Managing Violation/Citation Appeals

The Appeals Report in OPSCOM provides administrators with a centralized view to review, manage, and action user appeals against parking violations. ThisIts featureprimary allowspurpose is to allow for the detailed examination of appeal information,information and the recording of formal decisions (uphold, reduce, or cancel), adding comments, and notifying appellants, ensuring a fair and transparent appealdispute process. This article is intended for OPS-COM administrators.

Setup &and Configuration

System Settings

Before you can process Appeals,appeals, youthe module must havebe thisenabled moduleand configured within your system settings, and your communication templates must be established.

System Settings Configuration

1. Hover over System Configuration and click System Settings.

2. Click the Violations tab.

3. Ensure the Enable Appeals Module checkbox is enabled.  (If it is not, please contact support@ops-com.com).

4. AfterConfigure enablingthe following fields to dictate how your system handles the appeals module,process:

   you
   need

   • Appeal Days: Enter the number of days a user has to decideappeal whethera orviolation notafter issuance.

   • Appeal Notification Email: Enter the email address that should receive notifications when new appeals are submitted.

   • Automated Notification Email: Enter the email address that should receive automated appeal reports.

   • Enable Adjustments: Enable this checkbox if you want to enableallow fines to be adjusted without going through the formal appeals process.

   • Enable Fax for Appeal Format / Enable Email for Appeal format: Enable these checkboxes to allow appeals to be submitted outside of the OPS-COM portal.

   • Remove Discount when Appeal Made: Enable this checkbox to automatically forfeit any early-payment discounts once an appeal is initiated.

   • Enable Appeal Evidence Uploads: Enable this checkbox to allow users to submit PDF or PNG files as supporting evidence for their appeals.

Reset Appeal on Association. Association: Consider enabling the Reset Appeal on Association checkbox. This setting will allowallows users who have a violation associated towith their vehicle, but have not madeyet created an account,account, the same amount of time to appeal a violation as a userregistered who already had their account configured.user. Once they create and associate their account to the vehicle, with this setting enabled, the appeal time frametimeframe will be reset, andgiving them the userfull will have the amountnumber of days specified underin Appealyour dayssettings to appealappeal.

the

Email violation, from the date they associated the account.

Templates

1. Hover over System Configuration, and click System Settings.

2. On the Violations tab, ensure the Enable Appeals Module setting is enabled. If it is not, please contact support@ops-com.com.
3. There are a number of settings you can use to help manage appeals once this module is enabled:
   • You can choose the number of days a user has to appeal a violation in the Appeal Days box.
   • In the Appeal Notification Email box, enter the email address you would like to receive notifications of new appeals to.
   • In the Automated Notification Email box, enter the email address you would like automated reports sent to.
   • Enable Adjustments should be toggled on if you want Fines to be adjusted without going through the Appeals process. 
   • If you wish to allow appeals through Fax or Email you should enable the Enable Fax for Appeal Format or Enable Email for Appeal format checkboxes. These appeals will be handled outside of OPSCOM.
   • Remove Discount when Appeal Made should be enabled if you want to disallow the discount once an appeal has been made.
   • Enable Appeal Evidence Uploads should be enabled if you want users to be able to submit PDFs or PNGs as evidence for their appeals.
   • Reset Appeal on Association should be enabled if you want your users to get the specified appeal time reset on account association, if they hadn't had the chance to make their account yet.

Email Templates

1. Hoverhover over System Configuration, then Templates & Design,Design, and click Email Templates.

2. Follow

   Set up the steps in this wiki article to setup the Appeal Decision email template. Detailed instructions for this can be found on the Email Templates page. This is the template thatthe system will be useduse to automatically communicate your final decision to the Appellantappellant.

   your decision.

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Using this Feature

Administrators have two distinct methods for actioning an appeal: through the centralized Appeals Report, or directly from an individual violation's information page.

Accessing Appealand Details

Actioning

The via the Appeals Report page allows you to access detailed appeal information and take action on each submitted appeal.

1. Hover over Violations, thenover Appeals,Violations, hover over Appeals, and click Appeals Report.

2. On the Appeals Report page, search

   Search for Appealsthe specific appeal you wish to review.

