[HCoop-Discuss] [docelic, ntk] Cracking down on negative balances

[Adam Chlipala]

Omry Yadan wrote:
> 1. I hope there will be a few warning emails (T-4 months, T-3.5 months,
> T-0.25 months?)  sent automatically when the user balance approach 3
> months worth of payments.
>   

The script warns now 2 months ahead of time.  I really have no sympathy 
for people who need more time than that to plan to pay a few dollars, so 
I won't change it unless someone lays out a rational argument in favor 
of an alternative.

> 2. this essentially means that there is a deposit of 3 months that
> cannot be used by the user.
>
> what is the purpose of this deposit?
>   

I think the first e-mail of this thread answered your question... 
almost.  Our bylaws allow us to boot members who have negative balances 
for three months.  The purpose of the deposit is to ensure that we can 
kick out anyone whose balance (in the current, "old" sense of the word) 
reaches 0, avoiding any need to try to collect on debt.  We need to 
consider the deposit separately from the balance because people tend to 
ignore any number that isn't less than or equal to 0, in e-mail 
communications telling them how low their balances are.