Notwithstanding any of the above,
permission to access the Web Site by Users is ultimately granted by
Seller. Access to certain Web Site Pages and features may be denied on
Auction Days to Users who have not completed the IRS Form W-9
Certain Web Site Pages, Details and Functionality:
The
Auction Summary Page
provides:
- confirmation of your name, Login ID, and Bidder Number, if
assigned;
- important information about:
- Seller's next upcoming or most recently completed tax
certificate sale (Auction Details section),
- data associated with the Seller's next upcoming or most
recently completed tax certificate sale (Last Data Updates section),
- the order and schedule of Batch closings in upcoming and
recently completed sales of selected tax certificates (the "Batch
Schedule" section),
- contact information for Seller and GSG
- a segue to other Web Site pages via tabs at the top of the page
(i.e., tabs for: Auction Summary, My Account, Search, Reports, Bid,
Upload, and Results) and links.
- a gateway to other tax certificate auction and data web sites
that may be of interest to Users.
- a list of steps that must be taken before Bids can be submitted
- a summary of your bidding activity (“Bidding
Activity” section)
Information provided on the Auction
Summary Page is subject to change at any time at the Seller's
discretion. To receive the most current information, the User can click
the Reload button in the menu at the top of their browser page or the
"refresh it now" link at the bottom of the page. Otherwise, the Auction
Summary Page refreshes itself automatically and at regular hourly
intervals to display the most current information.
The
My Account Page has the
following tabs, default settings, and functionality:
- Payments and Budget
- Users must authorize payments for purchases of
certificates awarded on the Payments and Budget page. Users are required to pay the aggregate face amount of
certificates purchased using the electronic payment functionality on
the Payments Page. Acceptable forms of payment and requirements
are determined by Seller.
- Users must enter an amount in the Budget Input cell and click
the 'Submit Budget' button before being permitted to submit Minimum
Acceptable Rates. From time to time before and after the auction
commences, Bidders may add to their Budgets, which may be increased before
and after auctions commence.
- The Submitted Budget limits the maximum value of certificates
that a Bidder can be awarded, as described in the Awards section below.
- Users may specify additional contacts that should receive email
notices related to payments.
- Registrant Info
- The Registrant Info tab contains most recent registration
information and allows changes to personal registration information,
including personal passwords.
- Users may change their password at any time on the Registrant
Info tab. Neither
the Seller nor Grant Street Group has access to User passwords. Users
are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of their own
passwords. If Users forget their password, they should use the "Forgot
your password?" link on the Home Page to obtain a temporary password
that will enable them to enter the site and choose a new, replacement
password.
- W-9
- The W-9 tab allows Users to complete and submit the IRS Form
W-9 online. Users are required to electronically sign the W-9 by typing
in their User ID and password prior to submission. Changes to a User's
submitted W-9 require an additional electronic signature and
submission. Seller may require completion of changes to W-9s some
minimum period of time in advance of auction commencement.
- If User has participated in an Auction by Seller in the past,
User can look up the information on file with the Seller by entering
the TIN and Bidder Number associated with the previous registration.
Note: Users are responsible for keeping
their Registration
Information current and accurate. The same is true of the information
provided on the IRS Form W-9 and electronic payment instructions.
Search Page:
- The Search Page allows Users to search the underlying property
and tax information to create custom Certificate Lists. Saved
Certificate Lists can be accessed from the Search, Reports, Bid and
Results pages.
- The "Search Criteria" table is where Users select the data
field(s) for the search and enter their constraints.
- Once data fields and constraints have been entered, Users can
search all of the certificates in the Certificate List and Batch
specified at the top of the page by clicking on the "Run Search" button.
- Search results will appear at the bottom of the screen.
Certificates can be removed from the results by un-checking the
"Select" box to the left of the certificate.
- Search results can be saved to a custom Certificate List by
clicking on the "Save List As..." button and entering a name for the
list. The saved Certificate List will then appear in the Certificate
Lists drop-down menu on the Search, Reports, Bid and Results pages.
