6.3.4 Contracts, Agreements, and Copier Leases
Locations entering into contracts must comply with archdiocesan policies and procedures on signing and approval authority. Locations are encouraged to submit contracts to the Office of the Legal Counsel for review at legal@la-archdiocese.org. Whenever possible, locations must use archdiocesan standard forms for contracts and agreements, which are provided as resources in this handbook. Only persons in charge may sign contracts. Other employees, volunteers, chairpersons, and members of parish and school councils and committees may not sign any contracts whatsoever at any time, even if they may have been given banking authority.
The Office of the Legal Counsel reviews:
Leases and rental agreements
Copier contracts
Technology products and services agreements (e.g., equipment, software, data processing services, telephone, communications services and infrastructure services)
Carnival/fiesta event agreements
Bus and transportation agreements
Emergency shelter, food distribution and other arrangements to provide or participate in social services
Food service or catering agreements (in "Required Documents," see the Service Agreement section)
Filming agreements
Capital campaign consultant or fund-raising consultant agreements
Construction, maintenance and remodeling agreements
Artwork agreements (see the Artwork Agreement)
Professional services and consultant agreements (see the Professional Services/Consultant Agreement)
Performance agreements for speakers, musicians, or other performers (see the Agreement for Speakers, Musicians and Other Performers)
Service agreements or independent contractor agreements (e.g., agreements for janitorial, gardening, or security services)
School uniform and sporting equipment agreements
Sponsorship agreements
Supply agreements
Rebate programs (e.g., programs for water-efficient toilets or solar panels)
Health-related services agreements (e.g., agreements for blood drives or flu clinics)
Any other agreements that commit the location to long-term relationships (more than 1 year) or obligations above the location's authorized spending limits
6.3.4.1 Leasing Photocopiers and Other Office Equipment
Locations should not lease office equipment or enter into long-term maintenance agreements without first reviewing the Archdiocesan Equipment Leasing Checklist. This will help the location determine its needs and whether the decision to lease is appropriate.
Equipment leases are generally written to favor the lessor in the terms and conditions imposed on the consumer and almost impossible to terminate prior to the end of the lease.
While this section focuses on photocopier issues, the policies and procedures set forth herein are applicable to all leases of office equipment.
Lease Features for Photocopiers
Common features:
The term runs for 3–5 years.
The cost is expensive in relation to the retail value of the copier due to the financing costs.
A finance company usually assumes the lease, thereby becoming the owner or "Lessor" of the equipment while the school or parish becomes the "Lessee."
A maintenance agreement is generally required to accompany the lease.
Consumables, such as paper and staples, are usually not included in the maintenance contract.
The small print in these leasing, financing, and maintenance agreements typically contains the following provisions:
Upon termination of the lease, the Lessee must either purchase or return the machine to the Lessor (often out of state) at the Lessee's cost.
Late payments give the Lessor the right to consider the agreement(s) in default and may obligate the Lessee to pay the entire amount of the lease, financing, or maintenance agreement immediately.
No early termination of the agreement is allowed, except if the Lessee agrees to buy out the remainder of the term left on the agreement (e.g., a Lessee who signs a lease for $500 a month for 60 months must pay the Lessor $30,000 (60 x $500), even if the machine is no longer needed after one month).
The applicable law and location for resolving disputes is not in California.
In contrast, locations can buy refurbished photocopiers for a fraction of their original retail cost. Maintenance companies offer competitive pricing for either month-to-month or annual contracts for refurbished equipment; these too can be found online or through your sales representative.
Lease Documents for Photocopiers
Photocopier leases generally have three parts: an order or equipment schedule, a lease, and a maintenance agreement.
The order or eqiupment schedule
The order generally describes the equipment to be leased. The sales company preparing the order is often the same entity that offers the maintenance service.
The lease
The leasing entity is not typically the same as the manufacturer or salesperson; it is usually a financial entity, like a bank, that simply finances the lease, thereby becoming the Lessor. Sometimes it is the financial arm of the manufacturer. The Lessor offers no warranties whatsoever and is not responsible if the equipment selected by the location does not work properly or is not adequate for the school or parish needs. The Lessor is the owner of the equipment throughout the life of the lease, and therefore, the photocopier may not be moved (not even to another room) without the Lessor's permission. The lease is not cancellable for any reason. If the photocopier breaks down or turns out to be unsuitable for the needs of the location, the lease obligations must still be paid. The financing rate is not disclosed and it is usually high.
