# DRE Portal — Technical Specifications
## Internal working document — July 2026

### Claim Numbering
- Format: `DRE-YYYY-NNNN` (e.g. DRE-2026-0001)
- Auto-generated on claim submission

### Client ID
- Format: `CLT-YYYY-NNNN` (e.g. CLT-2026-0001)
- Generated on account creation

### Closed Case Binders
On case close, two PDF binders are auto-generated:

**Binder 1 — DRE Internal:**
  DRE-YYYY-NNNN_CLOSED_DRE.pdf
  Includes: intake, evidence, AI analysis, AI debtor research, AI weakness analysis,
  internal notes, signed/notarized LPOA, certified mail receipts, communication log,
  settlement, fee disclosure, payment confirmation

**Binder 2 — Client Package:**
  DRE-YYYY-NNNN_CLOSED_Client.pdf
  Includes: claim summary, signed/notarized LPOA, settlement/payment confirmation,
  fee statement. EXCLUDES: AI analysis, debtor research, internal notes.

**Evidence Archive:**
  DRE-YYYY-NNNN_evidence.zip — original uploaded documents

### Full Workflow

#### Phase 1 — Intake
- Client submits claim at debtrecoveryexperts.com
- Intake form: debtor info, amount, description
- Document upload (contracts, invoices, correspondence)
- Terms of Service signed via DocuSeal
- Claim enters DRE queue

#### Phase 2 — AI Review
- **AI analysis is per claim, not per client.** Each claim gets its own independent:
  - Claim analysis score (0-100)
  - Debtor research / skip tracing
  - Weakness assessment
- If a repeat client submits a new claim against a different debtor, it gets fresh analysis independent of previous claims
- AI Re-analysis on new document upload is scoped to that specific claim only
- Team reviews → Approve / Request More Docs / Reject

#### Phase 3 — Legal Setup
- LPOA sent to client via DocuSeal
- Client signs → notarized via Proof (online RON)
- DRE now authorized to collect

#### Phase 4 — Tiered Recovery
- Tier 1: Soft Touch — email + ACH link (Day 1-5)
- Tier 2: Formal Demand — certified mail via LetterStream (Day 7-14)
- Tier 2.5: Lien Threat — pre-lien notice for construction claims (Day 15-21)
- Tier 3: Escalation — final notice (Day 21-30)
- Tier 4: Legal Action — referral to partner law firm (Day 30+)

#### Phase 5 — Settlement
- Payment collected via Stripe ACH
- DRE fee deducted per tier schedule
- Costs deducted (notary, certified mail, filing fees)
- Balance disbursed to client
- Case closed → two binders generated

### Fee Structure (proposed)
- Tier 1: 20-25%
- Tier 2: 30%
- Tier 2.5: 30% (+ attorney if lien filed)
- Tier 3: 33%
- Tier 4: 10% DRE referral + 25% law firm

### Search & Document Retrieval
Cases are searchable in the portal via database fields:
- Claim number, client name, debtor name, amount, status, date range
- Tags (e.g. "construction", "lien filed", "litigated", "debtor paid Tier 2")
- Key flags from AI analysis

On case close, PDF text is extracted and stored in the database for full-text search.
Future: Paperless-ngx if volume exceeds 500+ cases.

### Approval Workflow
- **Approvers:** Germaine + Tony — both must sign off before case moves forward
- **Anita:** Read-only access — can view pending approvals but cannot approve
- **Reminders:** Every 60 minutes, pending approval notification sent to both approvers
- Approval status visible in claim header: "Pending Germaine · Pending Tony · Acknowledged ✓"
Any edit to a claim submission is tracked with a full history:
- What field was changed (old value → new value)
- Who made the change (user name or "system" for automated updates)
- When the change was made (timestamp)
- Why the change was made (optional note field)

The audit log is visible in the DRE internal dashboard under each claim:
```
DRE-2026-0042 — Change History
Jul 8, 2026 10:15 AM  |  John (DRE)  |  Amount: $12,000 → $12,450  |  "Corrected from invoice"
Jul 7, 2026 02:30 PM  |  System      |  Status: Submitted → AI Review  |  Auto
Jul 7, 2026 02:28 PM  |  Robert Smith |  Initial submission               |
```

Edits are allowed on open claims. Closed claims are read-only.
The audit trail is included in the DRE Internal Binder on case close.

