To create a new check, click into the ‘Checks/Deposit’ button from the Main Menu. You will see either a blank check (if you have not entered any checks into the system yet or have printed all entered checks) or you will see your first ‘Entered Check’ previously entered. The Command Buttons on the side of the check will allow you to add a 'New' check, 'Edit' an existing 'Entered' check, 'Delete' a check, enter a ’Split' transaction detail on a new check, or 'Void' a check. Always make sure that you have the correct ‘Bank Account’ selected from the drop-down Menu on the top of the screen.
Select Bank Account - At the top of the check screen, you will need to select the Bank Account for the check you are entering. The Tenant File supports one 'Primary' Bank Account (your Property Management Operating Account) plus nine other accounts, for separate Owner Bank Account processing, Security Deposits or other accounts. Upon entering a Tenant File check or deposit screen, the default bank account will always be your 'Primary' Bank Account. If you maintain separate accounts for your Owner, it is very important that you choose the correct account prior to adding new checks or deposits.
To enter a New Check, press the 'New' button and enter the following information:
Pay to the Order Of - Enter the name and address of the company or individual that the check is to be written to. Press your TAB key to advance to the next field or use your mouse. If the check is to be written to a Vendor, Owner or Tenant, you can simply select one of the three within the 'Payee List Box' on the right side of your check. You will be presented with a listing of current Vendors, Owners or Tenants. If the check that you are creating is for a Vendor that you do not have setup, you can click into ‘Vendors’ under the ‘Payee List Box’ and click ‘Add Vendor’.
Note: We highly suggest that when you are creating a check that you always make your selection from the 'Payee List' instead of typing it in. This will allow for consistency when looking for a payee name or when creating your 1099 MISC forms at the end of the year. If the same name is spelled two different ways, the program will consider that as two different people. In addition, selecting a Vendor from the list will automatically include the Vendor address (previously entered when you set up the Vendor).
Date - Your current date is displayed, however, you can change this date by clicking onto the 'Date' field and enter the date that you want printed on the check.
Amount - The amount of your check will be automatically entered from the total of the items posted below the check. It this check will not be posted to any ledger (Posted to 'None'), you can enter an amount in the field.
Invoice - User entered Invoice number.
Remark - User entered remark. This remark is for the entire check. Each split for this check has a remark that will be posted to the transaction ledger.
Post To Ledger – This section to the right of the screen is very important to understand. Whenever you post any transaction into the Tenant File, it must be posted to a particular ledger type so that it will show up on your reports. For the owner, you use the Owner Ledger, Property Ledger, or Unit Ledger. Any transaction that applies to a specific rental unit (such as fixing the sink in unit A of a duplex) needs to be posted to the Unit Ledger (including single family homes). Any transaction that applies to a whole ‘property’ (such as maintaining the pool at an apartment building) should be posted to the ‘Property Ledger’. Lastly, any transaction between you (the manager) and the owner of the property should be posted to the Owner Ledger.
Postings to be charged or credited to the Tenant will go to either the Tenant Ledger (if it only affects the Tenant, such as ‘Repairs & Maintenance’ that the Tenant is responsible for) or to ‘Both (Tenant and Unit Ledgers)’ if it affects ‘Both’ the Tenant AND the Owner. For example, a ‘Rent Charge’ is only charged to the Tenant Ledger, while a rent ‘receipt’ should credit ‘Both’ the Tenant Ledger and the Unit Ledger, using ‘Both (Tenant/Unit)’.
Whichever type of Ledger that you select will determine which accounts will be assessable in the dropdown under the ‘Accounts’ column.
Lastly, if you need to create a check or deposit that is not to be posted in any Ledger within the Tenant File program, there is a selection called post to ‘None’. This choice might come in handy if you have already posted one or more transactions directly into a Ledger and need to create a
corresponding check or deposit to go into the Register. If you are going to utilize the Check/Deposit section of the program, you should always create a check or deposit for the posting rather than posting directly into the Ledger.
Entering the Split Transactions for the Check: On the bottom half of the screen, you will enter the transactions for each check. Every check will have at least one row, unless you have selected the
‘Post To’ status of ‘None’ and will not post the check to any ledger. Complete each column of the row and move to the next line to add more splits for this check. After making a change or adding a row, you must click on another row (above or below) to save the current row. If you want to switch to post to a different type of ledger (such as an Owner Ledger or Property Ledger), save the current row, then click on the 'Post To Ledger' option box for the appropriate type. You can create multiple postings to multiple ledgers from a single check. Once you have completed the check, click on the
‘Save’ button prior to exiting.
Editing a Check: To 'Edit' a check previously entered, click on 'Entered' once you have accessed your checks from the 'Check/Deposit' button and scroll to locate the check that you need to edit (or locate the check by clicking on the ‘Find’ button). Locate the check you need to edit and click on the 'Edit' button on the side of the check. You can then use your mouse to click into the field that needs to be edited. Once edited, click the ‘Save’ button prior to exiting.
Deleting a Check: To 'Delete' a check in your ‘Entered Check File’, click on ‘Entered’ once you have accessed your checks from the 'Check/Deposit' button and scroll to locate the check that you need to delete (or locate the check by clicking on the ‘Find’ button). Click the ‘Delete’ button.
Printed checks can also be deleted. Since printed checks have transactions posted to the ledger, once you locate the check and click on the ‘Delete’ button, the program will ask you if you want to search for the matching transactions and delete them. Once you click ‘YES’ the ‘Transaction Finder’
screen will appear with a listing of the split transactions tied to the check that you delete. You will need to delete the transactions through this ‘Transaction Finder’ screen.
The checks in the ‘Entered File’ are moved to the ‘Printed File’ once they have been printed.
Transactions to your ledgers will not be posted until the checks are printed and moved to your
‘Printed Check File’. You can selectively print checks from this ‘Entered File’ as needed. The checks not printed will remain in the ‘Entered Check File’ until printed or deleted. The transactions on
‘Entered Checks’ do not affect the Ledger balances.
You can enter a check into the Entered File to be printed but not posted to any Tenant File Ledgers by selecting 'None' from the 'Post To' Box. This will place the check in the ‘Entered File’ and include it in the Check Register yet not post it to any of the Tenant File Ledgers.
Handwritten Checks: Handwritten checks that need to be posted to your ledgers can be entered into the Tenant File by selecting ‘Printed’ from the ‘Display Checks’ option in the upper right corner of the check screen and clicking ‘NEW’ to add a new check. A window will pop up for you to enter the check number for your ‘Handwritten Check’. You will be able to post these checks without having to place them in a file to be printed.
To scroll through your checks that have already been printed, select 'Printed' from the 'Display Checks' options at the top of your screen. The checks that will display are checks located in your permanent check file. They have all been printed and the transactions posted to your ledgers. Once
printed, you cannot change the check information (other than limited changes in the Register). You can, however, 'Void' or 'Delete' a printed check. You must remember that voiding and/or deleting a printed check will not automatically delete the posted transaction(s). The program will ask you if you want to remove the transaction(s), then it will take you to the Transaction Finder to find and delete the transaction. If you fail to delete the checks during the ‘Transaction Finder’ steps, you can always go directly into the ledger and delete the transaction manually by clicking on the button to the far left of the line (to highlight the row), then press the ‘Delete’ key on your KEYBOARD.
Deposits: You can edit Bank Deposits provided the deposits were creating and saved but not yet posted. To edit a saved Deposit, click on the Deposits option under 'Display'. Here you can display, add to, or edit any deposits that you have already entered. If when you created the Deposit, it was saved and posted, the deposit cannot be edited.