Pasco ounty - Fort Lauderdale

Our Only Business is Putting Money Into your Business

PREPARED FOR:

Pasco County

NCSPlus Cash Recovery System

Comprehensive Collections Program

PREPARED BY: Harve Platig

National Account Executive NCSPlus, Inc.

(321) 332-7578 [email protected]

PROPOSAL For

Collection Services

mailto:[email protected]

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Our Only Business is Putting Money into your Business – Full Service Cash Flow Management

Table of Contents TAB A: STATEMENT OF INTEREST AND INTRODUCTION………………………………….….3

TAB B: PROJECT UNDERSTANDING AND APPROACH…………………………………….……6

TAB C: TECHNICAL APPROACH………………………………………………………………….21

TAB D: PROJECT TEAM, FIRMS QUALIFICATIONS, AND FINANCIAL STABILITY………..…25

TAB E: PAST EXPERIENCE……………………………………………………………………..…38

TAB F: REQUIRED FORMS………………………………………………………………………..42

Attachments Attachment 1 – OFFEROR INFORMATION/CERTIFICATION…………………………………………..44 Attachment 2 – ADDENDUM ACKNOWLEDGEMENT………………………………………………………47 Attachment 3 – DRUG FREE WORKPLACE CERTIFICATE……………………………………………….48 Attachment 4 – SWORN STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 287.133 (3) (a), FLORIDA STATUTES (2014), PUBLIC ENTITY CRIMES……………………………………………………………………….49 Attachment 5 – AFFIDAVIT OF NON-COLLUSION AND OF NON-INTEREST OF PASCO COUNTY EMPLOYEES………………………………………………….………..51 Attachment 6 – VENDOR INFORMATION FORM……………....……………………………………………52 Attachment 7 – PROPOSAL FORM AND PRICING SHEETS…………………………………………..….54 Attachment 8 – ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF CONTRACTOR…………………….………………………….57

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TAB A: STATEMENT OF INTEREST AND INTRODUCTION The responding firm shall provide a letter, on letterhead, not exceeding two (2) pages, which serves as a statement of interest and introduction to the submittal. The letter shall include a disclosure of any potential conflict of interest that your firm may have due to other clients, contracts or property interests in this project.

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Dear Pasco County Decision Makers: NCSPlus Incorporated opened its doors as a fixed fee collection agency in 1984. We consider it a privilege to be entrusted with the responsibility to bring those who owe funds back to the County to make it right. In 2008, Harve Platig, National Director of Government Accounts for NCSPlus, teamed up with The Florida Association of Counties to provide Florida’s first ever Government Debt Recovery Program. This program is based on the concept of the fixed fee for several important reasons:

1. The fixed fee model of debt recovery is more cost effective for the County 2. The fixed fee model inspires citizen confidence in the process 3. Net returns with the NCSPlus fixed fee model are much higher

I often refer to this approach as a Restorative Recovery. The typical contingency (not fixed fee) debt collection process asks the past-due citizen to pay the debt collector. The fixed fee method as provided by NCSPlus asks the past-due citizen to pay the County directly. This distinction makes all the difference to citizens who may otherwise wonder if payments they make to a debt collector will truly be applied to their debt (see the NYT best-selling book “Bad Paper” by Jake Halpern for examples). By restoring the payment pathway between the citizen and the County, all potential for doubt in the process is removed for the debt collector never touches the money. While many may offer to undertake the County’s work on the terms expressed in your RFP, very few debt collection companies other than NCSPlus have featured the fixed fee as their primary offering to the market place. Debt collection agencies make more money on contingency contracts. One reason for this is that a contingency debt collector may choose which accounts to work, and how much work (time and money) to invest on each delinquent account. And while this scoring or cherry picking of accounts can be great for the collection agency’s bottom line, it is not so helpful to the client who hired them. Why? The reason is that many difficult-to-collect claims are tying up large sums of County funds in uncollected debt. A collection agency wants to work the easier claims that pay more money and pay quickly. The fixed fee model remedies this issue with transparency and a firm commitment by the collector to put forth a robust and thorough collection effort on each and every claim submitted by the County. In the long term, this approach yields MUCH higher net returns for the County. When considering your choice of vendor, please consider that NCSPlus is dedicated to fixed fee collections by design. We are not simply adapting for this RFP to win your business. This process and its features are who we are as a corporation. And this has been the case since our inception in 1984. We are passionate about the fixed fee model and we call it “the good news about bad accounts” because we know that given the opportunity, we can double, triple, or more the net returns of any new client. And while we have 35 years of experience, we are continually improving our offering by the use of new technologies. For example, in 2009 we offered skip tracing services for an extra charge. Advances in technology have now allowed us to include this in our low fixed fee price. And as soon as that

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was possible, we stopped charging for skip tracing immediately, rather than riding out the old contracts by continuing to charge the clients for that feature. We have faithfully backed our 400% ROI guarantee to the delight and satisfaction of tens of thousands of clients. In many cases (including County clients) our returns on investment reach into the thousands and even tens of thousands of percentage points in returns. These results have been demonstrated over and over again for cities and counties throughout Florida and beyond. There is no conflict of interest related to this RFP and response. We continue to be thankful for the opportunity to serve as described in the pages that follow. Thank you for your consideration. When we write a response, we make commitments. Our reputation has been built by keeping those commitments and outperforming promises made. We would truly be delighted to continue in your service. All the best to you,

Harve Platig, National Director of Government Accounts, NCSPlus Incorporated

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TAB B: PROJECT UNDERSTANDING AND APPROACH

Describe your understanding of the project scope and requirements necessary for proper completion of the work proposed. Describe the technical approach in performing the scope of work including a detailed outline of the proposed program and identification of potential problem areas and approach to resolving them. Indicate timelines and deadlines.

