My chief complaint: For filling out land gains/nonres withholding returns and cert requests, the fields for inputting acquisition costs, improvements since purchase, etc., are poorly labeled and don't indicate the information that should be inserted unless you can guess what should be asked for to calculate basis/gain/etc. Needs a major overhaul in order to be useful. Thanks for your attention to this.
J
Jonathan Springer
9 years ago
Featured
The new program was poorly designed; apparently never tested before implementation, or, if tested, not by anyone who actually works as a real estate attorney; poorly documented and resulted in the real estate bar having to spend an untold number of hours to assist their clients with simple, straight forward real estate transactions.
M
Michael Caccavo
9 years ago
Featured
The lack of transparency of where the information fills in, the lack of instructions or tips, the lack of flexibility for specific issues, and the requirement for non-essential information all make the form unacceptable. Also, we do numerous special calculations involoving partial interests and life estates and we are unclear how this will work, if at all, with the electronic form.
J
John A Facey
9 years ago
Another example of bureaucratic overkill. In the private sector, consumers simply would've chosen a company providing a better product.
J
James Foley
9 years ago
It is increasing the cost of transactions because the software is so cumbersome to use. Good idea, poor implementation.
S
Sandra Pinsonault Dorset Clerk
9 years ago
The new system was released way too soon, too many glitches that still need to be worked out!
J
Jenifer Jill Mathers
9 years ago
Please also allow paper form filing for ALL users.
M
Melissa Hon
9 years ago
This program is extremely time-consuming. The user has no idea what the code numbers mean for most of the questions as there is no explanation available. I found that if you have additional transferees, have saved the form, and go back to edit it, it doesn't allow you to edit the additional transferee information. I find the need to print the payment voucher for the Transfer Return separately from the Return itself a huge nuisance. It should print as part of the form.
M
Mitchell Pearl
9 years ago
We are not against the concept, but the system is not working well enough now and causes substantial frustration and extra time for staff. These types of "improvements" should be well-tested in the field before roll-out.
K
Kevin M OToole
9 years ago
Very much in favor of this petition.
C
Cindy OLeary Paralegal
9 years ago
This program is extremely cumbersome. Some (only some) of the issues I have found (some have been mentioned previously) are: 1. doesn't populate all fields; 2. only codes appear on form (no explanation as to what the codes mean do not appear); 3. Do not believe we should have to supply client's tel # or e-mail addresses; 4. not easily saved (or retrieved); 5. If we are going to all the trouble of filing on-line, then we should not have to send a paper copy to the Town Clerk especially since the form says "do not mail"; 6. the withholding section on the transfer return is confusing/contradictory; 7. when applying for a withholding cert., we should not have to go to your other website to complete the withholding returns--besides we already input all of that information in the application process. Instead should have a voucher to submit.
W
William B Schwartz Esq
9 years ago
Minimally a navigation bar is required in the new system. Practically, scrap it and beta test before implementing again.
B
Benjamin Putnam
9 years ago
Featured
Rather than imposing a system from the top down, the Department should bring in real estate practitioners at an early stage in the development process for input on how to make an efficient and error-free system.
L
Lucky Reed
9 years ago
The "bugs" should have been worked out and tested prior to sending it out for statewide usage. We were set up to fail, the Town Clerks as well as us all were on our own in learning this system.
C
Christopher M Perra
9 years ago
Judging by the performance of this system to date, I cannot believe it was even Beta tested. Tax Dept. indicated they consulted Real Estate Attorneys during the process of creating the new system. I find it difficult to believe they consulted any real estate professionals who do much work with real estate conveyances. My practice is state-wide and I haven’t found one town clerk who had much notice, never mind training, on this system.
G
Gary Ameden
9 years ago
Not sure what happened but the Tax Dept needs to take immediate action. The deficiencies in the program are too numerous to list here!
M
Marijke M Dollois
9 years ago
Form takes a long times to fill out; it's also a nuisance having to fill out every time the name, tel #, FEIN #, etc. for each transaction. This program should have been tested with actual users.