### Repeat Clients
Clients create an account on first claim. On return:
- ToS already on file (signed once)
- Client info pre-filled on new claims
- Dashboard shows: active cases, past cases with outcomes, payment history
- Can download their own case binders
- Optional loyalty pricing after 3+ claims (e.g. 25% vs 30%)

### Client Portal View (after login)
- Active Cases: claim number, debtor, amount, current tier
- Past Cases: claim number, debtor, amount, outcome (Recovered / Uncollectible)
- [Submit New Claim] button
- [Download Case Binders] for closed cases
- [Payment History] — all disbursements received

### Required Services
- DocuSeal: ✅ deployed at sign.itpropartner.com
- Proof.com: ❌ need account (online notarization)
- LetterStream: ❌ need account (certified mail)
- Stripe Connect: ❌ need keys (ACH payments)
- Law firm partner: ❌ need referral agreement (litigation)

### Email Configuration
- **email@redacted** — Client-facing. Display name: "Debt Recovery Experts". Used for DocuSeal signing requests, claim status updates, fee receipts, portal login links.
- **email@redacted** — Debtor-facing. Display name: "Debt Recovery Experts". Used for demand letters, ACH payment links, collection correspondence.
- **email@redacted** — General business inquiries.
- All mailboxes hosted on MXroute (heracles.mxrouting.net). Outgoing email relayed through mail.germainebrown.com:2525 (MXroute SMTP blocks our IP).

### AI Chatbot — Knowledge Base
The DRE chatbot runs on Llama 3.2 3B (local, Ollama on Core) with a structured FAQ knowledge base built once by a smart model (Claude Opus 4.7).

**Chatbot Personality:**
- **Empathetic** — Acknowledge the frustration of an unpaid debt. "I understand how stressful unpaid invoices can be."
- **Kind but firm** — Supportive without being a pushover. Never apologetic for DRE's process or fees.
- **Engaging** — Ask leading questions to qualify and move the conversation forward. "How long has this been outstanding?"
- **No promises** — Never guarantee a specific outcome, timeline, or recovery amount. Use "typically," "most claims," "can be."
- **Escalate when stuck** — If the visitor asks something outside the bot's scope, invite them to submit a claim or contact the team.

**Tone examples:**
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| "I understand — unpaid invoices create real pressure." | "Sorry about that." |
| "Most claims at your level resolve within 30 days." | "We'll get your money back in 30 days." |
| "Our process typically recovers 70%+ of claims." | "You'll definitely get paid." |
| "Ready to get started? We can review your case." | "You should definitely use us." |

**PUBLIC knowledge (chatbot can answer):**
- Fee structure & tier percentages
- Required documents for a claim
- Recovery timelines per tier
- Texas construction lien overview (general)
- LPOA process (what it is, how to sign)
- Payment/ACH processing info
- How to submit a claim
- Contact/support info
- Link to Fee Calculator
- Link to Terms of Service & Privacy Policy

**PRIVATE knowledge (NEVER in chatbot):**
- AI claim scoring methodology
- Debtor research / skip tracing techniques
- Internal weakness analysis criteria
- Approval workflow and review criteria
- Specific claim details or case data
- Partner law firm names or referral terms
- Internal fee negotiation limits
- FDCPA/TDCA compliance strategy
- Any internal team notes or communications

### Future Automation (N8n on Monitor Server)
**AI Web Scraper Agent** — https://n8n.io/workflows/2006-ai-agent-that-can-scrape-webpages/
- 4.6/5 rating, free workflow template
- ReAct AI agent that scrapes web pages for skip tracing
- **Use cases:** Texas SOS lookups, county court records, debtor asset searches
- **When:** Remind Germaine about this when building DRE portal — can offload debtor research to n8n workflows