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Project Understanding and Approach The average US collections agency has historically had about a 15% success rate and charge fees of 15-50%. NCSPlus has an average success rate of 56% in its Phase I service alone at a fee of typically less than 10% and often as low as 1% and 2%. The fixed fee debt collections model is a more effective and affordable means of debt collection. The NCSPlus fixed fee process provides benefits offered by no other fixed fee collections agency. Every new client’s initial order is backed with our 400% ROI guarantee. Please consider that even if another agency offered a lower per claim price, but provided only a 200% ROI Guarantee, then the guaranteed result would be lower per dollar spent regardless of unit price. $1 spent with them guarantees a $2 return, while $1 spent with NCSPlus brings at least a $4 return. By putting greater weight of action into our Phase I service, NCSPlus assures greater recoveries in Phase I where money is paid directly to County. This approach favors the County rather than the collection agency. Lighter fixed fee offerings weight the recoveries into Phase II where the collection agency makes more money, but the County receives less. Contingency agencies may add large collection fees to debtor’s bills, but recovery rates are lower as a result, which reduces monies received by County and increases losses and write-offs. At NCSPlus, we recover more, charge less, and guarantee our work like no one else. NCSPlus is grateful and proud of our strong service history with Pasco County and similarly situated government entities. While engaged in collection efforts on behalf of County, our team’s responsiveness and continued communication with County ensures that we encounter few problem areas while performing our service contract with County. Small issues occasionally pop up, like updating records deceased or disputed claims, or stopping collection efforts when a person declares bankruptcy. Our internal procedures and close communication with County staff allow us to quickly identify problem areas and resolve them right away—usually within the same day they are identified. Our history working with Pasco County has provided us with a workflow infrastructure that allows NCSPlus to begin immediate collection efforts on behalf of County. Please refer to Sections D and 4.3 for specific information regarding NCSPlus’ timelines and deadlines for implementing collection efforts on behalf of County if County decides to continue its partnership with NCSPlus. Pasco County is seeking a fixed-fee revenue recovery service. The Scope of Services to be performed by the successful service provider will include, but not be limited to, the following:

A. Formally demanding payment of each collection item and seeking an arrangement satisfactory to the County under which the collection item will be paid;

With over 35 years of experience in fixed-fee collections, NCSPlus stands positioned to provide superior revenue services while honoring the interests of Pasco County citizens. Our service to the County includes a progressive strategy of collection letters, an attorney demand letter,

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an optional thank you letter, telephoning, and credit reporting to all three national credit bureaus. These services are included as part of a Phase I service of over 120 days. All letters and calls are in the name of County as exclusive payee. Phase II service includes intensive collections activity on a contingency basis, including litigation when warranted at County’s discretion and with no additional out-of-pocket expense to County. Read more below in Section 4.15.

B. Skip tracing on returned mail with collection efforts to follow, if necessary;

NCSPlus has strong skip tracing capability for locating debtors who have left with no forwarding address. A proprietary system is used by NCSPlus to program in skip tracing services automatically when warranted. We first run all claims through the National Change of Address registry (NCOA). Then, if a bad address is detected (at any time during our collections process) our system reaches out for new address information from paid services such as Lexis Nexis Accurint and CBC Innovis. Skip tracing may locate not only new addresses but also phone numbers. When a skip trace produces a new address in Phase I, letters will restart from the last letter sent, providing County with full Phase I service from that date. We run skip tracing on bad addresses not merely once, but approximately once per week through the primary phase of collection activity.

C. Handling and processing all customer calls;

At no additional expense, NCSPlus logs and records all debtor calls and communications. These services are included in our service as described throughout this agreement.

D. Sending all notices to customers;

In Phase I, NCSPlus employs a progressive series of letters directing debtors to remit payment to County. These letters have optional features that allow County to customize the debtor experience depending on the type of letter County selects for the first mailed letter. The first letter is mailed within about 1 week of claim submission. In Phase I, NCSPlus sends follow-on letters at approximately day 30, day 60, day 90, and day 110. In Phase II, collection efforts continue based on contingency referenced below. The Phase 1 fixed-fee collection service includes the following at no additional charge: Day 1 – The first letter sent on behalf of the County will be selected from one of the following three choices: Audit Letter (more diplomatic), Bad Check Letter, or Strong Collection Letter. County may choose separately for each delinquent account placed for collection through use of secure website NCSPlus builds for each County department using our service. Claims may be placed individually, or by bulk submission of claims via spreadsheets or other formats. Day 30 – A second collection letter is sent on behalf of County by NCSPlus, notifying them of credit reporting of non-paying debtors. All collection letters in Phase I (approximately 120 days) instruct debtors to remit directly to County.

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Day 60 – Third collection letter is sent on behalf of County. Each letter has a different look from the previous. Varying the look of letters is more effective at motivating debtors to open, read, and respond with payment. Day 90 – Attorney Demand Letter. Debtors receive attorney contact via this letter. Provision of an Attorney Demand Letter in Phase I is an unparalleled value to NCSPlus clients. Day 110 – Final Notice Collection Letter. The fifth letter informs debtors who have not paid that unless they pay County what is owed, they will be reported to the national credit bureaus. (In the event a County department would choose not to credit report a debtor for any reason, collection letters without mention of credit reporting are used.) Optional Thank You Letter. At County’s option, a Thank You Letter will be sent on behalf of County once final payment is received from debtor. This is done for no additional charge. Additional facts regarding NCSPlus letters: NCSPlus has the finest letter set in the industry. Letters are printed on high quality paper using state of the art ceramic print head technology. The high-quality level increases likelihood that debtors will read carefully and take action to pay what is owed. Letters can be marked with client reference data in a user defined field of 26 alphanumeric characters. County may choose to utilize this feature for its own internal reference. Custom wording can be requested. The NCSPlus letter set is fully compliant with all applicable laws. Days given for sending of letters are approximate.