W
William J Dodge
9 years ago
Need a better, more flexible system to avoid prejudice to our real estate clients.
J
Jdog
9 years ago
I hope we didn't pay for this yet. Automatic field population is pretty much the whole reason to have digital forms. Super basic. This is a joke. Sad.
J
Jeffrey T Smith
9 years ago
Very time consuming - too many man hours involved and taking away from other work, and it still does not work; if you are going to want to go this route, let's get it to work!
My chief complaint: For filling out land gains/nonres withholding returns and cert requests, the fields for inputting acquisition costs, improvements since purchase, etc., are poorly labeled and don't indicate the information that should be inserted unless you can guess what should be asked for to calculate basis/gain/etc. Needs a major overhaul in order to be useful. Thanks for your attention to this.
The new program was poorly designed; apparently never tested before implementation, or, if tested, not by anyone who actually works as a real estate attorney; poorly documented and resulted in the real estate bar having to spend an untold number of hours to assist their clients with simple, straight forward real estate transactions.
The lack of transparency of where the information fills in, the lack of instructions or tips, the lack of flexibility for specific issues, and the requirement for non-essential information all make the form unacceptable. Also, we do numerous special calculations involoving partial interests and life estates and we are unclear how this will work, if at all, with the electronic form.
Another example of bureaucratic overkill. In the private sector, consumers simply would've chosen a company providing a better product.
It is increasing the cost of transactions because the software is so cumbersome to use. Good idea, poor implementation.
The new system was released way too soon, too many glitches that still need to be worked out!
Please also allow paper form filing for ALL users.
This program is extremely time-consuming. The user has no idea what the code numbers mean for most of the questions as there is no explanation available. I found that if you have additional transferees, have saved the form, and go back to edit it, it doesn't allow you to edit the additional transferee information. I find the need to print the payment voucher for the Transfer Return separately from the Return itself a huge nuisance. It should print as part of the form.
We are not against the concept, but the system is not working well enough now and causes substantial frustration and extra time for staff. These types of "improvements" should be well-tested in the field before roll-out.
Very much in favor of this petition.
This program is extremely cumbersome. Some (only some) of the issues I have found (some have been mentioned previously) are: 1. doesn't populate all fields; 2. only codes appear on form (no explanation as to what the codes mean do not appear); 3. Do not believe we should have to supply client's tel # or e-mail addresses; 4. not easily saved (or retrieved); 5. If we are going to all the trouble of filing on-line, then we should not have to send a paper copy to the Town Clerk especially since the form says "do not mail"; 6. the withholding section on the transfer return is confusing/contradictory; 7. when applying for a withholding cert., we should not have to go to your other website to complete the withholding returns--besides we already input all of that information in the application process. Instead should have a voucher to submit.
Minimally a navigation bar is required in the new system. Practically, scrap it and beta test before implementing again.
Rather than imposing a system from the top down, the Department should bring in real estate practitioners at an early stage in the development process for input on how to make an efficient and error-free system.
The "bugs" should have been worked out and tested prior to sending it out for statewide usage. We were set up to fail, the Town Clerks as well as us all were on our own in learning this system.
Judging by the performance of this system to date, I cannot believe it was even Beta tested. Tax Dept. indicated they consulted Real Estate Attorneys during the process of creating the new system. I find it difficult to believe they consulted any real estate professionals who do much work with real estate conveyances. My practice is state-wide and I haven’t found one town clerk who had much notice, never mind training, on this system.
Not sure what happened but the Tax Dept needs to take immediate action. The deficiencies in the program are too numerous to list here!
Form takes a long times to fill out; it's also a nuisance having to fill out every time the name, tel #, FEIN #, etc. for each transaction. This program should have been tested with actual users.
Need a better, more flexible system to avoid prejudice to our real estate clients.
I hope we didn't pay for this yet. Automatic field population is pretty much the whole reason to have digital forms. Super basic. This is a joke. Sad.
Very time consuming - too many man hours involved and taking away from other work, and it still does not work; if you are going to want to go this route, let's get it to work!