- Search criteria can be saved by clicking on the "Save Criteria
As..." Saved search criteria can be recalled by selecting the criteria
from the "Saved Search Criteria" drop-down menu.
Please note that when you move from
"Search" to the "Bid" page, the list of certificates displayed in
"Certificate Lists" is maintained. You should always check the
Certificate List and Batch you are viewing before submitting rates or
when viewing results.
Reports Page:
- The Reports Page allows Users to view and/or download underlying
property and tax information to a Microsoft Excel or comma-separated
values (CSV) file.
- Users can select which data fields should be included in the
report by clicking on the "Choose Columns" button and moving the
desired fields from the "Available Columns" box to the "Selected
Columns" box. This can be done by highlighting the field name and
clicking the "Add ->" button. Columns can be removed from the report
by selecting them and clicking the "Remove ->" button.
- The order of the columns in the report will match the order that
they are listed in the "Selected Columns" box. To change the position
of a column in the report, simply highlight the column name and click
the "Move Up" or "Move Down" buttons.
- Once the User clicks the "Save" button, the report will be
generated. The report will contain only those certificates in the
Certificate List and Batch specified in the drop-down menus.
- The format of the report can be saved and reused by clicking the
"Save Format As..." button and entering a name for the report
format. Saved report formats can be recalled by selecting the
appropriate format from the "Saved Report Formats" drop-down menu.
- The report can be downloaded into a Microsoft Excel or CSV file
by clicking the Excel or CSV icon in the top right-hand corner of the
report results.
Bid Page:
- Information displayed on the Bid Page is current as of the "Last
Update" time displayed on the Bid Page. The Bid Page does not
automatically update itself. Users must click the Refresh button each
time they want to update the Bid Page.
- Certificates displayed on the Bid Page correspond to the
Certificate List and Batches displayed in the drop-down boxes near the
top of the Bid Page. The Bid Page can display up to 100 Certificates at
any one time. Users can choose the number of certificates to display
per page by selecting a value from the 'Number of Certificates to
Display' drop-down box at the bottom of the Bid Page.
- Any selected Certificate List and Batch combination with more
Certificates than the number selected in the 'Number of Certificates to
Display' drop-down box will result in the display of one or more page
number links (e.g., Page: 1 2 3 4 ...). Clicking any page number link
enables Users to access additional Certificates on those pages.
- Users may see additional property and tax information for any
particular certificate by clicking on the Account Number.
- Bidders establish Minimum Acceptable Rates for proxy bidding
purposes by first inputting a rate in the 'Min. Rate' input boxes
available for every certificate on the Bid Page, and then clicking
either the "Submit" button for the corresponding Certificate or, to
submit all entered rates simultaneously, clicking the "Submit All"
Button near the top of the Bid Page. By
clicking the "Submit All" button, Bidders submit all inputs that then
appear in the 'Min. Rate' input cells related to the Certificate List
and Batch displayed in the drop-down boxes at the top of the Bid Page
at
the time of submission. Correspondingly, rates may be submitted for
certificates that are not displayed on the page being viewed by the
Bidder if the list of certificates receiving rate submissions is longer
than one page.
- Bidders must resolve Error message(s), if any, before erroneous
submissions can be successfully retransmitted. Even
when error messages are generated with respect to some submissions in a
group (resulting from use of the Submit All feature, for example) and
are consequently not transmitted, the portion of the submissions
without errors are transmitted.
Information submitted on the Web Site
is subject to the terms of the
Privacy
Policy.
Upload Page:
- The Upload Page allows Users to upload Minimum Acceptable Rates
from a comma-separated values (CSV) file. These rates are not
considered submitted until the User clicks the appropriate "Submit" or
"Submit All" button on the Bid Page. Please see the section titled
"Bids" for more information.
- Users must create a file in the required format for it to be
uploaded and processed successfully. Users may create a file on their
own, or use the Bid File provided. A User may click the "Download
Bid File" button to download a formatted CSV file containing five
columns: Adv No., Batch No., Account No., Face Amount, and Bid. Each
certificate in the auction will be listed in this file.
