Evaluating Environmental Sustainability

• US 20110047086A1
• Filed: 09/30/2010
• Published: 02/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Heisterkamp, Marc E., Santos, Wayne, Alexander, Robin, Becker, Robert G., Volz, Guy H.
• Application Number:
  US12/894,610
• Publication Number:
  US 20110047086A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/314
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 Real estate
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/163 Real estate management

Abstract

A system and method may automatically receive an electronic lease or other agreement document for property and parse the document to identify provisions provided therein. The lease may then be evaluated for various types of provisions to determine an overall quality score. In one example, the quality score may correspond to an environmental sustainability score and include considerations such as sub-metering, water-saving fixtures, LEED certification and the like. In one or more arrangements, provisions may be identified by generating and providing an electronic questionnaire through which a user may specify the applicable terms of the lease. Approval of the lease may be conditioned on a minimum environmental sustainability score as determined by the lease provisions. A system may further suggest ways to improve the environmental sustainability score.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by an evaluation system, one or more provisions of a property lease, wherein the one or more provisions of the property lease include environmental provisions for a leased property;

assigning a score, by the evaluation system, to each of the one or more provisions of the property lease, wherein the score indicates a degree of compliance with an environmental sustainability guideline for property leases; and

determining an environmental sustainability score for the lease based on the score assigned to each of the one or more provisions of the property lease.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether to approve the lease for execution by comparing the environmental sustainability score of the lease with a threshold score.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the threshold score is selected based on a geographic location of the property.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the one or more provisions of the property lease includes:

receiving an electronic version of the property lease; and

parsing the property lease to identify the one or more provisions.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein parsing the property lease is performed by identifying key words or phrases in the property lease.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, by the evaluation system, one or more changes to the property lease to improve the environmental sustainability score.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more provisions includes a certification provision and wherein assigning a score to the certification provision includes determining another score determined based on a certification checklist different from the environmental sustainability guideline for property leases.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a first score is assigned to the certification provision when the other score determined based on the certification checklist is above a first score threshold and wherein a second score is assigned to the certification provision when the other score is above a second threshold.

9. One or more non-transitory computer readable media storing computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause an apparatus to:

determine one or more provisions of a property lease, wherein the one or more provisions of the property lease include environmental provisions for a leased property;

assign a score to each of the one or more provisions of the property lease, wherein the score indicates a degree of compliance with an environmental sustainability guideline for property leases; and

determine an environmental sustainability score for the lease based on the score assigned to each of the one or more provisions of the property lease.

10. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 9, wherein determining the one or more provisions of the property lease includes:

receiving an electronic version of the property lease; and

parsing the property lease to identify the one or more provisions.

11. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 10, wherein parsing the property lease is performed by identifying key words or phrases in the property lease.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 9, wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to determine one or more changes to the property lease to improve the environmental sustainability score.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 9, wherein the one or more provisions include a certification provision and wherein assigning a score to the certification provision includes determining another score determined based on a certification checklist different from the environmental sustainability guideline for property leases.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 13, wherein a first score is assigned to the certification provision when the other score determined based on the certification checklist is above a first score threshold and wherein a second score is assigned to the certification provision when the other score is above a second threshold.

15. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory operatively coupled to the at least one processor and storing computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to;

determine one or more provisions of a property lease, wherein the one or more provisions of the property lease include environmental provisions for a leased property;

assign a score to each of the one or more provisions of the property lease, wherein the score indicates a degree of compliance with an environmental sustainability guideline for property leases; and

determine an environmental sustainability score for the lease based on the score assigned to each of the one or more provisions of the property lease.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to determine whether to approve the lease for execution by comparing the environmental sustainability score of the lease with a threshold score.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the threshold score is selected based on a geographic location of the property.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein determining the one or more provisions of the property lease includes:

receiving an electronic version of the property lease; and

parsing the property lease to identify the one or more provisions.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein parsing the property lease is performed by identifying key words or phrases in the property lease.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to determine one or more changes to the property lease to improve the environmental sustainability score.