E. Receiving and processing all correspondence when applicable;

NCSPlus will receive, process, and record all debtor communications as appropriate. Letters and calls direct debtors to address all mailed correspondence to NCSPlus headquarters in New York while all payment efforts in Phase I are directed to County. During Phase I, a minimum of three collections telephone calls will be placed to each debtor on behalf of County. Calls are made in name of County as direct payee of the debt. These are not automated voice calls but rather live collectors making personal, professional, and courteous contact with each debtor.

NCSPlus telephone collectors use predictive dialing technology and calls are placed during days, nights, and weekends, maximizing use of collection call hours that are allowed by law. All procedures are fully compliant with The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and all applicable laws related to collections and collections calls. Our aim in all communications is to educate and encourage, not alienate debtors. During Phase I, telephone collectors instruct debtors to remit directly to County to avoid further action.

Additional facts regarding NCSPlus collections calling: NCSPlus continually updates equipment and technology used in our call center. Our call system exceeds current federal recording and documentation requirements for collections calls. The advantage to the County is that NCSPlus is using cutting edge call recording procedures and technology for all collections activity, maximizing both collections and accountability.

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F. Receipt and processing of payments;

NCSPlus’ Phase I collection process directs all debtor payments to County. Payments from debtors will be made directly to County throughout Phase I. In Phase II, remittance to County will be made monthly by NCSPlus. Payments made directly to County in Phase II will be invoiced per contingency agreement. Phase II payments made by debtors to NCSPlus may be made via credit or debit card, ACH, or check.

G. Reporting to major credit bureaus where appropriate;

NCSPlus reports debtors who do not pay in Phase I to the national credit bureaus. Debtors who know they will be credit reported have a much greater incentive to pay what they owe in order to avoid being reported. Debtors who have been credit reported have a much greater incentive to pay the debt in order to repair their credit. By providing credit reporting of non-paying debtors as an included feature of Phase I service, all at a fixed-fee, NCSPlus makes maximum use of precious time while debt is most collectable. Our County clients most often use Phase I only. We have found that Countys’ returns on investment continue to climb dramatically for years as a result of the fact that debtors will often come back to pay as soon as they can in order to clear their credit.

H. Maintenance of appropriate records, including auditable financial records and logs of customer complaints. The successful Consultant must be prepared to devote substantial personnel time and resources to this undertaking to assure a major, aggressive but professional and courteous effort is made to collect the collection items without delay;

Records are maintained at all times to include auditable financial records where appropriate. Records of all disputes, bankruptcies, and decease notifications are meticulously maintained and records scanned into our master file system at NCSPlus headquarters in NY. Data security and backup of records is highest and best in security protocols. The design of the NCSPlus Cash Recovery System avoids the complaints that are common in the collections industry. Reasons for this are respectful and professional communications combined with a Phase I fixed-fee period during which all letters and calls instruct debtors to pay the County directly. Excellent community relations on behalf of County are always maintained. While very courteous at all times, the very robust program of at least 5 letters and 3 live calls, along with credit reporting have proven to produce breakthrough results through faithfulness to a fair but aggressive regimen of communications and appropriate actions. All this is due to clear and complete communications at the earliest stages of the collections process coupled with a highly developed ethic of respect in communications.

I. Legal services for accounts in Phase II, when authorized; and

NCSPlus partners with outstanding Florida attorneys for Phase II litigation services. When appropriate, litigation services are provided at County’s discretion and NCSPlus’ expense.

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J. Monthly reporting, tracking and updates to the County as requested.

NCSPlus’ online system provides progress reporting that can be updated, reviewed, and printed at any time. This highly secure system can be accessed by County’s authorized employees via password protection from any computer with internet access. Online progress reports detail all information including debtor name, balance due, the date the claim was placed, date of last action on the account, etc. For County’s operational purposes, the online system also identifies the number of claims the County purchased, the number of claims submitted for collection, the claims paid in full, etc. Refer to Section 4.13 for more information.

Pursuant to Statement of Work Section 4 of the Pasco County Request for Proposal, NCSPlus will provide services for the County to include each of the following actions performed as described: 4.1 Phase I will be a fixed-fee model. NCSPlus will conduct Phase I of services based on a fixed-fee model. 4.2 The Phase I fixed-fee must include a guaranteed return on investment (ROI) or

refund for unsuccessful work during this phase. As with all clients, NCSPlus guarantees County’s collections by at least 4 times the amount County paid for the Phase 1 fixed-fee services. NCSPlus has the strongest collection guarantee in the industry. In accordance with the Cash Recovery System service agreement, if the service fails to return at least 400% on County’s investment within 180 days from the date the last claim form from County’s system is received, If Phase 1 collection services do not return at least 400% Return On Investment (ROI), then NCSPlus will collect for free until it achieves a 400% ROI. Since County’s returns on investments with the NCSPlus fixed fee model have exceeded thousands of percent on a regular basis, we are confident of a mutually beneficial engagement if allowed to continue. 4.3 The fixed-fee Phase I service must include the following at no additional charge:

letters (including one attorney demand); phone calls; optional thank you letters for payment received; and credit reporting to the major credit bureaus.

The Phase 1 fixed-fee collection service will include the following at no additional charge:

Collection Letters:

Day 1 – The first letter sent on behalf of the County will be selected from one of the following three choices: Audit Letter (more diplomatic), Bad Check Letter, or Strong Collection Letter. County may choose separately for each delinquent account placed for collection through use of secure website NCSPlus will build for County, or by bulk submission of claims via spreadsheets or other formats.

