Property Matrix includes a powerful CAM feature that allows you to set up even the most complex CAM structures. In this tutorial, you will learn how to create a CAM structure from scratch as well as review some sample CAM structures to get started with.

To create a new CAM structure, navigate to "Setting" and click on "CAM" then "New Charge Structure"
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The first part of a CAM structure is the "Bill Matching" tab. This is where you specify which vendor bill to create the CAM charge for.
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In the example above, Utility bills for the Century Park site will create tenant charges.
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​Rules Matching
Select whether all or any of the rules in the "Match bills where" section must match
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​Company for charge
This will determine which company is selected on the bill that will be created

Charge to

Choose whether to create a charge for the tenant or the company that owns the property

Item for charge

This is the item that will be created for the charge. It will also be the item that's used in the CAM reconciliation for deducting CAM that's already been paid.

The charge allocation section is calculated charge amount is determined. The calculation can have of multiple lines and include variable for more complex calculation. Each line consists of a single operation.

Calculation
A calculation has 2 operands, an operator. The operands can be system fields, custom fields, variables and entered-in numbers.

Operands

+, - , / ,* - for basic arithmetic
Max - Returns the maximum of 2 values - Example: 5 Max 10 = 10. Can be used for establishing minimum amounts for a charge

Min - Returns the minimum of 2 values - Example: 2 Min 5 = 2

Get Value - Returns the value - Can be used to return the value of a System Field.

SumIf
Just like in Excel and Google sheets, the SumIf operation will sum a field across all the units in a property based on a criteria.

The first field is the field to be summed.

The rectangle containing the 2 fields and the comparator is the criteria. Use the "+" to add additional criteria.

CountIf

CountIf will count the number of time the criteria is matched across all the units in a property.

Calculation, SumIf and CountIf all have an output

​Output - The output is where the result of the calculation will be set.
Set variable - Will set a variable to the result

Return - Will set the charge amount to the result of the calculation

If

The "If" statement is used to jump between blocks (Using goto) or continue executing the next lines in the existing block. A block is a collection of lines. Block A is the main block and is always run. Additional blocks can be added by clicking the "+" icon on the bottom of any block

Any block other than block A will only execute if its explicitly called from an If statement.

Triple Net

In this case, we want to charge the tenant for utilities based on their square footage. First we add a variable called Pro Rata Share

Line 1
We come up with the Pro Rata Share by dividing the area of the unit by the building’s total area.

Line 2

We multiply that utility bill amount by the Pro Rata share and set the output to Return value.

Elevator Maintenance
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This more complex structure is for charging tenants for their share of elevator maintenance. However, their ground floor tenants don’t use that elevator and naturally they don’t want to charge them for something they aren’t using. We'll need to charge Pro Rata for elevator service but not charge tenants on the first floor that don’t use the elevator.

Create "Total Sqft With Elevator" and "Pro Rata Share" variables

The first thing to do to make this work create a checkbox custom field on units, called “Elevator”. This checkbox will denote which units to charge and which units not to charge for elevator service.

Line 1

If the custom field “Elevator” = True meaning checked, then continue, otherwise don't continue.

Line 2

Sum all of the units area in a building If the Elevator checkbox is checked. This is because we only want to sum the area of units with elevators. That goes into the “Total Sqft With Elevator” variable that we created.

Line 3

Divide the unit’s area with that total area to come up with the Pro Rata Share.

Line 4

Multiply the Pro Rata share by the amount and return the amount.

NNN - Cap Discount & Minimum

For this example, we have SouthWest plaza which has CAM caps as well as a surcharge above the cap. So they charge the tenant a pro rata share of their utility bill but only up to an agreed upon cap. Anything above that cap, they only charge 10%. There’s also a minimum charge of $50 if the charge is below the cap.

Create the following variables:

Pro Rata Share

Calculated Charge

Over Cap Charge

Over Cap

Line 1

Calculate the Pro Rata Share by dividing the unit’s area by the building total area.

Line 2

Calculate what that charge will be for the tenant by multiplying the bill by that “Pro Rata Share” and placing that in the “Calculated Charge” variable that we created.

Line 3

We have a CAM Cap custom field on every unit so that we can have different caps for different tenants if we need to. We can now compare the “Calculated Charge” to the cap and go to Block B if we're over the CAM Cap.

Line 4

This is the line that we'll go to if we’re under the cap - If we’re under the cap, then we won’t jump to “Block B” because “Calculated Charge” is smaller than the “Unit: CAM Cap”

We now use the “Max” operator to return the larger of the two numbers. For example, 15 Max 25 is 25 because 25 is greater than 15. But 30 Max 25 is 30 because 30 is larger than 25. So in this case that means that if Calculated Charge is smaller than 50, the system will return 50 because it’s the larger of the two. That makes it so that we charge at least 50 dollars if we’re under the cap.

In the case that we’re over the cap, our if statement will make us go to block B.

Block B - Line 1

Here, we want to charge 10% of the bill for anything over our cap. So now we calculate how much over our cap we are and put that in the “Over Cap” variable.

Block B - Line 2

Now we want to charge 10% for that so we multiply that amount by 10%. That’s going to be the amount we charge above the cap.

Block B - Line 3

The final charge will be the CAM Cap amount plus calculated Over Cap Charge which is the 10% surcharge.

If you still find that you're unable to create the structure you're looking for, you can always contact support and we'll help you get your CAM charges set up!