Most libraries who have used small claims court have found that considerable paperwork is necessary which requires library staff time. Unique Management has strategic alliances with software vendors and has worked aggressively to find ways to automate the process of transferring data in order to significantly reduce library staff time required. A value must be placed on time required from library staff.
Because of the time required to complete paperwork and attend small claims court many libraries find it difficult to stay current in processing past due accounts. As time passes it becomes even more difficult to recover materials because people move, lose the materials, etc.
The library must develop and maintain their own reports in order to evaluate the status and results from patrons taken to small claims court. Unique Management provides detailed monthly reports regarding status of each patron and summary management information designed just for libraries.
Many times libraries only take their large balance accounts to small claims court because of the staff time required to manually handle all the paperwork required. Therefore, past due patrons with small balances are many times not pursued and thousands of dollars worth of materials are not recovered. Unique Management helps recover materials from patrons with balances of $25 and up.
Using small claims court to recover past due library materials dramatically reduces or eliminates the possibility of maintaining patron goodwill.
Even if small claims court is used and a judgement is obtained, it doesn't mean the library will get the materials back or receive payment. This process should be used as a last resort instead of a first step.
If libraries will add a processing fee of at least $10.00 to the patron balance and turn over past due accounts within 60 days past due, Unique Management will guarantee to keep the recovery process budget neutral. In other words, Unique Management will recover enough cash to pay for their services. Therefore, all the materials recovered would be returned to circulation for free.
Most libraries like the idea of using Unique Management to gently nudge past due patrons to recover the majority of materials while maintaining patron goodwill. The more difficult and larger non-responding accounts can then be taken to small claims court if the library desires to do so.
Small claims court is of very little value unless the library has a correct address for the patron. Unique Management utilizes five different types of skip traces to locate patrons who have moved and in many cases recovers the materials.
Small claims court judgements are of little value if the patron has moved out of your community. Unique Management credit reports non-responding patrons to all three of the largest credit reporting agencies in the United States. This way, no matter where a delinquent patron moves to in the country, if they apply for credit it will show on their report that they have a past due balance with your library. Most creditors will require them to pay the outstanding balance before a loan is extended.
SUMMARY: Using Unique Management will cost less than using small claims court. The materials will be recovered for free and you'll save library staff time. More importantly, with Unique Management, you'll get better results in terms of materials recovered, maintain patron goodwill and you'll receive detailed management reports every month.
