Account Representative

Principle Duties and Responsibilities

• Perform timely monitoring of open rent reports (weekly) and open accounts receivable report (monthly) to determine tenant lapse in payments for rent, common area maintenance (CAM), taxes, utilities, etc. Review tenant billing and payment history and update tenant lease payment records.
• Contact current tenants who are behind in lease payments to collect on overdue funds related to rents, ancillary charges, taxes, etc. Discuss status, negotiate re-payment plans. Perform computer input into Outlook, AS400 of notes taken and information provided in discussion with tenants. On a timely basis, review appropriate reports regarding payments agreed to by tenants or review scanned check system to identify if payment has been made. Coordinate, update and maintain tenant collection information in AS400.
• Review and respond to tenant inquiries involving calculations or discrepancies with leases. Review lease to confirm methodology conforms with the lease language. Research common area maintenance, utility bills and real estate tax bills and address concerns or discrepancies to tenants via written correspondence. Reconcile amount to be paid on tenant accounts. Provide historical payment data to tenants and revise tenant invoices when needed. Calculate appropriate billing and issue credits for open AR accounts where required based upon information provided by tenants as approved by management for incorrectly billed items and late charges assessed. Prepare correspondence and answer questions.
• Communicate with billing department and lease administration department to insure that changes made in payments/calculations are documented for future billings.
• Communicate with leasing agents and corporate counsel to determine action to be taken on past due accounts especially if tenants do not respond to or do not properly provide payments. Review account status of problem tenants with lease agents and management. Communicate with lease agents, management personnel, and company collections personnel regarding problems with payments, probable tenant claims of bankruptcy, resolution of problems, inability to find/contact tenants or any issues or concerns in proper payment. Participate in weekly default meetings to discuss account status.
• Place tenant accounts in default. Communicate with outside counsel to discuss status and to issue default and demand letters to tenants especially if advised by lease agents, or rent payment is 2 or more months behind or other terms of accounts are over 90 days behind. Follow up with tenants regarding default letters, monitor waiting period and advise lease agents, collections staff and management of status.
• Upon notification of tenant filing of bankruptcy, calculate and produce proof of claim report preparing costs involved in stages of bankruptcy per lease agreement including costs prior to bankruptcy (pre-petition), after bankruptcy is filed (administration) or costs incurred after rejection of lease (rejection damages). Provide information to collections paralegal.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• 2 + years’ experience in account collections or a field related to accounting and customer service. Associates degree preferred.
• Excellent organizational and communication skills (written and verbal) with a high level of attention to detail and professionalism.
• Computer literate preferably in MS Word/Excel.

Relationships

• Tenants, company leasing agents, attorneys and company management personnel regarding follow-up of status for reporting, vacancy status, problem accounts, bankruptcy claims and tenant problems.
• Inter-company collections staff regarding accounts being transferred to collection agency or attorney.
• Property management personnel regarding evicted tenants
• Cash receipt personnel to correct cash applications.