Adjusting Fine Amounts
Once a fine has been added to a patron's record, you can adjust the amount of the fine if needed. To adjust a fine:
- Select Circulation Desk from the Function list.
- Retrieve the patron record.
- (Sierra 6.3 and later) If prompted with a fines payment lock, click Override. For more information, see Fines Payment Locks in the Circulation Desk Function.
- Select the Fines tab.
- Right-click on the fine you want to adjust, and select View This Fine. Sierra opens the Detailed Fine Display window.
- Select Adjust, and edit the charge amount. Note that you cannot adjust the charge to zero or to a negative number. (To reduce a fine to zero, you must waive the fine).
- If you are not viewing a manual charge, edit the Payment Note field, if desired. Note that if you edit the Payment Note field and then want to print the detailed fine display, including your recent changes, you must choose OK to save your changes before you print.
If you are viewing a manual charge, edit the Reason field, if desired. Note that if you edit the Reason field, and then want to print the detailed fine display including your recent changes, you must choose OK to save your changes before you print.
You cannot save changes to the Reason field unless you also update the Amount.
- If you want to print the adjusted detailed fine display, click Print.
- When you have finished making adjustments, click OK. The system:
- Changes the amount of the fine in the patron's Fines tab.
- Changes the amount in the MONEY OWED field in the patron record.
- Records the original amount of the fine in the patron's paid fines with a payment status of Adjustment.
- Stores the entered payment note (if present) in the Payment Note field in the Fines Paid file, as an explanation for why the fine was adjusted.
Click Cancel to close the detailed fine display without making any changes to the patron's fines.