- Bids must be entered in the Bid column. The completed file must
be saved to the User's computer or local network in CSV format.
- To upload the completed Bid File, a User must click on the
"Select File to Upload" button, locate the completed Bid File, then
click the "Upload and Save" button.
- The system will process the completed Bid File and transfer the
User to the Bid page, where the User's successfully processed rates
will be entered in the appropriate "Min. Rate" cells. As noted
previously, rates will not be considered submitted until the
appropriate "Submit" or "Submit All" buttons have been clicked on the
Bid page.
Results Page:
- Results for auctions conducted on the Web Site can be viewed on
the Results Page after each Batch closes.
- Bidders can filter the certificates shown on the Results Page by
making selections from the following drop-down lists:
- Certificate Lists
- Batches
- Bidder
- Results
- The Bidder's winning bids will be highlighted in green.
- All bids submitted for a particular certificate can be viewed in
a separate window by clicking on the rate in the "Winning Bid" column.
- Results can be downloaded in an Excel or CSV file by clicking the
Excel or CSV icons located on the page.
All
results displayed on the Web Site are unofficial until certified by
Seller.
General Information:
Batches:
- A Batch is a group of two or more tax certificates to be
auctioned that are grouped together and displayed in sequential order
and that share the same bid submission deadline.
- Batches are a means of organizing tax certificates in a tax
certificate sale. Each tax certificate in a Batch is auctioned off
independently of every other tax certificate.
- The number of Batches and bid submission deadline for each Batch
are disclosed on the Auction Summary Page, and can also be found in the
Batch drop-down on the Bid Page.
- The number of certificates in any Batch and the interval between
Batch closing times are disclosed on the Auction Summary Page.
The number of certificates in each
Batch and the interval between Batches are determined by Seller.
Bids:
- In order for Minimum Acceptable Rates (MARs) to be recorded, and
used as the basis for bid submissions, rates must be entered by Users
and received by the auction server on or before related and published
Batch closing deadlines.
- Bidders' most recent MAR transmissions are displayed in the
Submitted column.
- As explained above, Bidders may submit rates to purchase
certificates with an aggregate face amount in excess of Bidders'
Submitted Budget. However, at the point in time when the aggregate face
amount of a Bidder's bids exceeds such Bidder's Submitted Budget, the
remaining bids in excess of the Submitted Budget will be disregarded
for purposes of determining a winning bidder.
- The Web Site includes a Proxy Bidding feature that permits users
to enter the minimum interest rates they are willing to accept (which
is entered in the 'Min. Rate' column of the Bid Page) for tax
certificates they are bidding to purchase. The Web Site software (the
"Software") will serve as Users' agent, or proxy, for submitting their
bids. When bidding for a particular certificate ends (i.e. a Batch
closes), the Software compares Bidder's MAR for a particular
certificate with the best bid for that same certificate made on behalf
of all other bidders. If a given Bidder's MAR is lower than the best
bid submitted on behalf of all other bidders for the same certificate,
the Software will automatically generate a bid on such Bidder's behalf
that is .25% less than the next best bid. Zero percent bids, however, will not be
treated as proxy bids. They will be awarded at zero.
If there is a tie at the winning bid rate, the certificate will be
awarded by the Software to one of the tie bidders through a random
selection process using commercially available random number generation
software.
- As it relates to Proxy Bidding requirements:
- Bidders may increase or decrease rates at any time prior to
related Batch bid submission deadlines.
- Bidders may withdraw rates at any time prior to related Batch
closing times by clicking the related "Withdraw" Button(s) on the Bid
Page.
- Bidders may withdraw all Rates any time prior to the end of an
auction by clicking the "Withdraw All" Button on the Bid Page and then
clicking on the subsequent pop-up page to confirm the withdrawal of all
bids.