The archdiocese requires that certain modifications must be made in the lease itself before it is executed:
The jurisdiction of disputes must be changed to California.
There should be no provision for increases in payment during the life of the lease.
Automatic renewals at the end of the lease term should be no longer than month to month.
There should be no charge for insurance coverage; the equipment is covered by the archdiocesan insurance.
The cost of maintenance should not be included or "wrapped" into the lease agreement; otherwise, the maintenance agreement becomes non-cancellable for any reason and the cost of maintenance may be factored into the buyout cost at the end of the lease.
The maintenance agreement
The maintenance agreement is usually a separate document from the order and the lease, although as mentioned above, it is occasionally wrapped into the lease document. The term of the maintenance agreement usually matches the term of the lease. However, a shorter maintenance agreement that can be renewed if the location is satisfied with the service is a better practice. All maintenance agreements must include the archdiocesan Exhibit A: Addendum to Photocopier Agreements ("Addendum"). The Addendum may not be altered or modified without approval from the Department of Applied Technology and the Office of the Legal Counsel. The Addendum contains safeguards for the location.
The location must maintain copies of all agreements, executed by all parties, in a secure, easily accessible location for the life of the photocopier lease.
Buyout of Pre-Existing Leases
A salesperson often entices a location to enter into a new lease by offering to buy out an existing photocopier lease and provide the location with a newer, better photocopier for the same or a lower monthly payment than the pre-existing lease. This practice perpetuates the lease cycle. While the location may get an upgraded machine, the obligation to make lease payments may go on indefinitely. Several guidelines must be followed in order to avoid liability for an improperly terminated lease.
The location may not enter into negotiations for a new lease unless the existing lease will expire in six months or less.
The location must read the pre-existing lease to understand the buyout provisions, including time limitations.
The location will need to coordinate with the new vendor to obtain buyout and equipment return information from the old Lessor to facilitate the procedure.
Under no circumstances should a location allow a pre-existing leased copier to be removed from the premises until the original Lessor has been appropriately notified, the old lease has been fully paid and officially terminated, and the location has received return instructions from the Lessor. Note: Do not allow new vendors to remove the equipment from the location if all the prior steps have not been met.
The location is not allowed to accept payment from a photocopier vendor to be deposited into the location's account for a buyout. Checks may be accepted by the location only if the check is made payable to the Lessor of the pre-existing lease and the location promptly mails it to the old Lessor. If the new vendor cannot issue payment to the old Lessor, contact the Leasing Help Desk at leasing-help@la-archdiocese.org for further instructions.
The location should arrange to have all information/retained data on the pre-existing copier permanently deleted before it is removed from the premises, in order to remove all retained sensitive and confidential information. If the new vendor is unable or unwilling to do so, the location should make arrangements with its pre-existing service vendor to have this done before the equipment is removed from the location.
Execution of Office Equipment Agreements
Before a lease or maintenance agreement for office or school equipment may be executed, it must be sent, along with a completed Request for Copier and Other Office Equipment Lease Approval and Signature, to the Leasing Help Desk at leasing-help@la-archdiocese.org and to the Office of the Legal Counsel at legal@la-archdiocese.org for approval. The Office of the Legal Counsel and the Department of Applied Technology will review and approve submissions. No equipment leases or maintenance agreements for offices or schools may be signed without prior approval.
Generally, the lease may be entered into by the location in the location's own name and tax identification number. However, it may only be executed by the pastor for a parish or elementary school and by the principal for a high school if the amount is $20,000 or less. If the amount exceeds $20,000, it must still be written in the location's name and tax identification number, but it must be signed at the corporate archdiocesan level.
To determine the value of the lease agreement, the location should multiply the monthly lease payments by the entire length of the lease. For example, a 60-month lease at $500 per month equals $30,000 and therefore must be signed at the corporate archdiocesan level. Likewise, to determine the value of a maintenance agreement, the total amount of all scheduled payments over the life of the maintenance agreement is the amount that determines at what level it may be signed.
6/24/21