Matching Transfer Doesn't Exist

Geobrick

This is a twist on the changing of opening balances issue.
In my case, the opening balance was changed on a checking account with a transfer transaction from an old mortgage account. When I select "go to matching transfer", Quicken displays the mortgage account transactions but there's no sign of the matching transfer so there's no way to remove or modify it. 

The transaction in the checking account is from 2002 while the mortgage account wasn't opened until 2013 and there are no transactions listed before 2013.

Any suggestions on how to find this phantom matching transfer so I can delete it?

Chris_QPW

I take you have already gone to the mortgage account and seen that there isn't a transaction there (it was removed), correct?

If so, what you need to do is delete the transaction in the checking account and enter it again with the category set for a transfer to the mortgage account.  Note that when you get the error message that it can't find the other side, that is a "broken link" and most likely the other side of the transaction doesn't exist.

Also, another suggestion that one person made that might help just in case something like this happens again.  Add an Opening Transaction to the register with a zero balance, just before the "real opening balance/transfer" transaction.  That means that if Quicken ever changes the Opening Balance transaction again it will change the zero balance one not the "real one".

Geobrick

That's the crazy thing. I can't delete or modify the transaction because when I try it, a Quicken pop-up message says that must be done from the matching transfer's account. When I select 'go to matching transfer', that account opens and the first transaction in the register is selected but it's not the matching transfer. It's 11 years newer than the date of the matching transfer and has split categories where none are the matching transfer from the checking account opening balance. It doesn't exist there. Is it possible the transaction is there but filtered somehow?

Chris_QPW

Well, when Quicken gives that error message about not being able remove/change it on this side of the transfer it is because that other side is a split transaction with this transfer as one of the split lines.
So, check for a split on the same day as the original account.

If that doesn't find it, try Super Validate and Repair.
Hold down the shift and ctrl key and select File -> Validate and Repair File..., and then select "Super validate file" checkbox and then OK.

UKR

If you haven't done so already, please do the following actions. This should fix the broken link and/or make the transaction removable.

• Even if you are on the latest software level already, download and install the latest Mondo Patch file from https://www.quicken.com/support/update-and-mondo-patch-20182019-release-quicken-windows-subscription-product to ensure your Quicken software is up to date and correctly installed.
• Reboot Windows.
• Validate and Supervalidate your Quicken data file.
• If nothing helps, try to restore your Quicken data file from an Automatic or Manual backup taken just prior to the problems first occurring. https://www.quicken.com/support/how-backup-or-restore-your-quicken-data

 

Validate and Supervalidate instructions

First save a backup file prior to performing these steps

Validate: 

1. Click File
2. Select Validate and Repair File...
3. Select Validate File
4. If the data file contains investment accounts also select "Rebuild investing lots". If you suspect that a damaged Quotes Price History causes your problems, also select "Correct investing price history" functions "Delete" or "Repair and Rebuild".
5. Click OK
6. Close the Data Log
7. Close Quicken (leave it closed for about 30 secs)
8. Reopen Quicken and see if the issue persists.

Super Validate:

1. Click File
2. Press and hold both CTRL and Shift keys while you click Validate and Repair File...
3. Select Supervalidate File
4. Click OK
5. Close the Data Log
6. Close Quicken (leave it closed for about 30 secs)
7. Reopen Quicken and see if the issue persists.

Geobrick

Chris_QPW said:

Well, when Quicken gives that error message about not being able remove/change it on this side of the transfer it is because that other side is a split transaction with this transfer as one of the split lines.
So, check for a split on the same day as the original account.

If that doesn't find it, try Super Validate and Repair.
Hold down the shift and ctrl key and select File -> Validate and Repair File..., and then select "Super validate file" checkbox and then OK.

I'll have to try the super validate because the matching transfer isn't there within the split transactions.
The opening balance transfer is dated 09/10/2002 and the earliest transaction in the matching transfer account is 03/27/2013. There's nothing close to the date of the transfer. The first transaction in the mortgage account does have split categories but none are the matching transfer and it's the wrong date (off by 11 years).  

Geobrick

Super Validate didn't help but I was able to fix it by doing the following:

By deleting a completely different transfer from the split category list within the opening transaction in the mortgage account, in addition to that unrelated transfer getting deleted from the checking account, the bad opening balance transaction got deleted too. I then added that completely different transfer back into the split list and all is good. The only hypothesis I have is that both transactions had the same Payee name "Opening Balance".

Said another way, the erroneous transaction in account 'A' on 09/10/2002 with the Payee "Opening Balance" was a transfer of $3,775.97 to account 'B'. In account B there were no transactions close to that date and nothing at all for that amount anywhere else in my Quicken file. The earliest transaction in Account B was the Mortgage Opening Balance transaction on 03/27/2013 (11 years difference). Within the split categories in the transaction was a transfer to Account A for -$1,710.76. This transaction was also in Account A at its correct date of 03/27/2013. By deleting that transfer from the split category list, BOTH the correct transfer and the erroneous transfer were removed from account A. Problem solved. All I needed to do was add the -$1,710.76 transfer back into the split transaction list in Account B and all was good again.

Chris_QPW

Wow, very strange, but glad you were able to resolve the problem.