- At no time before a Batch closing time will Bidders be
permitted to see any other Bidder's bid. After Batches close, Bidders
may view bidding results as explained above.
Errors and Messages:
- Any time the Software detects a Bidder error, the Bidder will
receive:
- a brief description of the error in a yellow highlighted box
near the top of the page, and
- if applicable, a yellow shaded identifier in the cell or area
of the page in which the error occurred
- In order to remove an error description and, if applicable,
yellow shaded identifier, the Bidder must either:
- correct the error and click the appropriate button on the page,
or
- delete the error and click the appropriate button on the page,
as applicable.
Erroneous entries
and results are not successfully transmitted. Errors must be corrected
before transmissions associated with such corrected error can be
successfully completed. When a submission or transmission by a User
contains errors, the portion of the transmission or submission, if any,
that is unassociated with the error may be successfully transmitted or
submitted.
Awards:
Bids are processed in sequential order
by Advertising Number instantly after each Batch closes and unofficial
awards are made to Users with the lowest bid, provided the face amount
of the certificate next to be awarded would not cause that User's
cumulative award amount for all winning bids to exceed that same User's
Submitted Budget. If a User's Submitted Budget would be exceeded by the
award of a given certificate, the MAR entered by User will not qualify
as a valid basis for Proxy Bidding on that certificate and hence will
not result in a submitted bid or award under any circumstances. In
other words, the associated Proxy Bid will be disregarded.
Awards displayed on the Results Page
are unofficial until certified by the Seller.
Definitions:
Advertised List: The
list of properties having delinquent property taxes that is published
by Seller in conjunction with the annual sale of tax certificates.
Bidder: A User who has
completed an acceptable Form W-9.
Bidder Number: The
numeric identifier assigned by Seller to a User that has completed an
IRS Form W-9 and complied with all
other bidder qualification requirements, including, among others, the
requirement that all of the registration information supplied by the
User be accurate, complete and verifiable.
Bidder Support: Grant
Street Group's technical and user support team. Bidder Support is
available between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on
Business Days by calling 866-247-4370.
Certificate List: A
subset of the Advertised List. All Users are given three Certificate
Lists, by default, for their convenience: All Certificates, My
Certificates and Removed Certificates. Additional Certificate Lists can
be created on the Search Page.
LienAuction: The
generic name Grant Street Group attributes to any web site it hosts or
services it provides in connection with tax certificate auctions and
information.
Minimum Acceptable Rate (MAR):
The lowest rate at which a given Bidder is willing to purchase a given
tax certificate. This is the rate entered by a User into the 'Min.
Rate' cell on the Bid Page and the basis for establishing the minimum
acceptable proxy bid to be submitted by the Software on the Bidder's
behalf.
Registration Info Page:
The web page that contains information supplied by registrants during
the registration process and subsequent modifications, if any.
Seller: Public entity
sponsoring the Web Site and primarily responsible for conducting the
tax certificate sale.
Session: Period of
time from the time a User logs in to Web Site to the time that same
User logs out of or is disconnected from Web Site.
Software: The
LienAuction application software that is designed to automatically
operate LienAuction web sites and the auctions that are conducted
thereon.
Submitted Budget: The
maximum aggregate face amount of tax certificates a single User has
authorized for purchase in an auction.
User: A person who has
truthfully and completely provided all information required on any
LienAuction Registration Information Page (which may require phone
verification), received a User ID, and accepted the terms of the User
Agreement.
User ID: The
alphanumeric identifier assigned to a User upon successful completion
of the registration process on any LienAuction web site.
Winning Bidder: The
Bidder with the lowest submitted bid rate for a particular certificate;
except in the case of ties, in which case, it is the bidder that has
received the award by random selection.
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Your information is kept private as specified in our Privacy Policy. By using this web site, you agree to be bound by the attached User Agreement. For a written description of how to operate this web site, read the User Instructions. For questions related to operation of the web site, call 866-247-4370 or E-mail Auction Support. Copyright © 1997-2019, Grant Street Group. All rights reserved.
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