Owner payouts

Who this is for

Property managers paying owners. Payouts exist only in Property Manager mode. Only the account owner can create, approve, skip, cancel or mark a payout. Team members can see payouts but not the payouts waiting for approval.

Before you start

• Set each owner's Pay by method and bank account on their profile. See Owners and who owns each property.
• Confirm the owner's opening balance, if they have one. A payout is refused until it is confirmed. See Opening balances.
• eSamaHomes doesn't move the money. It records the payout and takes it from the owner's balance; you send the ACH, check or wire from your bank.

Steps

1. Open Money → Accounting and click the Owner Payouts tab.
2. Click New Payout and search for the owner. eSamaHomes shows their Available, Deposits held and Reserve held. Only available money can be paid out.
3. Check Total to take from balance. It starts at the available balance minus any fees owed.
4. Choose the Method: ACH, Check or Wire.
5. Optional: click Add deduction for a repair or other cost to take out of this payout. Each deduction is recorded in the ledger. The breakdown shows what the owner receives.
6. Optional: add a Memo, then click Create Payout. The payout is PENDING.
7. Send the money from your bank. Then click View on the payout, click Mark complete, type the Bank reference and confirm. The payout is SETTLED.

To have payouts prepared every month, use the Automatic owner payouts card on the same tab: switch it on, choose the day of the month (1 to 28) and the smallest amount worth paying, and click Save payout settings. On that day eSamaHomes prepares one payout per owner under Payouts to approve. Check each one, add deductions if needed, then click Approve, Skip or Approve all.

Example

Elena Park has $2,450 available and $50 in fees owed. You create a payout by check.

• eSamaHomes shows "Fees owed: $50.00 — taken before this payout. $2,400.00 can be paid out." and fills in $2,400 as the total.
• You add a Repair deduction of $150 for a gutter repair.
• The breakdown shows Total from balance $2,400, Repair −$150, Owner receives $2,250.
• You mail Elena a check for $2,250 and mark the payout complete with the check number as the bank reference. Her available balance is now $0.

What happens next

• The owner's balance goes down by the payout when you create or approve it, not when you mark it complete.
• A prepared monthly payout is for the owner's whole available balance after fees owed, by the owner's Pay by method. An owner whose available balance is at or below your minimum gets no payout that month. A payout you leave unapproved carries into the next month at the new balance and keeps its deductions.
• When payouts are prepared, the account owner gets an in-app notice. Every payout appears in the Payout History on the owner's profile.

If something looks wrong

• The money came back or the transfer failed. Open the payout, click Mark failed and say what happened. The whole amount, deductions included, goes back to the owner's balance. Fees owed that were collected stay collected.
• You created a payout by mistake. Open it and click Cancel payout with a reason of at least 3 characters. The whole amount goes back to the owner's balance. A payout that is already SETTLED can't be canceled.
• "More than the $… available after fees owed." The total is higher than the owner can be paid. Lower it.
• A prepared payout can't be approved and shows a reason. The owner's opening balance isn't confirmed yet. Follow Go to Reconciliation, then confirm the balance as described in Opening balances.
• Mark Complete in the payouts list left the payout PROCESSING. On a PENDING payout, that button moves it to PROCESSING first; click it again to settle it, or use Mark complete on the payout's page, which does both.