The Letter Failed Report and reasons a letter did not go out

During nightly processing, the system will perform several checks to identify potential problems with the letters which will be printed. While every possible problem cannot be identified, the following will help to minimize the possibility of generating an incorrect letter.  The information supplied by the letter failed report should be corrected at the account level and the letter can be requested again if needed. If the letter code is not valid or the letter has not been defined, the letter printing will be automatically retried the next day

There are two sections in this KB:

• The Failed Letter report
• Other areas

Failed letter report - The errors found on the report (If it is not on the failed letter report jump to "Other reasons": 

• Link letter not valid-ATT - A "linked" letter has been requested on an account represented by an attorney - if the debtor is represented by an attorney, the letter must refer to an individual account and not linked accounts
• The attorney information (F2 from account screen) is not complete - The attorney name and address is not complete
• Linked letter is not valid for co-signer 
• Legal balance is negative or zero - The letter has been set up as a legal letter by using an "L" or "Y" in the field "print legal info." on the letter codes system control file. There is no legal/pre-legal balance on the selected account or accounts
• Non-legal balance is negative or zero - This is similar to the previously described problem. The letter is not defined as a legal letter (i.e. there is no "L" or "Y" in the "print legal info" field) and there is no non-legal balance on the selected account/accounts
• Payment arrangement is not set up - The letter is set up to print payment arrangement information (letter codes system control file has "Y" in "print pay arrangement info." but the debtor is not on a payment arrangement
• Promise to pay information is incomplete - The letter code has a "P" in the field "print pay arrangement info." which indicates promise to pay circumstances. A promise amount and a promise date do not exist on the account
• Return mail flag is S or Y - Letters cannot be printed if this is the case. "S" indicates a stop mail condition and "Y" indicates a bad address condition
• Account balance is negative or zero - For an individual letter, (not linked) there is no balance on the account 
• Account balance is negative or zero (and there is a balance on the account) - Check the letter code and make sure you are not "omiting the balance" based on a description code or "within xx days of placement. 
• Incomplete address
• No last name
• Letter not defined or invalid letter code - The letter code has not been defined in the system control files or the contents of the letter have not been set up from the notice format menu
• Additional information is not complete - The system control file indicates that additional information will be printed (F16 from account screen) but there is no additional information screen on the account
• Medical information is not complete - The system control file indicates that medical information (F6 from insurance screen) will be printed, but this information does not exist
• POE is not complete from legal tracking information - The field "print legal tracking info" has a "P" which requires a POE and address to be entered in the "Def1" fields on the legal tracking screen. (F17 from account screen)
• Legal tracking information is not complete - The "print legal tracking info" field has a "Y" but legal tracking information (F17 from account screen) does not exist
• Full legal information is not complete - The "print legal info." field has a "Y" but full legal information (F6 from account screen) has no information
• Prom. or P/A exceeds bal -  The amount due from a promise to pay, a standard P/A down payment or installment, non-linear P/A installment, regular CC payment, CC series installment or direct check installment is greater than the total linked balance for the consumer
• P/A with one installment - There is a "Y" in the Letter Code field "P/A letter with multiple installments (Y)" AND there is only one installment set up on the account
• Qualifying balance negative or zero (qual balance not valid) - The balance that should qualify for the letter is zero or a negative balance. This checking can be bypassed - see Letter system control fields - Allow in contact series (Y,A) and Allow as selected letter (Y,A)
• Qual.balance not valid:  
  • This letter failed because it did not meet the specifications in the  field "Omit from linked balance if within ___ days from placement" on the "Letter Control Specifications" Menu (Letter Code menu-> F7)
  • OR,  there is a Description Code on the account to omit this accounts balance from any letters. (Main> Letters> F7> Letter Control Specifications)
• Reg-F data not balancing:   The itemization date, (original balance + interest + additional charges/costs - payments - adjustments) must be equal to the placement amount. If for any reason, this is not true at the time of generating a demand letter, we will fail the letter. Because of its importance. 
•  You must check the account/linked accounts for the following for all failed letter messages that involve balance to verify if the letter qualifies to be generated:
  • Account(s) that have a zero balance
  • Account(s) that are closed inactive
  • Account(s) that have a negative balance
  • Account(s) that have any of the following from Letter code system parameters:
  • Omit from linked balance if within ___ days from placement
  • Do not include in linked balance with description codes
  • Do not include in linked balance with active close codes

OTHER REASONs:

• State options and disaster areas
• Letter translation tables
• Contact series option "Send with phones", if a Y is in that field then a letter will not go out if there is a phone number on the accounts etc. See this KB for more on Contact series letters not going out
• Client Update: Option to " Hold Contact and Smart Code and Contact

• Contact series field "Limit letters generated per day": - Notates only one linked account: This option allows you to send one contact series letter on linked accounts, IF the accounts are for the same client and placement date. BUT only one account will be notated in the Letter History (based on the account selected in the nightly). But if you look at the first detail screen on the accounts the next day, you will see,"Last Letter  7/09/24 Type X1". See the help text on that field for more details. 

Note:  Some of the conditions (E.g. existence of a balance) can be bypassed by using an "A" in the letter codes file in the fields "allow in contact series" or "allow as selected letter" (E.g. You may have designated a letter for a client which should be printed even if the account has a zero or negative balance)

Keywords - Article Letters Article Letter letter failed report