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Day 30 – A second collection letter is sent on behalf of County by NCSPlus, notifying them of credit reporting of non-paying debtors. All collection letters in Phase I (approximately 120 days) instruct debtors to remit directly to County.

Day 60 – Third collection letter is sent on behalf of County. Each letter has a different look and size from the previous. Varying the look of letters is more effective at motivating debtors to open, read, and respond with payment.

Day 90 – Attorney Demand Letter. Debtors receive attorney contact via this letter. Provision of an Attorney Demand Letter in Phase I is an unparalleled value to NCSPlus clients.

Day 110 – Final Notice Collection Letter. The fifth letter informs debtors who have not paid that unless they pay County what is owed, they will be reported to national credit bureaus. (In the event County would choose not to credit report a debtor for any reason, a collection letter without mention of credit reporting is used.)

Optional Thank You Letter. At County’s option, a Thank You Letter will be sent on behalf of County once final payment is received from debtor. This is done for no additional charge.

Additional facts regarding NCSPlus letters: NCSPlus has the finest letter set in the industry. Letters are printed on high quality paper using state of the art ceramic print head technology. The high-quality level increases likelihood that debtors will read carefully and take action to pay what is owed. Letters can be marked with client reference data in a user defined field of 26 alphanumeric characters. County may choose to utilize this feature for its own internal reference. Custom wording is available upon request. The NCSPlus letter set is fully compliant with all applicable laws. Days given for sending of letters are approximate.

Collections Telephone Calls

During Phase I, a minimum of three collections telephone calls will be placed to each debtor on behalf of County. Calls are made in name of County as direct payee of the debt. These are not automated voice calls but rather live collectors making personal, professional, and courteous contact with each debtor.

NCSPlus telephone collectors use predictive dialing technology and calls are placed during days, nights, and weekends, maximizing use of collection call hours that are allowed by law. All procedures are fully compliant with The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and all applicable laws related to collections and collections calls. Our aim in all communications is to educate, not alienate debtors. During Phase I, telephone collectors instruct debtors to remit directly to County to avoid further action.

Credit Reporting NCSPlus reports debtors who do not pay in Phase I to the national credit bureaus. Debtors who know they will be credit reported have a much greater incentive to pay what they owe in

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order to avoid being reported. Debtors who have been credit reported have a much greater incentive to pay the debt in order to repair their credit. By providing credit reporting of non-paying debtors as an included feature of Phase I service, all at a fixed-fee, NCSPlus makes maximum use of precious time while debt is most collectable. 4.4 Collection service shall provide a secure website built for the submission and

updating of claims. NCSPlus maintains and will continue to maintain a secure website for County providing the

following functionality:

Claims may be submitted through use of the online system. Claims may be placed individually or in bulk by forwarding spreadsheets or other formats to NCSPlus. Claims may be received via SFTP protocol or as desired by each participating department. Formats supported include the following:

• MS Word • MS Excel • Standard Unix/Linux • ASCII files • Standard CSV files with file layout provided. • Files may be transmitted to NCSPlus via secure FTP server or via encrypted e-

mail submission as Client prefers. • File confirmations available upon request. • A specifically designed MS Excel spreadsheet is offered by NCSPlus as a

preferred means of bulk submissions 4.5 The County may prepay the service provider for handling Phase I accounts. Once

paid, the service provider must accept accounts for collection up to the number prepaid without additional charge.

NCSPlus begins working claims as soon as County provides them. Each claim receives our customizable, industry-leading collection service. We accept accounts regardless of their age or balance due and work each account the same. Once County has purchased our service, we do not assess an additional charge. NCSPlus claims have no expiration date. This feature maximizes value to County in that higher volumes of claims can be ordered to lower pricing and reduce County’s out-of-pocket costs. 4.6 Claim submission process must be flexible to the County's needs so that the

County may enter individual claims online or send data for entry by the vendor into the web-based system.

NCSPlus is very flexible in working with clients’ preferred formats and can readily customize use of applications for County’s convenience. County may enter individual claims online or send data for entry by the vendor into the web-based system. The most commonly used submission method after initial bulk of claims are loaded is by entering claims into online

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system through web portal. Weekly payment updates may also be processed in the manner specified in Section 4.4 above though most clients simply update via the portal as they receive payments from debtors. 4.7 All collections must be made in accordance with the Fair Debt Collection

Practices Act, Equal Opportunity Credit Act, Fair Credit Billing Act, Uniform Consumer Credit Code and the American Collectors Association, Inc. and all other applicable federal, state, and local laws.

At NCSPlus, we understand the importance of legal compliance when recovering revenue for a public client. Citizens associate anything we do with their county government on whose behalf we act, so we always adhere to industry-compliant best practices. All our services are conducted in accordance with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, Equal Opportunity Credit Act, Fair Credit Billing Act, Uniform Consumer Credit Code, the ACA International, formerly American Collectors Association, Inc. (ACA), and all other applicable federal, state, and local laws. 4.8 Consultant must be authorized to collect nationally and be licensed and bonded

in all states where required. NCSPlus is authorized to collect debts nationally and is licensed and bonded in all states where required nationwide. 4.9 Consultant must have a Florida-based Account Team designated for the County. NCSPlus has a Florida based account team to serve County’s needs under the direction of National Account Executive, Harve Platig. Live onsite visits, telephone support, online monitoring of progress, e-mail support, and training will be provided. 4.10 Consultant, at their expense, shall provide at least one (1) day of live on-site

training, per year to assist with collections successes of County’s use of Consultant’s service. Additional on-site visits to be provided as deemed necessary by the County.

