Instructions for Completing the Claim Letter

*Please read these instructions before completing the template.

The template document which follows, on page 2, has been created for your convenience in generating a letter to the purchasing agent regarding payment of claims.

Definition of a Claim- A demand or cause of action presented for money or damages. ''Claim" does not mean a routine, uncontested, or regular payment, including a bill, purchase, or payroll. (County Policy 1305 – Processing of Contested Payments (Claims) Against the County.)

The template has been designed to provide a basic letter to which specific information may be added by the agencies. Please do not submit just a basic letter. Two issues, at a minimum, need to be addressed: Why the purchase was made without proper approvals and what action has been taken by the Division, Department or Elected Official to ensure purchases of this nature will not reoccur.

The areas requiring information from the agencies are signified by text within quotations and brackets, “[ ]”, which prompts the agency to provide specific information. The agency will proceed through the template, clicking, as prompted, on the text within “[ ]” and inserting the requested information. Text outside “[ ]” should not generally require any formatting but can be expanded upon if necessary. After completing the template you may save the document to a file of your choosing on your computer. The final step in this process will be to print a hard copy of the completed letter on letterhead and send along with your original invoices and the string of accounts for Accounts Payable to use when making payment to your Department Director/Elected Official for signature. The Department Director/Elected Official, after reviewing and signing the letter, will forward the documents to the Salt Lake County Purchasing Agent in Contracts & Procurement. Should the claim letter not support the request, the letter may be returned by the Purchasing Agent for further information to justify the claim.

The Contracts & Procurement Division will handle the submittal of the request for approval by the Salt Lake County Mayor after it has been reviewed and approved by the Purchasing Agent. If your request is denied, you will be notified in writing with an explanation as to why. Should the documents provided in the claim submission not support the purchase, the person or persons ordering or approving the goods or services could be held responsible to the vendor or the County for payment and could be subject to disciplinary measures.

SUBJECT: Claim

On goods/services were received from in the amount of .

We have made the following changes to ensure proper approval procedures are followed in the future: .

This Agency has reviewed this request for payment and is agreeable that it is a valid request.

For questions, contact at .

The above referenced claim request has been submitted to the Division of Contracts & Procurement. As there was not a properly approved “[Click to Insert type of purchasing document]” in place prior to delivery of goods or services, the request for payment becomes a claim against Salt Lake County.

A copy of the invoices are attached herewith for review. Contracts & Procurement concurs with this request, as the County has benefited from the procurement and recommends that the Mayor approve the payment of this claim and direct the Mayor’s Financial Administration to make payment if determined appropriate.

Sincerely,

____________________________________________

Division Director/ Department Director/ Elected Official

_________________________

Purchasing Agent or Designee

___________________________________________

Mayor or Designee	Date