Before adding assessment information, you’ll first want to sync residents.
You can also schedule Zoom call 👩💻or a phone call 📞 with a member of our team to clarify any additional questions you have.
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Click on "Add Assessment Info"
Ensure "Assessments" is selected in the dropdown, then click on “Add Assessment Info” on the right side of the income section.
Click on the dropdown to view the Fiscal Year Options.
Select either the “Current Year” or “Next Year”
The Assessment year should be the year of the first due date. If the first due date will take place during the current year then select Current Year. If the first due date will take place next year then select Next Year.
Give your Assessment a Name
Make sure to give your Assessment an easily recognizable name such as 2021 Monthly Assessment or 2022 Yearly Assessment.
Input the Assessment’s Due Date Frequency
Select the frequency of your Assessments. If the Assessment is due every month, select Monthly; if the Assessment is due twice a year, select Bi-Yearly, etc.
Input the Assessment Amount
Input the amount of your Assessments that will be due on each due date. If you have an Monthly Assessment then input the amount due each month.
Input Late Fee Amount (Optional)
If you would like to apply late fees to this Assessment if it’s unpaid you can. Enter the amount of your desired late fee and it will be automatically added to a late paying owner’s ledger after 30 days.
Confirm The Assessment’s Start & End Date
Input the start date and end date of your Assessment. The end date will automatically be down as the last day of the Assessment’s fiscal year.
Confirm who will need to pay this Assessment
Usually All owners will need to pay an assessment, but we understand that in some Associations there are different Assessments for different owners, so you can create different Assessments that need to be paid by select owners.
Confirm your HOA’s administrative mailing address
Confirm the Assessment Due Dates
Confirm the dates in which your Assessments will be due. If you’re entering an Assessment for the current year which had a due date at the beginning of the current month, then click on the Include Current Month Button.
Click Save
That’s It!
Financial entries in HOA Messenger cannot be deleted directly — this protects your association's accounting audit trail. If an initial balance (prepaid credit or delinquent balance) was entered incorrectly, you can offset it directly from the manager portal without requiring database changes or affecting your bank accounts.
1. How to Offset an Erroneous Prepaid Balance (Credit Balance)
If an owner's account shows an erroneous credit balance or Prepaid status:
Step 1: Check the Status Column
In the homeowner's Account Ledger, look at the Status column next to the entry:
Status shows Payments (Check, Cash, Card, or ACH) — Click the blue Pencil (Edit) icon on that row, select Reverse Payment, choose the reversal date, and confirm.
Status shows Prepaid (entered via Record Prepaid Balance) — This entry has no edit pencil icon. Follow the offset steps below.
Step 2: Create an Offsetting Charge
Go to Accounting > Income.
Click on the homeowner/property row to open their Account Ledger.
Click the Create 1x Charge button at the top.
Fill in the fields: Due Date — the same date as the original entry (or a date within the current fiscal year); Category — select Prior Balance (do not select Assessments or Miscellaneous Income); Amount — enter the exact dollar amount of the incorrect prepaid balance; Description — enter a clear note, such as: Offset / correction of erroneous prepaid balance entry.
Click Confirm.
Important: Always select Prior Balance as the category. Prior Balance links directly to your prior equity balance (Retained Earnings) rather than current dues. This cancels the entry cleanly at $0.00 without inflating your association's current-year income or affecting your bank accounts.
2. How to Offset an Erroneous Prior Delinquent Balance (Amount Owed)
If an owner's account shows an incorrect prior delinquent balance from setup, you can offset it by recording a balance-sheet adjustment in the Record a payment window.
Go to Accounting > Income.
Click on the homeowner/property row to open their Account Ledger.
Click the Record a Payment button at the top.
Fill in the fields as follows: Payment Date — the same date as the original entry (or a date within the current fiscal year); Mode of Payment — select Record Prepaid Balance from the dropdown; Amount — enter the exact dollar amount of the incorrect delinquent balance; Payment Notes — enter a clear note such as: Offset / correction of erroneous prior balance.
Click Confirm.
Important: You must select Record Prepaid Balance as the Mode of Payment. Unlike Check, Cash, or ACH — which record incoming deposits to your operating bank account — Record Prepaid Balance applies an equity adjustment. This wipes out the delinquent balance without creating phantom bank deposits or throwing off your bank reconciliations.
Assessment FAQs
Q: Is there a way to change the timeframe in which a late fee will be applied from the default 30 day timeframe?
A: No, automatically applying the selected late fee after 30 days is the only option.
Q: Is there a way to assign an assessment percentage for an assessment's late fee rather than a flat fee?
A: No, currently assigning a flat fee for late fees is the only option.
Q: Is there a way to set up two Assessment ledgers for the same homeowner? For example, if a homeowner needs to have violations tracked separately from assessments can we do that?
A: While HOA Messenger is not specifically designed with this use case in mind, managers/Boards can create a second resident profile and synch it to the accounting feature for the purpose of tracking a separate set of charges if needed as a work around.
Q: Can I manually apply a charge or late fee to a Resident's Account?
A: Yes, To manually apply a late fee, navigate to the resident's sub ledger and select 'Create a 1x Charge'. From the dropdown menu, you'll find all your income line items. Select the income category that the charge is applicable to, then enter the charge amount and any relevant notes that can provide context as to what the charge is for.
You can also schedule Zoom call 👩💻or a phone call 📞 with a member of our team to clarify any additional questions you have.