NCSPlus will gladly provide one full day of live training by our Florida account management with additional on-site training and follow up visits as needed. We truly are invested in maximizing County’s recoveries through knowledgeable use of our system. 4.11 Consultant must provide a written in-depth description of methods and

communications used in handling all Pasco County accounts and allow for customization of scripts and letters where requested.

Due to NCSPlus’ high level technology, custom ordering methodologies may be developed and utilized at County’s request. Letters can be marked with client reference data in a user defined field of 26 alphanumeric characters. County may choose to utilize this feature for its own

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internal reference. Custom wording can be requested. County has numerous options at time of claim submission including selection of first letter type (Audit Letter, Bad Check Letter, or Strong Collection Letter), and option to withhold credit reporting of any individual debtor or group of debtors if desired. 4.12 Consultants must establish the following communication links to facilitate

customer access and communication with the Consultant:

4.12.1 A designated hotline for the debt collection program. A toll-free hotline for County is provided for account service to maximize support for County’s effective use of NCSPlus service. Details of toll-free hotline for debtors will be customized to meet County’s collection needs.

4.12.2 A fax number for inquiries and orders.

A designated fax number for support, ordering, and other requests is provided to County.

4.12.3 A designated e-mail address for general inquiries.

A designated e-mail address is provided for general inquiries, online ordering, and account service. E-mail address provided for account service will be closely monitored to produce excellent response times for all questions or needs. Every effort will be put forth to provide fast, reliable, and effective support to County with all debt collection matters. Details of designated e-mail address for debtors’ use will be customized to meet County’s collection needs.

4.13 Consultant must provide online access to the County to access information

regarding activities and management reports. Partnered with NCSPlus, County has continuous access to our online reporting from the time a claim is placed. Our online system provides progress reporting that can be updated, reviewed, and printed at any time. This highly secure system can be accessed by County’s authorized employees via password protection from any computer with internet access. Online progress report details are as follows:

• Online Progress Report- This report displays collections to date by each individual debtor payment received and includes the following information:

o Claim number and debtor name o Balance due o Date claim placed o Last action date o Last letter sent o Current collection status

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o County’s own reference line of 26 alphanumeric characters

• This report also identifies the number and dollar amount of claims in the following areas:

o Claims purchased o Claims submitted for collection o Claims paid in full o Claims with partial payments made o Claims with payment arrangements made o Claims settled in full o Performance - collected to date o Average balance of claims submitted o Skip and mail returned claims o Service complete for initial placement o Disputed or bankrupt claims

EXAMPLE REPORT AS RUN FOR COUNTY – (FINAL RESULTS WERE ABOVE $2M FOR THIS DEPARTMENT)*

CLAIMS SUBMITTED 900 2,474,776.23

PAID IN FULL 196 476,628.03

PARTIAL PAYMENTS 41 96,682.70

PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS MADE 5 10,740.84

SETTLED IN FULL 11 50,229.84

PERFORMANCE 253 634,281.41

SKIP/MAIL RETURN 66 177,677.67

SERVICE COMPLETE/TRANSFER 264 900,549.10

AVERAGE BALANCE 2,749.75 DOLLARS

DISPUTED CLAIMS 4 6,411.96

BANKRUPT CLAIMS 2 24,129.80

CLAIMS PLACED IN ERROR 3 17,897.11

* Please note that in the example above, the client’s total cost to collect was only $10,125. Only 264 of the 900 claims had been fully worked as of this report date. Already, the performance of $634,281 was yielding an ROI that is over 10 times the guaranteed results of a 400% ROI.

4.14 Consultants shall provide information detailing their experience in providing the

same or similar services as outlined in the RFP to public sector entities and non-profit organizations.

In its 35 year history, NCSPlus has served over 30,000 clients. The following were chosen as a representation of clients whose needs are similar to those expressed in the Pasco County Request for Proposal. Each of the following clients are happy to share their experiences with NCSPlus with representatives of County.

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City of Fort Lauderdale FL (5 departments) Address: City of Fort Lauderdale Utilities Years of Service: 3 Contact Person: Athena Gilliam Telephone Number: (954) 828-3530 Nature of Services Provided: Debt Recovery Citrus County Utilities Address: Citrus County Government Building, Lecanto, FL Years of Service: 8 Contact Person: Bernadine Flood-Nichols Telephone Number: (352) 527-7648 Nature of Services Provided: Debt Recovery City of Eustis FL Address: City of Eustis Utilities Years of Service: 7 Contact Person: Alan Milne Telephone Number: (352) 589-4333 Nature of Services Provided: Debt Recovery City of New Port Richey FL (10 departments) Address: City of New Port Richey City Hall Years of Service: 8 Contact Person: Peter Altman Telephone Number: (727) 853-1053 Nature of Services Provided: Debt Recovery Florida Governmental Utility Authority Address: GSG, Maitland, FL Years of Service: 5 Contact Person: Estela Drake Telephone Number: (407) 629-6900 Nature of Services Provided: Debt Recovery Aqua Utilities Address: GSG, Maitland, FL Years of Service: 5 Contact Person: Estela Drake Telephone Number: (407) 629-6900 Nature of Services Provided: Debt Recovery Consolidated Utilities Address: GSG, Maitland, FL Years of Service: 5

