Frequently Asked Questions

 

As a resident, you may have questions or concerns over the portal payment system and information sent to you about that process. The following information is provided to try and answer those questions or concerns.

Q: What is the Portal?

A: The Portal is an online system that allows Residents to receive and review their HOA dues account, schedule and pay their dues, fees or other charges more conveniently. It is also a way for your Property Managers or HOA Board to provide information, and keep you informed on issues that you care about.

Q: Do I have to use the Portal to pay my dues, rent or fees?

A: No. At this time you may continue to pay your dues or fees by whatever method you have been. The portal is a convenient tool we are providing. We encourage you to use the portal. Sometime after mid-year, after notice and input from you, use of the portal may be made mandatory or an administrative fee may be charged for paying by check. No new fee or charge will ever be imposed on residents without prior notice to the residents and the approval of the HOA Board after discussion at a properly noticed and scheduled meeting of the Board.

Q: Who paid for the portal technology?

A: WEB Properties. The cost was not passed on to the HOA.

Q: Am I charged a fee for using the Portal?

A: No. There is no cost to use the Portal unless you chose to pay using the CashPay system or use a debit or credit card in which case there is a convenience fee charged. (See below for that info).

Q: Who decided to begin using the Resident Online Access Portal?

A: The decision to create the Resident Online Access Portal was made by WEB Properties. That decision was discussed with your Board prior to implementation. The imposition of any fee for payment by check or cash as part of the Portal will not be implemented until discussed with and approved by the HOA Board which has not occurred to date.

Q: Why was this not voted on by all residents?

A: As this is an administrative function of the contracted management agent, the HOA Board did not hold a vote.

Q: Why does the Board support the creation of the portal?

A: The Board supported the creation of a portal for the following reasons:

  • (1) Save the HOA money: One large expense paid by the HOA is the mailing of statements and correspondence. This includes the cost of developing the materials, printing, folding, stuffing, sealing, stamping, and mailing. The average cost of mailing statements and enclosures (depending on the number of enclosures) is between $1.77, to as high as $2.76. per homeowner. By transitioning to the Resident Online Access Portal, the cost per transaction will be reduced to$1.00 per homeowner payment. Remember HOA expenses are ultimately paid by you.

  • (2) Account transparency: Homeowners will now be able to see their entire account ledger, including all transactions and payments.

  • (3) Payments directly linked to your account: With the Resident Online Access Portal, your payment will be applied directly to your account.

  • (4) Better communication: As a part of the Portal sign up process, you are providing an email address. This will allow WEB Properties and your Board to communicate with you more effectively. Statements, notices, newsletters, and emergency notifications can be sent electronically via email.

Q: What if I want to pay cash directly to WEB Properties? Don’t you have to accept cash?

A: The reason we do not take cash is that we want to avoid the risk of being a target for criminal activity. We have not accepted cash for decades.

PayLease Information & Security

Q: Who is PayLease?

A: From the PayLease website: “PayLease provides online payments, resident billing, and utility expense management tools to property management companies. Our solutions simplify the workflow for property managers and enhance the way they connect with residents. PayLease solutions are easy-to-use and are backed with the highest levels of security and customer support. Since our inception in 2003, PayLease has grown to serve thousands of property management companies nationwide and is among the fastest-growing technology companies in the United States.” Visit https://www.paylease.com/corp/company/about-us/ to learn more

Q: What type of security does PayLease have in place to prevent cyber-attacks/hacking?

A: From the PayLease website: “The PayLease system uses the highest security measures and is certified PCI Level 1 Compliant. You can view our security certificate once logged in to your account at www.paylease.comby clicking on the certificate.”

  • This is the highest level of security in the "Payment Processing Industry.” All financial information provided is tokenized. This means that the information is turned into a code and encrypted. Even if somehow, someone was able to hack into the Portal, all the individual will be able to see would be the last four digits of any information that is on an account. And with that information they will only be able to make a payment to your homeowner account. They will not be able to withdraw funds.

  • Here is a good website to help you research and understand the PCI compliance standard: https://www.pcicomplianceguide.org/faq/

  • While there is no way to prevent hacking entirely, we are confident that PayLease takes every measure possible to ensure their customers’ information is safe and secure.

  • Visit https://www.paylease.com/corp/features/security/ to learn more

    Q: Once I sign up on the portal will WEB Properties be able to see my banking information?

    A: No, WEB Properties cannot see any of your bank information.

Sign up for the Resident Online Access Portal

Q: How do I sign up for the Resident Online Access Portal?

A: Step by Step Instructions for signing up on the Resident Online Access Portal can be found here.

Q: When my payment is sent through the Portal, where is it deposited? Does the money get deposited into PayLease and then taken out of that account and into the HOA account?

A: Your payment is processed directly between your bank and the HOA bank, currently Inland Northwest Bank. No other banks, including PayLease, are involved.

Q: What is the convenience fee associated with using a debit or credit card?<

A: The fee is 3.5% of the transaction. This is charged and collected by PayLease, not WEB Properties. Debit cards are normally associated with a checking account, so you should use your checking account instead to avoid this fee.

Q: Can I use PayPal to pay my HOA balance?

A: PayPal isn’t an option for paying your HOA dues.

Paying with CashPay

Q: What is the process for making a payment using CashPay?

A: Contact WEB Properties at 509-533-0995 to discuss your desire to use this payment method. You will be assigned a unique ID and provided a list of authorized locations near you. When visiting a location, you will go to the Customer Service counter and say that you “need to make a bill payment to PayLease Community Payments.” The representative should understand what this means and complete the process with you. If the representative does not understand, please ask to speak with a store manager.

Q: What payment methods are accepted when using the CashPay option?

A: You can pay with cash or debit card. Debit is not available at all locations. Contact the location prior to visiting to confirm that they take debit payments.

Q: What is the $4.00 fee associated with using the CashPay option?

A: The $4.00 convenience fee is charged by the business location for the use of this service. WEB Properties does not charge or receive this fee.

Q: Can WEB Properties add more CashPay locations?

A: Unfortunately, WEB Properties does not have this option. CashPay locations are based on agreements between PayLease and the business. To see the locations nearest you, visit https://www.paylease.com/cashpay/locations?vpw=1816&crd=1

Q: I tried to make a payment using CashPay and the representative at the location asked for a “receive code.” What is this?

A: You do not have to provide a receive code to make your payment. If you ever have a problem at a CashPay location, ask to speak with a store manager.

Miscellaneous

Q: If I pay for an entire year of HOA Dues, how does the system know when to apply the excess funds?

A: Your payment will be received as a pre-pay and will be shown as a credit on your ledger. You can access your ledger anytime by logging in to your portal account.

Q: I own multiple homes/properties in the HOA. Do I have to have separate logins for each home/property or can the accounts be linked together?

A: You do not have to have separate logins even if they are in different HOA’s managed by WEB Properties. Your accounts can be linked together with a single username and password. Please contact WEB Properties to assist you in setting up and linking your homes/properties.

Q: Will everything now be electronic – payments, statements, communication, etc. – so the HOA will see the savings as outlined?

A: Yes. If you do not sign up for the portal, pending further action by the HOA Board, you will continue to receive your statements and other communications as you do at this time.