When buying out an assignment-level facility, such as a room, the rest of that room’s spaces are reserved for the patron or patrons who are currently assigned to the room. The assignment limit for the room is changed to match the number of occupants already in the room. This function allows the current occupants to “take over” the room. The occupants could then be charged an additional amount for occupying the entire room.
For example: If a patron is assigned to a double room (assignment limit of 2), using the Buy Out Room option changes the assignment limit to 1 and prevents any other patrons from being assigned to the room. This change effectively makes the room a single room.
If proration is performed at the time of the Buy Out AND the Buy Out is for the entire assignment period AND the contract item is in an Active state, then buying out an assignment-level facility cancels the patron’s current contract item and creates a new contract item. If proration is performed at the time of the Buy Out AND if the buyout starts after the assignment starts AND the contract item is in an Active state, then buying out an assignment-level facility terminates the patron’s current contract item and creates a new contract item.
ResCenter shows contracts in a state that count against occupancy (Active, Preliminary, Terminated, Completed, and Suspended) for the time period of the Buy Out. As I change the range for the Buy Out, the contracts that are not valid during that time will not be displayed. It does not display contract items that are in a Cancelled or Expired state.
A Buy Out is typically performed at different times depending on the state of the contract:
•For Preliminary contract items, a Buy Out should be performed at the beginning of the assignment.
•For Active contract items, Buy Outs can be performed either at the beginning of the assignment or at any point during the assignment.
Use the following procedure to perform a room buyout for a patron:
1. From the Patron menu, select Search for Patron and perform a search for a patron.
2. From the Patron List grid, click a row to select a patron.
3. Select the Contracts tab. The List of Patron Contracts grid displays all contracts associated with the patron.
4. Click Edit on the desired contract, and select Buy Out Room. The Buy Out a Room page is displayed.
5. If necessary, enter or select the Buy Out Start Date and Buy Out End Date to define the date range of the Buy Out. ResCenter will always use the “in use” date—either the Expected Start Date or the Actual Start Date (if it exists). If there is an Actual Start Date on the old contract item, ResCenter defines the new contract item’s Actual Start Date based on the date of the Buy Out.
Alternatively, use the Use Term Dates drop-down menu to select a term. The Buy Out Start Date and Buy Out End Date fields will be populated with the term’s date range.
For the selected dates, the Current Assignments for Selected Buyout Period grid displays any assignments that fall in the date range selected.
6. If necessary, change the facility’s asset type by checking the Change Facility Asset Type for Buyout Period check box. Select a new asset type from the drop-down menu.
Use this option if the facility’s asset type should be changed to reflect the buyout change.
For example: If a patron in a Double room buys out the remaining space, the facility asset type could be changed to a Single room. With this change, the patron will be charged for a single room and ResCenter will count it as a single room for reports and queries. At the end of the buyout period, the facility will automatically be reverted to its original state.
7. If necessary, the current assignment can be prorated by checking the Prorate Current Assignment(s) check box (checked by default). The Proration for Contracts section will display Current Contract Items and New Contract Items.
•To view or edit proration details for any current or new contract items, click View Proration Details next to a contract. The Proration Details for Contract section will be displayed. The proration settings are based on the proration schedule assigned to the contract’s asset type. For more information about proration schedule settings, refer to the Proration Schedules section.
When finished editing proration settings, click OK.
•To view a new contract item’s linked charge schedule, click Edit Linked Charge Schedules. The Linked Charge Schedules table will be displayed.
When finished adding or removing charge schedules, click the Update button.
Note: A user will be able to add or remove a charge schedule during the Buy Out process even though the new contract item will be in an Active state. This change is allowed because the contract item is being created and configured. Typically, a user would not be able to add or delete a charge schedule when a contract item is in an Active state.
8. Click Save. A new contract will be created in place of the previous contract.