The Evergreen system automatically voids billings in several places:
* voids some/all overdues on checkins that
- are backdated
- are amnesty
- involve a grace period
* (configurably) voids overdues when an item is marked lost
* (configurably) voids lost and lost processing fee when a lost item is checked in
- (configurably) UN-VOIDS overdues on lost checkin
In addition to these system voids, users with appropriate permissions can void any billing.
Starting with a focus on Lost and Lost-then-found items, we'd like to have an option for the system to make Forgive payments for any remaining outstanding balance, rather than Voiding bills.
We'll then be interested to move on to amnesty/backdated checkin/grace period, etc.
This has several advantages:
* By not voiding a paid bill, we avoid situations where a credit is now owed, where a library may have a policy of no refunds
* By not voiding a paid bill, we avoid having payments be taken in for one billing type, then that bill being voided and the payments being used against some other billing type
* Using a Forgive payment makes billing history much more "linear", and somewhat easier to follow
* For "reinstate overdue fines on lost item checkin", we can re-bill the previously forgiven amount, rather than "un-voiding" previously voided overdue billings
* Transactions which have had their bills voided won't "disappear" from staff interfaces
Possibly seen as disadvantages:
* Transactions which have had their bills voided won't "disappear" from staff interfaces
* When reporting on Forgive payments, you may now wish to exclude Forgive payments from your reporting where the note field indicates the Forgive was automatically applied
* Some summary interfaces will show "total paid" including the Forgive payment(s), requiring either the addition of a column or the showing of details to note that it was a Forgive payment
* If you limit forgive payment permissions, we may need to adjust some approach to permit system Forgive without granting manual staff Forgive
Again, starting with Lost and Lost-then-found items:
Currently, with the relevant options enabled:
* Item is marked lost.
* All overdue fines are voided
* Lost bill is created for price of item (or a default if zero)
* Lost processing fee is billed
* Lost item is checked in
* Lost and Lost Processing Fee bills are voided
* Overdue fines are un-voided
Proposed, with the relevant options enabled:
* Item is marked lost
* Forgive payment is made for any outstanding Overdue fines balance
* Lost bill is created for price of item (or a default if zero)
* Lost processing fee is billed
* Lost item is checked in
* Forgive payment is made for any outstanding balance of Lost and Lost Processing Fee bills
* A single bill is added for the total of any previously Forgiven Overdue fines
For those interested in poking at this:
The working repo from Dec 2011 is at working/
We have the first part of this in production on 2.1.1. Branch with the changes is here: http://