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Contact Person: Estela Drake Telephone Number: (407) 629-6900 Nature of Services Provided: Debt Recovery City of Golden Gate Address: GSG, Maitland, FL Years of Service: 5 Contact Person: Estela Drake Telephone Number: (407) 629-6900 Nature of Services Provided: Debt Recovery Lindrick Utilities Address: GSG, Maitland, FL Years of Service: 5 Contact Person: Estela Drake Telephone Number: (407) 629-6900 Nature of Services Provided: Debt Recovery City of North Fort Myers Address: GSG, Maitland, FL Years of Service: 5 Contact Person: Estela Drake Telephone Number: (407) 629-6900 Nature of Services Provided: Debt Recovery Pasco Utilities FGUA Address: GSG, Maitland, FL Years of Service: 5 Contact Person: Estela Drake Telephone Number: (407) 629-6900 Nature of Services Provided: Debt Recovery Polk County FL Address: Polk County Utilities Years of Service: 4 Contact Person: Charles Richards Telephone Number: (863) 298-4135 Nature of Services Provided: Debt Recovery St. John’s County FL (2 departments) Address: St. John’s County Government Building Years of Service: 4 Contact Person: Frank Kenton Telephone Number: (904) 669-7475 Nature of Services Provided: Debt Recovery

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4.14.1 This description should include the names of the key person(s) who will provide the services, their qualifications, and the years of experience in performing this type of work.

• Christopher Rehkow – President of NCSPlus. Mr. Rehkow has over 38 years of experience in the debt collection industry, including starting the nation’s leading fixed-fee collections company, NCSPlus. He maintains active membership in the American Collectors Association, including all the continuing education certification requirements pertaining thereto. Regarded as an expert in all aspects of debt collection, Mr. Rehkow is actively involved in the daily supervision of all aspects of NCSPlus.

• Gary Winston – Director of Association Service Department at NCSPlus. Mr. Winston has over 35 years of experience in the debt collection industry. He has been with NCSPlus since its founding in 1984. Mr. Winston is responsible for providing premium collection services exclusively to associations and nonprofits.

• Brent Spechler – Florida based VP of Sales. Mr. Spechler assists with primarily Florida government clients and is manager over the formatting of claims for submittal. Mr. Spechler was personally responsible for many aspects of work done on behalf of The Florida Association of Counties, and City of Fort Lauderdale among many others.

• Jake Carlin – Florida based IT specialist. Mr. Carlin assists in all matters related to account level IT in the service of our clients.

• Harve Platig – National Account Executive at NCSPlus. Harve has over 38 years of experience in all aspects of account and relationship management in many settings from field sales to Board of Director and top executive positions in a large worldwide non-profit corporation. Harve has provided account management for large clients such as Walmart Corporate and Federal Express Corporate. Harve’s accomplishments with NCSPlus include providing a well received 45 minute continuing education course to The Business Law Section of The Florida Bar called “Collecting Receivables in Today’s Economy.” Harve is a founding board member with the Coalition of American Court Collectors and has served on over 9 boards of directors in his career.

4.15 Consultant shall provide the fee(s) for services as outlined in the Statement of Work. Please see attached Proposal Form and Pricing Sheets in Tab F for pricing information.

Cumulative Pricing NCSPlus offers County complete flexibility and volume buying power by extending to County cumulative pricing. County may place an initial order for as many or few claims as desired with an initial order of as few as 100 claims. NCSPlus will continue to lower pricing as per

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price list given in this document on the cumulative total of County’s purchases within each year of contract. Utilization of this method allows County to make a very small initial out-of-pocket investment and then fund future purchases out of the proceeds from collections provided. If awarded, NCSPlus will honor the current cumulative value County has achieved, thus keeping the 2000 level unit pricing in place for the new contract.

Payment Terms

✓ Payment for each order and reorder is due net forty-five days from day order is placed

✓ Orders will be accepted with an authorized purchase order agreement

✓ Work will commence upon receipt of an authorized purchase order from County

Invoicing Methodology

✓ Initial order is placed using service agreement

✓ Reorders are placed using a new service agreement for each batch of claims

✓ Reorder service agreements will reflect cumulative pricing for County

✓ All service agreements may be submitted via fax, mail, or email

✓ Cumulative pricing for County will be supervised by Harve Platig to assure that each reorder receives full credit for price breaks as described in proposal

Phase II Collections NCSPlus offers County the strongest follow-through in the industry to collect from debtors who do not pay in Phase I. Our senior collectors continue letters and calls, and they employ asset searches and advanced skip tracing in Phase II. Due to the comprehensive nature of our Phase I work, Phase II collections begin at a more advanced point with each debtor. Since debtors have already received phone calls, an attorney letter, and they know they have been credit reported, they begin Phase II with clear knowledge that County is serious about pursuing this debt until payment is made. All Phase II collections are made on a straight 50% contingency basis.

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TAB C: TECHNICAL APPROACH Describe the technical approach in performing the scope of work including a detailed outline of the proposed program and identification of potential problem areas and approach to resolving them. Indicate timelines and deadlines.

a. Describe the specific steps taken to make arrangements for payment of collection items without the need to levy execution or proceed with foreclosure.

b. Describe and provide samples of auditable financial records that will be

maintained.

c. Describe the remittance procedure for and provide sample documents used to transmit revenue.

d. Describe any assistance the County may be requested to provide the Consultant.

e. Provide a list of the types and samples of reports to be submitted, i.e. collection

reports, aging reports, etc.

f. Describe software program(s) to be used in the electronic data transfer from the billing agency and for transfer of uncollected bad debit files.

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Technical Approach Describe the technical approach in performing the scope of work including a detailed outline of the proposed program and identification of potential problem areas and approach to resolving them. Indicate timelines and deadlines.

a. Describe the specific steps taken to make arrangements for payment of collection items without the need to levy execution or proceed with foreclosure.

