FORGIVING FEES GUIDELINES

EPL charges late fees primarily as a motivator for customers to return borrowed materials in a timely manner. While late fees represent a source of revenue for EPL, the revenue stream is not their primary purpose.

When forgiving amounts on customer accounts, use Payment Type: FORGIVEN. When correcting a Library error, use Payment Type: CANCEL.

Late Fees

Staff members are expected to advise customers of any amount owing during staff-mediated transactions.

Forgiving late fees for customers is an exception. Staff members must not create the expectation that charges will be forgiven on an ongoing basis.

In all cases, it is expected that staff members review the borrower’s payment history before deciding whether or not to forgive late fees. If the bill history indicates a pattern (e.g., a previous large [+$25] waive or more than 2 small waives [under $25] in the past year) charges may not be forgiven.

In instances where a portion of the charge is forgiven, the customer is expected to pay his/her portion of the charge before any amount is waived. The Associate Manager, Circulation and Materials Delivery, may waive this requirement when consulted on accounts over $300.

Overdue fees for Interlibrary Loan items are waived only in very rare circumstances, and must be approved by the Associate Manager, Circulation and Materials Delivery.

Lost/Damaged Items – Replacement Costs

EPL charges for lost and damaged items to recoup Library materials expenditures. When a customer is billed for a lost item, the fee reimburses the Library for the item’s replacement cost plus a handling fee representing staff effort associated with making the item available for use.

Lost charges for Interlibrary Loan items are waived only in very rare circumstances, and must be approved by the Associate Manager, Circulation and Materials Delivery.

Forgiveness Thresholds

Staff will use discretion and may forgive late fees up to their approval authority.  If the amount owing is more than your approval authority, you must discuss the account with the next level of approval authority using a “Customer Waive Fee Request.”  

NOTE: if the request involves the referral fee, it must be sent to the Associate Manager, Circulation and Materials Delivery.

The below authorities apply to the balance owing on an account at the beginning of a transaction. Staff are not to encourage customers to pay a portion of their fees such that the balance drops to be below, for example, $25 so staff can waive the remainder. Any account over your authority is to be referred to the next level up.

Note: All accounts customer is guarantor on should be included in "Total Owing."

NOTE: iNovah Cashier does reinforce the up to $25 limit threshold for Public Service Staff but the higher limit  thresholds for overdue fees are not reinforced by iNovah for LSC and Manager accounts.  So be diligent.  Reports will be run from iNovah on a regular basis and how much is being waived will be seen.

In situations where EPL forgives $100.00 or more in late fees, the customer’s item limit is reduced for a minimum of one year:

• 10 items for $100-$250 waived;
• 5 items for $250-$500 waived;  
• 1 item for $500+ waived

Standard item limit reduced note:  Borrowing limit adjusted on [MM/DD/YYYY] due to $XXX in fees being forgiven. This limit may be reviewed by a manager on or after [MM/DD/YYYY]. [staff name/initials @ branch code]. 

Under extenuating circumstances (e.g. natural disasters), this limitation may be waived.

Circumstances beyond customer’s control

Late fees may be forgiven in situations where circumstances are beyond the customer’s control. Some examples of these situations may include:

NOTE: it is expected that staff members ask customers whether it is possible for them to claim their loss through an insurance policy. The staff member is expected to provide a printout of the account for the borrower to forward to the insurance company. Charges are not paid until the insurance claim is settled.

UMS Referral Fee

Once a customer owes $40 or more, they have 60 days to contact the library before their account is sent to UMS and a $15 fee is applied to their account.  This fee in general will not be waived.  However, if there are exceptional circumstances where the customer absolutely could not contact the library within those 60 days, it is possible for the fee to be removed by the Associate Manager, Circulation and Materials Delivery.

Payments

• EPL will not accept replacement copies
• Customers can pay incrementally.  It is not required to pay the entire debt at once.
  • NOTE: online payments – a customer can pay the entire amount or charge by charge; they cannot pay a partial amount on a single charge.

• EPL does not make formal partial payment agreements with customers
  • Borrowing privileges cannot be restored to customer based on a payment plan
  • Card status=COLLECTIONS -- borrowing privileges are not restored until the balance owing reaches $0.
  • Card status=BLOCKED – borrowing privileges are restored when the balance falls below the $10 threshold.
• Payment types:
  • use FORGIVEN for forgiving amounts
  • use CANCEL for correcting a library error

Submitting a Customer Waive Fees Request