Updates to E-file

New Features

Approval authorities can now access a PDF of any completed Municipal/Approval Authority (M1) Forms for all case packages submitted to OLT through e-file. The PDF will look similar to the existing M1 form and will provide an official summary of all data entered by the municipality/approval authority in e-file along with a list of the checklist items and document filenames that were uploaded and submitted to OLT. The PDF will be attached to the confirmation email they receive after they submit their case package through e-file.

Improvements and Fixes

We have updated language on the appellant interface, including headings, instructions and buttons, to clarify actions required and reduce confusion. For example:

• Added words “if applicable” to action buttons that are optional for user (e.g., “Add Joint Appellant (if applicable)” and “Add additional properties (if applicable)”)
• Relabeled column headings in the document table to be more intuitive (e.g., “Attached Documents” instead of “Correspondence Type”)
• Changed action button on the Summary and Review page to say “Complete/Lock Appeal” rather than “Submit”, so that it is clear user can make no further changes to appeal form beyond this point.
• Removed instruction box on how to pay for an appeal when there is no fee charged.
• Clarified instructions and action buttons on the payment screens to indicate that payment is not required to submit an appeal and meet the appeal submission deadline, but that user must confirm payment plans and click the “Confirm and Submit Appeal” button for their appeal to be submitted to the approval authority.
• Updated the “Tips and Instructions” on the public/appellant interface to:
  • Clarify French language browser settings requirements
  • Define the term “legal description” in the context of entering an address manually for a property being appealed
  • Clarify the types of document formats that are acceptable for uploading
• Updated the “Tips and Instructions” on the approval authority interface to:
  • Explain how to identify related appeals submitted by appellants in e-file and how to group them together

• A new field for ‘City’ on the Subject Property Location page. This allows the user to identify a specific address of a city or town and may be the same as or different from the ‘Municipality’.
• Appellant Representative’s contact information is now available to be viewed by Approval Authority users. A permissions issue has been fixed.
• Municipal Submission Form (M1) PDF is now available to be downloaded within the Approval Authority’s portal while a case is ‘In Progress’ and after a case has been submitted to OLT. Previously, this document was only available as an attachment in the email that confirmed the case was submitted to OLT.
• The Appeal Form PDF is now available to be downloaded within the Approval Authority’s portal. Previously, this document was only available as an attachment in the Appellant’s appeal filing confirmation email.
• An electronic signature has been added for the Appellant or their Representative to complete on the appeal form.
• A new view has been added to the Approval Authority Dashboard titled ‘Appeals Added to a Case’. This new view allows the approval authority users to track appeals that have been grouped into a case and/or submitted to OLT.
• In the ‘Documents’ section, the user is now able to see a list of the file names of documents that have been attached after the appeal or case has been submitted.
• Minor text and display inconsistencies have been corrected.
• Registered Level-1 and Level-2 users are now copied (CC’d) instead of blind-copied (BCC’d) on the Appellant’s appeal confirmation email. This provides transparency in appeal filing.
• Enhancements on several grids: additional data columns have been added to improve data display and usability.

The next updates to e-file are scheduled to be delivered in Winter 2025.