The steps as described in Section B include the full five letters with an attorney letter included and an optional Thank You letter after payment (for a total of 6 letters). Also included are a minimum of 3 live telephone calls, skip tracing, credit reporting, and guaranteed results. This progressive series of letters, phone calls, and credit reporting produces immediate revenue results without the need to levy execution or proceed with foreclosure.

b. Describe and provide samples of auditable financial records that will be maintained.

Financial records will exist in three forms: First, the County will directly receive payments from debtors, and therefore have those records internally. Second, the NCSPlus web portal will securely house County’s data submitted to NCSPlus. Auditing of this feature is continuously available. Third, any claims transferred to NCSPlus secondary phase collection activity will also continue to be auditable through the NCSPlus secure portal. See example report in Tab C Section E.

c. Describe the remittance procedure for and provide sample documents used to transmit revenue.

The remittance procedure is direct to the County. No sample documents are available for this since the County receives the funds directly from the debtor.

d. Describe any assistance the County may be requested to provide the Consultant. County may be asked to provide documentation of a debt if it is disputed by the debtor. All other assistance provided by County staff would be in the normal course of submitting claims to NCSPlus so we may collect them for you.

e. Provide a list of the types and samples of reports to be submitted, i.e. collection reports, aging reports, etc.

• Online Progress Report- This report displays collections to date by each individual debtor payment received and includes the following information:

o Claim number and debtor name o Balance due

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o Date claim placed o Last action date o Last letter sent o Current collection status o County’s own reference line of 26 alphanumeric characters

• This report also identifies the number and dollar amount of claims in the following

areas: o Claims purchased o Claims submitted for collection o Claims paid in full o Claims with partial payments made o Claims with payment arrangements made o Claims settled in full o Performance - collected to date o Average balance of claims submitted o Skip and mail returned claims o Service complete for initial placement o Disputed or bankrupt claims

EXAMPLE REPORT AS RUN FOR COUNTY – (FINAL RESULTS WERE ABOVE $2M FOR THIS DEPARTMENT)*

CLAIMS SUBMITTED 900 2,474,776.23

PAID IN FULL 196 476,628.03

PARTIAL PAYMENTS 41 96,682.70

PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS MADE 5 10,740.84

SETTLED IN FULL 11 50,229.84

PERFORMANCE 253 634,281.41

SKIP/MAIL RETURN 66 177,677.67

SERVICE COMPLETE/TRANSFER 264 900,549.10

AVERAGE BALANCE 2,749.75 DOLLARS

DISPUTED CLAIMS 4 6,411.96

BANKRUPT CLAIMS 2 24,129.80

CLAIMS PLACED IN ERROR 3 17,897.11

* Please note that in the example above, the client’s total cost to collect was only $10,125. Only 264 of the 900 claims had been fully worked as of this report date. Already, the performance of $634,281 was yielding an ROI that is over 10 times the guaranteed results of a 400% ROI. Describe software program(s) to be used in the electronic data transfer from the billing agency and for transfer of uncollected bad debit files.

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The NCSPlus online system is a proprietary software accessed through the secure web portal provided to each client, and each department, within the County using our service. This software tracks the progress of each claim submitted by County, continually reports progress, and updates in a way that is viewable and updatable by client. Each time a letter is sent, a call is made, or a dispute is received, notes are made into the system showing dates, times, and outcomes of activities as appropriate. All backup documentation needed is scanned and filed as required. NCSPlus maintains records and updates all credit bureaus each week as changes occur. This assures that once debtors pay, they will see the improvement in their credit score as a result, even if the credit reporting occurred years ago. The electronic transfer of claims to NCSPlus is made through the use of Secure File Transfer Protocol methods (SFTP), or via method client prefers. Encrypted email service is also available as required by client needs.

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TAB D: PROJECT TEAM, FIRMS QUALIFICATIONS, AND FINANCIAL STABILITY Tab 0 List in detail the members of your project team and the expertise each will bring to the project. Provide resumes of staff assigned to this project indicating education, background and recent relevant experience (within the last five (5) years) performing similar services with a governmental entity of a similar size. Identify all key personnel assigned to this project and the estimated amount of time to be devoted to the project. Describe the ability of the Consultant/Firm and staff to completely satisfy the requirements in this RFP. (Note: key personnel assigned to this project may not be replaced without prior written approval from the County and submission of resume of the approved proposed replacement. Provide a statement of Consultant/Firm's financial stability, including most recent two (2) years of audited Financial Statements or other financial criteria acceptable to Pasco County and information as to current financial stability. Provide detail of prior bankruptcy proceedings. Provide three (3) financial references from banks or other lending agencies having knowledge of your recent three (3) years credit history.

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PROJECT TEAM, FIRMS QUALIFICATIONS, AND FINANCIAL STABILITY Project Team

• Christopher Rehkow – President of NCSPlus. Mr. Rehkow has over 38 years of experience in the debt collection industry, including starting the nation’s leading fixed-fee collections company, NCSPlus. He maintains active membership in the American Collectors Association, including all the continuing education certification requirements pertaining thereto. Regarded as an expert in all aspects of debt collection, Mr. Rehkow is actively involved in the daily supervision of all aspects of NCSPlus.

• Gary Winston – Director of Association Service Department at NCSPlus. Mr. Winston has over 35 years of experience in the debt collection industry. He has been with NCSPlus since its founding in 1984. Mr. Winston is responsible for providing premium collection services exclusively to associations and nonprofits.

• Brent Spechler – Florida based VP of Sales. Mr. Spechler assists with primarily Florida government clients and is manager over the formatting of claims for submittal. Mr. Spechler was personally responsible for many aspects of work done on behalf of The Florida Association of Counties, and City of Fort Lauderdale among many others.

• Jake Carlin – Florida based IT specialist. Mr. Carlin assists in all matters related to account level IT in the service of our clients.