3. Click 

   Click the View Info button beside the person's name to access the full details ofon that appeal. Thethe User Appeal History screenscreen.

   displays
all
4. information related to

   Review the appeal, including user history,history and user/vehicle details.

details,

then

Actioning an Appeal

Here, you can make a decision on the appeal:

1. Locatelocate the Appeal Management section.

2. Choose

   Click the Action Taken drop-down menu and choose one of the following options under Action Taken:options:

   • UpholdUphold:: The appeal is denied, and the original fine amount remains.

   • Reduce ViolationViolation:: The appeal is partially granted. AEnter new field will appear allowing you to enter athe new, reduced fine amount.amount into the field that appears.

   • Cancel ViolationViolation:: The appeal is fully granted, and the violation is voided.

3. In

   Enter your detailed explanation into the Comments to Send to Appellant box,box.

   enter your detailed comments explaining your decision regarding the appeal.

4. Click the Submit button when finished to process the appeal.appeal Youand will see a message indicatingtrigger the appeal has been processed.

5. The system will automatically email the user with yourautomated decision usingemail.
   the Appeal Decision email template you setup. 

Alternative Method:

Actioning Appeals Directly from Violation Information

Administrators can also manage appeals directly from the Violation Information page. While administrators can make changes to basic violation information, remember that once a user pays for the violation, the primary comments fields become locked. For further comments, administrators must use the Violation Notes section.

1. Access the Violation Information page for a specific ticket (e.g., by clickingusing the ticketViolation numberSearch fromtool.

   the Appeals Report or searching for the violation).

2. Click the Edit. button.

3. Click the text Ticket has not been appealed. Show appeals form (highlighted in Blue)link to reveal the Appealshidden appeals section.

4. The Appeals Area fields are:
   • Ticket Appealed: Displays

     Review the dateAppeal Reason provided by the appealuser.

     was filed and how it was filed (e.g., "Online Appeal").

   • Click the Fine Action: Choosedrop-down frommenu and choose Upheld, Reduced, or Cancelled.

   • Edit the Offense Value: Thisfield amountif canyou beare manually editedreducing the fine (this automatically sets to 0.00 if Reducedcancelled).

     on
   appeal.
   • It

     Enter willany automaticallyprivate, beinternal reducednotes to 0.00 if Cancelled. You can also editinto the Offence Value directly.

   • Appeal Reason: The reason provided by the user for launching the appeal. This field can be viewed by the user.
   • Appeal Admin Comment: This field is for private appeal notes that are not viewable by the user. Use this for internal administrative comments.
   field.

5. Change

   Select your administrator account from the Actioned per:per fielddrop-down bymenu.

   selecting the Admin account making the changes from the picker.

6. Click the Update this Violation. Abutton messageto will appear confirming thatsave the violationchanges.

   has been updated.

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Best Practices &and Considerations

Payment Locks: Once a user pays for a violation, the primary comments fields become permanently locked. If you need to add further comments to a paid ticket after the fact, you must use the separate Violation Notes section.

• Internal vs External Comments: Always double-check which comment field you are using. The Comments to Send to Appellant box is public and will be emailed directly to the user. The Appeal Admin Comment field on the individual violation screen is strictly for private, internal administrative notes.

• Timely ReviewReview:: Process appeals promptly to ensure fairness and maintain a goodpositive relationship with users.your user base.

• ClearLeverage CommunicationReporting:: EnsureUse yourthe "CommentsAppeals Report regularly to Sendanalyze toappeal Appellant" are clear, concise,trends and professional,common explainingdispute thereasons. decisionThis effectively.

data
• Internalis vs.highly Externalvaluable Comments:for Differentiateidentifying betweenconfusing Commentssignage toor Sendupdating to Appellant (public) and Appeal Admin Comment (private) to maintain appropriate communication and internal notes.
• Consistency: Apply appeal decisions consistently according to your organization'senforcement policies.
• Reporting: The Appeals Report provides valuable data for analyzing appeal trends, common reasons for appeals, and the outcome of appeal decisions. Use this information to inform future policy adjustments.
• Payment Lock: Be aware that once a violation is paid, its comments section becomes locked, necessitating the use of Violation Notes for any subsequent administrative comments.

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