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| Dear OAA |
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Dear OAA, do you want to know about policy or staff changes at my agency?
It is critical for OAA to be kept informed of certain changes at your agency. Your agency name, address, and phone number are printed on some of the notices informing debtors to contact you. Additional information OAA needs updated includes:
- Data transfer contact
- Account issues contact
- Service agreement contact
- Public referral phone number
- Policy changes (i.e., the status of your liabilities that are assigned to OAA for collection)
Dear OAA, what is OAA?
OAA stands for Other Agency Accounts. We are a collection unit established in 1971 by the Legislature under ORS 293.250 to collect the debts for state and county agencies of the State of Oregon. Delinquent and liquidated debt is assigned for collection services. There are two collection services options: 1) refund offset only, or 2) full collection that includes refund offset. The OAA program is self supporting through collection fees that are charged to the participating agencies based on the percentage of monies collected and the complexity of the accounts. At the end of each fiscal year, the total collection fees accrued are compared to the actual operating expenses of the unit. Any surplus is rebated to the participating agencies.
Dear OAA, I have a question that I would like to share in the OAA Communicator.
Please contact us at: oaa.communicator@state.or.us.
Dear OAA, I need immediate help. How can I reach you?
Please view your contact options.
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| Hey, did you know? |
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Another Success Story
OAA frequently receives tips regarding persons who owe debts to the State of Oregon. Recently, a person called with information regarding a sibling who is incarcerated in Oregon. The OAA agent documented information that the incarcerated debtor would be receiving an inheritance and that this money would be deposited in the debtor's trust account at the prison. The informant disclosed the person's name, the amount they should be receiving, and where the person was incarcerated. The agent provided this information to the revenue agent 2 in OAA and a garnishment was issued for the trust account. The RA2 also inquired with the court to see if the person had any outstanding liabilities not placed with OAA. All accounts had already been placed with the Department of Revenue. The end result was a payment in full for more than $2,900! Good job to the agent who took that call and got all the necessary information. This is a fine example of how OAA works as a team to collect!
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| New Options for OAA's Automated Call Distributor |
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“Can you hear me now?” This is the voice of OAA. As of April 2007, the OAA voice messaging system options have changed. If you dial 1-877-222-2346 or 503-945-8199 you will hear this:
For a Spanish-speaking agent, press 2.
For court and parking accounts, press 3 (you are then taken to the following menu):
Press 1 for calls regarding garnishments.
Press 2 for credit card payments.
Press 3 for information regarding the License Reinstatement Program.
Press 4 for all other calls.
For PERS accounts, press 4.
For OHSU accounts, press 5.
And for all other calls please hold for an agent.
We hope this change will help you navigate quickly and efficiently through the phone system at Other Agency Accounts.
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| Surplus Revenues = Kicker Refunds |
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As of May 2007, the forecast for State General Fund revenues exceeds the Close of Session (COS) forecast for these revenues by 10.8 percent. Revenues will be tabulated following the end of the biennium, and if actual revenues exceed the COS forecast by 2 percent or more, all surplus revenues will be refunded to 2006 taxpayers in accordance with Oregon's kicker law. The projected median refund is $271.
Taxpayers will not get a kicker if:
- Their 2006 Oregon tax before credits is -0-, or
- If they don't file an income tax return for 2006, or
- Their kicker is $1 or less.
What does this mean for you? This is an opportunity for your delinquent and liquidated liabilities to offset against these kicker refunds. In order to take advantage of this one-time opportunity, we recommend that you send us your accounts now. In early fall, we will notify you of a deadline date. Until then, please expedite sending your liabilities to us.
As with refund offsets, the kicker may be subject to possible apportionments.
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| Locate Team |
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OAA has a new pilot program called the Locate Team. The goal of this team is to find contact information and potential assets of previously uncollectible debtors. The focus of this team is to find current phone numbers, addresses, employers, and assets. The intent is to increase revenue for our client agencies!
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| Frequently Asked Questions |
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- How do I begin sending accounts to OAA for collection?
Before we can receive account assignments from your agency, we require specific information to set up an account for your agency on our system. You can contact the program analyst for alternative file information.
- How do I report payments on my agency's accounts?
There is an Adjustment Memo form to fill out. We also accept telephone calls. Contact the program analyst if you want to send payment records in data transfer format.
- When does my agency get confirmation of payments you have received on my accounts?
OAA distributes monthly reports at the beginning of each month. These reports will reflect the transactions from the previous month. The reports can be received in different mediums, such as paper, CD, e-mail, FTP, etc.
- After receiving a DOR notice of a refund offset, how may a debtor contest the offset because it is based on the combined income of both spouses?
If the debtor is not responsible for the accounts listed in the notice because they are the debts of their spouse, they may ask DOR to divide the refund. DOR divides Oregon income tax refunds based on each spouse's share of the total adjusted gross income. If a spouse had no income, they are not entitled to have the refund divided. If the spouse had income other than wages, a schedule should be provided showing each spouse's income. If the spouses jointly owned real estate, the income should be split evenly between both spouses.
- Sometimes when agencies send in paper assignments it takes from 2–4 weeks to show up on DOR's system. Why does this take so long?
Paper assignments require more processing. The forms are sent to a processing unit to key the data, the data is uploaded, rejected or suspended items are corrected by OAA, then the liabilities are loaded to our computer system and an automatic demand letter is mailed to the debtor.
- If accounts are sent in electronically, does DOR maintain any paperwork on the debt, or is the collection data all maintained on the computer, including memos, payments, etc.?
All account information is stored electronically.
- Is there a way to access current balance and payment information without waiting for the monthly payment report or calling DOR?
On restricted accounts, you would need to call the public service representative 4 or program analyst. For unrestricted accounts, you can call the OAA main line and any agent will provide the current balance. You can find our phone numbers on the following link: contact OAA.
- How does the appeal process work if a debtor denies that they have a debt with an agency?
The debtor must send their dispute in writing. After OAA receives the written dispute, collection action is suspended on the specified liability(s), and an OAA Hearing Request (form #150-602-019) is completed and sent to the corresponding agency. The agency will research the liability and make a determination, such as one or more of the following: adjust the liability; cancel and return; amount is correct; or continue collections. The agency must complete the form and return a signed and dated copy to OAA within 30 days. After receiving the OAA Hearing Request, OAA will follow the prescribed instructions.
OAA is bound by Oregon statutes (ORS) and rules (OAR), as well as policies and procedures set out in the Oregon Accounting Manual (OAM). OAM 35.30.30.PO, 35.40.30.PO, and 35.40.30.PR give specific information about OAA's requirements regarding collections. Depending on the criteria, the liquidated status of a liability may change with a debtor's dispute. Though the time specified by an agency to dispute a billing has expired, this does not necessarily extinguish the debtor's right to object; it means that the agency can act on the assumption that the debtor does not dispute the debt. If the debtor thereafter disputes the debt, in certain circumstances, the debt will no longer be considered liquidated.
The Oregon Accounting Manual
- Accounts are sometimes sent back by DOR after only 1–2 months with a note “uncollectible no assets, or cannot locate.” Why not keep them for an entire year?
Generally, accounts are kept for one year, unless we have an agreement with an agency to accommodate their collection requirements.
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| Subscribe to OAA Communicator |
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Our newsletter, the OAA Communicator, is now in an electronic format. If you would like to receive notification when it is published, please subscribe here.
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| Contributors to this issue |
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Contributors to Issue 3, 2007 were Chantele Collier-Brumley, Danette Nemeyer, Bri’Ann Leiferman, Chris Gasperini, Darla Bell, and Jan Jackman.
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