Claiming, releasing, or forfeiting a deposit

These three actions decide what happens to deposit money you are actually holding.

When they are available

Each is available only when the deposit holds funds. A deposit that has been recorded but never received has nothing to claim, release, or forfeit, and the actions stay unavailable.

A passed expiry date does not make these unavailable, and it does not claim, release, or forfeit anything on its own. What it now does is mark the deposit as expired and send a notice, so a deposit cannot sit past its date with nobody looking at it. Deciding what happens to the money is still yours.

Claim

Use this when you are keeping part or all of the deposit to cover something, for example damage. Enter the amount and the reason, and attach the supporting document. The screen shows you the accounting entry that will be made before you commit.

Release

Use this when you are returning the money. Enter the amount, the date, the method, and the account it is being paid from.

Forfeit

Use this when the deposit is forfeited in full.

What is always true

• Claiming, releasing, and forfeiting are explicit actions taken by a person. Nothing moves the money on its own.
• Each of these sends a notice, so the money never changes hands in silence. See Deposit notices: who is told and when.
• Every action is recorded in the audit trail with who did it and when.
• Every action writes a balanced accounting entry linked back to the deposit.
• You can never claim, release, or forfeit more than is actually held.
• If an action is voided or corrected later, the history is kept rather than erased.