An unapplied balance advance occurs when a homeowner makes a payment, all or part of the payment is used toward the homeowner’s account or is refunded, and then the homeowner’s original payment is returned to their bank—i.e., it fails to process. Because the homeowner’s payment failed but was used toward their account or refunded, the homeowner owes ServiceMac the used or refunded amount.
Unapplied balance advances aren’t common and can be tough to understand, so here’s an example:
- A homeowner makes a $200 payment to ServiceMac by mistake
- ServiceMac allocates the $200 to the homeowner’s unapplied balance
- The homeowner requests a refund for their accidental payment
- ServiceMac issues the refund, and the homeowner cashes it
- Later, the homeowner’s original $200 payment fails to process and is returned to their bank
The result is an unapplied balance advance of $200 that the homeowner is required to repay.
What should I do if I see an unapplied balance advance on my account?
We recommend checking your bank account to confirm that your payment to ServiceMac was returned and not processed by ServiceMac—you may have missed a notification from your bank about it. Then, to repay the unapplied balance advance, you can pay ServiceMac the amount owed using your preferred payment method.
If you have questions, please feel free to reach out to us at support-Q@lakeviewservicemacusa.com or by calling us at 855-913-5997.