• Harve Platig – National Account Executive at NCSPlus. Harve has over 38 years of experience in all aspects of account and relationship management in many settings from field sales to Board of Director and top executive positions in a large worldwide non-profit corporation. Harve has provided account management for large clients such as Walmart Corporate and Federal Express Corporate. Harve’s accomplishments with NCSPlus include providing a well received 45 minute continuing education course to The Business Law Section of The Florida Bar called “Collecting Receivables in Today’s Economy.” Harve is a founding board member with the Coalition of American Court Collectors and has served on over 9 boards of directors in his career.

Firm’s Qualification

• NCSPlus opened its doors in 1984 and has been in the debt collection business for 35 years.

• The firm has a strong base of field managers and representatives in Florida. All debt collection work is done out of the New York City corporate headquarters. Account management, training, and account service functions are provided by the Florida team with strong support from Corporate Offices.

• Corporate Headquarters: 117 East 24th Street 5th Floor. New York, New York, 10010.

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• NCSPlus Account Service for County: 2800 Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, FL 32805.

• Members of ACA International, formerly American Collectors Association, Inc. (ACA).

• Members of New York Collectors Association (NYCA).

• Endorsed by over 500 Business and Professional Associations including the Florida

Association of Counties

• Over 20 Years of Service to New York University

• Numerous non-profit Universities and Health Care Providers

Financial Stability

Please refer to the financial statements and references provided below. These three financial references have knowledge of the recent three years of NCSPlus’ credit history. Mr. Oscar Alvarez Branch Manager TD Bank 131 East 23rd Street New York, NY 10010 (212) 473-2769 Mr. George Sotomayor Managing Partner Phoenix Capital New York, NY (917) 651-6834 Mr. Robert Woloshen, CPA 29 West 15th Street New York, NY 10011 (212) 843-3486

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TAB E: PAST EXPERIENCE Provide a listing of all previous customers during the past three (3) years for all work of similar size and scope. The services provided to these clients should have characteristics as similar as possible to those requested in this RFP. Information provided for each client shall include the following:

• Client name, address, and current telephone number. • Description of services provided. • Time period of the project or contract. • Client’s contact reference name and current telephone number.

Failure to provide complete and accurate client information, as specified here, may result in the disqualification of your proposal.

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Past Experience In its 35 year history, NCSPlus has served over 30,000 clients. The following were chosen as a representation of clients whose needs are similar to those expressed in the Pasco County Request for Proposal. Each of the following clients are happy to share their experiences with NCSPlus with representatives of County.

City of Fort Lauderdale FL (5 departments) Address: City of Fort Lauderdale Utilities Years of Service: 3 Contact Person: Athena Gilliam Telephone Number: (954) 828-3530 Nature of Services Provided: Debt Recovery Citrus County Utilities Address: Citrus County Government Building, Lecanto, FL Years of Service: 8 Contact Person: Bernadine Flood-Nichols Telephone Number: (352) 527-7648 Nature of Services Provided: Debt Recovery City of Eustis FL Address: City of Eustis Utilities Years of Service: 7 Contact Person: Alan Milne Telephone Number: (352) 589-4333 Nature of Services Provided: Debt Recovery City of New Port Richey FL (10 departments) Address: City of New Port Richey City Hall Years of Service: 8 Contact Person: Jeff Olds Telephone Number: (727) 853-1063 Nature of Services Provided: Debt Recovery Florida Governmental Utility Authority Address: GSG, Maitland, FL Years of Service: 5 Contact Person: Estela Drake Telephone Number: (407) 629-6900 Nature of Services Provided: Debt Recovery Aqua Utilities Address: GSG, Maitland, FL

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Years of Service: 5 Contact Person: Estela Drake Telephone Number: (407) 629-6900 Nature of Services Provided: Debt Recovery Consolidated Utilities Address: GSG, Maitland, FL Years of Service: 5 Contact Person: Estela Drake Telephone Number: (407) 629-6900 Nature of Services Provided: Debt Recovery City of Golden Gate Address: GSG, Maitland, FL Years of Service: 5 Contact Person: Estela Drake Telephone Number: (407) 629-6900 Nature of Services Provided: Debt Recovery Lindrick Utilities Address: GSG, Maitland, FL Years of Service: 5 Contact Person: Estela Drake Telephone Number: (407) 629-6900 Nature of Services Provided: Debt Recovery City of North Fort Myers Address: GSG, Maitland, FL Years of Service: 5 Contact Person: Estela Drake Telephone Number: (407) 629-6900 Nature of Services Provided: Debt Recovery Pasco Utilities FGUA Address: GSG, Maitland, FL Years of Service: 5 Contact Person: Estela Drake Telephone Number: (407) 629-6900 Nature of Services Provided: Debt Recovery Polk County FL Address: Polk County Utilities Years of Service: 4 Contact Person: Charles Richards Telephone Number: (863) 298-4135

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Nature of Services Provided: Debt Recovery St. John’s County FL (2 departments) Address: St. John’s County Government Building Years of Service: 6 Contact Person: Frank Kenton Telephone Number: (904) 669-7475 Nature of Services Provided: Debt Recovery

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TAB F: REQUIRED FORMS 1. OFFEROR INFORMATION/CERTIFICATION FORM 2. ADDENDUM ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 3. DRUG FREE WORKPLACE CERTIFICATE 4. PUBLIC ENTITY CRIMES 5. AFFIDAVIT OF NON-COLLUSION AND OF NON-INTEREST OF PASCO COUNTY EMPLOYEES 6. VENDOR INFORMATION FORM/W-9 (To be provided by awarded service provider) 7. PROPOSAL FORM AND PRICING SHEETS

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