cama Clients)
- Agent Type – (Drop Down Menu – Harris Cama Clients)
- Settlement Accept Status – (Drop Down Menu from PACS) Harris clients choose appeal status that will be updated in PACS when Online Settlement Offer is accepted
- Settlement Reject Status – (Drop Down Menu from PACS) Harris Clients choose appeal status that will be updated in PACS when Online Settlement Offer is rejected.
Misc Settings #
- Send Email Notification to taxpayer on Change of Appeal Status – Turns on/off the email template sent when appeal status is updated.
- Enable Opinion of Value – Turns on/off the taxpayer opinion of value field in step 3 of the taxpayer filing process. This field can be made a required field in system settings.
- Disable Taxpayer Evidence Upload – Turns off the ability for taxpayers to upload evidence files in taxpayer appeals.
- Allow online Settlement and Withdrawal for: Both check boxes for “efile only” true and false need to be checked for all clients. The functionality of the withdraw button can be controlled from the setting under the Protest Settings section above.
- Allow Pushing of Taxpayer Evidence to PACS – Harris Cama Clients Only – This setting is mislabeled. The setting enables/disables the system generated Notice of Appeal PDF to be pushed into the PACS Taxpayer Evidence field.
- Allow Pushing of Taxpayer Comments to PACS – For Harris Cama Clients who use the comment forum feature, this setting enables a pdf of the comment forum to be pushed into the PACS Taxpayer Evidence field.
- Enable Informal Hearing Information to be displayed from PACS – enables/disables the Informal Hearing Information section from displaying on the Taxpayer appeal detail screen. Harris clients who use the appraiser meeting section in PACS can display this date/time in the Informal Hearing Section.
