TCMS: Using your Paperless Forms to prepare your cases for your Interim Report There are several common errors that can be caught by simply running a paperless form 3: o Audit 1: Will help identify cases that should not have funds in them (NDR Dates, Dismissal Dates, Converted From Dates, Reassigned Dates, and TDR Dates) o Audit 2: Will check for expired Estimated TFR Dates o Audit 3: Will identify TFR cases where the ledger balance is 0.00 and the TDR may be due o Audit 4: Will identify cases without a Disposition Date o Audit 5: Will identify cases without a UST Memo Running the Paperless Form 3 Go to the report menu and open the Interim Report Menu. Set the menu using the following options.  Make sure the case number is blank.  Make sure the report is run for Asset and No Asset Cases.  Set the reporting period range to either a one year or six month reporting range. Be sure the ending date is set to the end of the month and that the starting date is set to the first of the month.  Select the Paperless Radio Button o Select the Form 3 Option (Do not select Form 1 or Form 2). o Select the XLS option. o Enter the path for the Form 3 Excel File (Using your Desktop is very handy). o Do not worry if the Form 4 Trustee Number is Blank (it is not used for this audit). o Click the Run Button to produce the Excel File. Preparing the Spreadsheet for the Audit Open the Excel File. Many of the data columns are not necessary to perform the audit. It is recommended that the columns identified on this chart in Yellow Be Deleted, and the ones that remain are Re‐named to the names highlighted in Blue. Add a column to right of the UST Memo. Use a label of “Comment” for this column. This may look like a lot to do; but it only takes a very short amount of time. Your spreadsheet should look something like this when complete. The Actual Audit The excel spreadsheet will be sorted multiple times throughout the audit. While any excel commands can be used to sort the spreadsheet, I have found that using the “Filter” is highly effective. Audit 1: The first audit will examine cases with NDR Dates, Dismissal Dates, Converted from Dates, Reassigned Dates, and TDR Dates. The audit will identify all cases with these dates to make sure that there are no funds currently in the ledger of the case. Step 1: Filter the spreadsheet so that only cases with one of the prescribed dates are showing. Use the Disp Type column to filter the spreadsheet. Step 2: Verify that the Ledger column lists a 0.00 for all of the cases. If the ledger is anything other than 0.00 then a problem exists. Step 3: Add a comment to the case similar to the following: “This case has an NDR Date listed, but the ledger balance is not 0.00.” Step 4: The final step of this audit is to remove all of the cases with a 0.00 ledger from the spreadsheet. Use normal excel commands to delete the entire line for each case. Ending Result (sample) Audit 2: The second audit will examine cases with Estimated TFR Dates. The audit will identify all cases with these dates to make sure that the Est TFR Date has not expired; that the Est TFR Date is not “unrealistic” (future dates); that the case has a UST Memo; and that a POC Bar Date is listed on the case. Step 1: Filter the spreadsheet so that only cases with one of the prescribed dates are showing. Use the Disp Type column to filter the spreadsheet. Step 2: Use a secondary sort to sort the Disp Date column in A to Z order. Step 3: Add a comment to all cases where the Disp Date is before the end of the reporting period. These are expired Est TFR Dates. Step 4: If the Disp Date is exactly on the ending date of the reporting period, then add a comment for the Trustee to Consider Updating the Est TFR Date. Step 5: If the UST Memo Column is blank, then add a comment beside the case. Step 6: If the POC Bar Date is empty, then add a comment beside the case. Step 7: If the Disp Date is an excessive “future date” then add a comment to the case. Use your best judgement as to what “excessive” means. As a general rule, any date that is four or five years in the future or more could be considered to be excessive as most Est TFR Dates are typically set to one or two years in the future. Step 8: The final step of this audit is to remove all of the cases in which no comment was added. Use normal excel commands to delete the entire line for each case. Ending Result (sample) Audit 3: The third audit will examine cases with Actual TFR Dates. The audit will identify all cases with these dates to identify cases where the funds have not been disbursed for older cases and to identify cases where the ledger balance is 0.00 and the TDR may be due. Step 1: Filter the spreadsheet so that only cases with one of the prescribed dates are showing. Use the Disp Type column to filter the spreadsheet. Step 2: Use a secondary sort to sort the Disp Date column in A to Z order. Step 3: Look for cases where the ledger balance is 0.00 (meaning the funds have been disbursed). Open the case in TCMS and look to see if the bank balance is also 0.00. If so, then add a comment that the TDR is due. Step 4: Look for cases where the TFR is excessively old. This might be cases with a TFR more than five or six months old. If the ledger is not zero, then the case has not been disbursed. Examine the case in TCMS to see if the funds were disbursed and perhaps a single check was voided, which could account for the positive ledger balance. If no funds have been disbursed, then add a comment to the case. Step 5: Look for cases where the TFR is not excessively old. This might be cases with a TFR filed within the past 90 days or such. Delete the cases from the spreadsheet. Ending Result (sample) Audit 4: The fourth audit will examine cases with No Disposition Date. Step 1: Filter the spreadsheet so that only cases with one of the prescribed dates are showing. Use the Disp Type column to filter the spreadsheet. Step 2: This audit typically requires accessing the case within TCMS as well as CM/ECF to find out exactly what is happening on the case. Typical reasons for a missing disposition date are:  Missing Reassigned or Converted Cases.  The case was imported into TCMS but it no longer belongs to the Trustee.  The case was imported into TCMS but the Trustee is actually the attorney on the case.  The case has a ledger balance but the Est TFR Date has not been added to the case.  The NDR reports were filed on CM/ECF, but the dates are missing in TCMS. Audit 5: The fifth audit is to take a second look at all files that do not have a UST memo. Step 1: Filter the spreadsheet so that only cases without a UST Memo are showing. Use the next_actt column to filter the spreadsheet. Step 2: Add a comment to review the case. Most cases need a UST Memo. If the case is an NDR case but it is appearing on your form, it was probably filed late. You should explain why it was filed late. Add a comment to each case indicating the root of the problem. Ending Result (sample)