From The Desk Of PT Bookkeeper Danny Bravman

We’ve received several reports about missing payments from Owners who use Chase Online.

This is not an unusual problem unfortunately, but it seemed to impact an inordinate number of October assessment payments.

If you use Chase Online, Chase mails a check via USPS to either PTCA (5415 N Sheridan Rd #107, Chicago) or our bank (PO 7088, Carol Stream). If a check is not delivered, it is all but impossible to determine whether the lack of delivery is due to an issue with Chase or with USPS (or both).  When this happens, we are unable to provide much assistance beyond confirming whether the payment has been applied to your account. Owners in such situations will need to follow up directly with Chase.

Consistent with the PTCA Governing Documents and the Illinois Condo Act, Unit Owners are responsible to ensure payments are received on time.  If PTCA doesn’t receive your payment because of a potential issue with the bank payment or USPS, the late fee will be charged.

We can suggest a couple things.

If you make such online payments, we first suggest you set up your payment to be made by the 1st each month, which is the due date. This should be done whether or not you receive a statement.  Then check your account online (or with our team in the office) right after the 1st to see if it has been processed. If not, you can have a head start at troubleshooting BEFORE the grace period ends on the 10th.

However, we do have an alternative payment method we can suggest to Owners who have concerns about the reliability and timeliness of Chase Online processing.

You can make payments online via the RentCafe Owner Portal.  This method is an ACH transaction, so it would not involve sending a check through the mail.  Payments submitted this way will be processed within 2 hours and appear as a pending transaction on your ledger.  (The payment will still take 3-5 business days to clear, but the receipt date will be immediate.)  You can make 1-time payments or configure a recurring autopay.

If you are interested in registering for the online Owner Portal, let Danny know by emailing dbravman@habitat.com.  He will send you a registration link. If you are already registered for the RentCafe Owner Portal, you can access it via the ptcondo.com website by clicking on “Payment”.  (Do not click on “Login”, as that will bring you to a different interface.

After you log in, you will first need to set up a payment method. A few things to note:

• There is no service charge if paying via bank account direct debit, but there is a 1–3 day verification process when first setting up.
• There is a % service charge if paying via credit card.
• There is a flat fee service charge if paying via debit card.

Please contact Danny with any questions or to request assistance using the Owner Portal.  He can be reached at dbravman@habitat.com.