diff --git a/authorizenet/apicontrollersbase.py b/authorizenet/apicontrollersbase.py
index 336b86a..d27773a 100644
--- a/authorizenet/apicontrollersbase.py
+++ b/authorizenet/apicontrollersbase.py
@@ -6,8 +6,6 @@
 import abc
 import logging
 import xml.dom.minidom
-import ConfigParser
-from ConfigParser import SafeConfigParser
 from pip._vendor import requests
 from _pyio import __metaclass__
 
@@ -69,7 +67,7 @@ def beforeexecute(self):
 class APIOperationBase(APIOperationBaseInterface):
     __metaclass__ = abc.ABCMeta
         
-    __initialized = "False"
+    __initialized = False
     __merchantauthentication = "null"
 
     @staticmethod
@@ -83,7 +81,7 @@ def validaterequest(self):
     def validate(self):
         anetapirequest = self._getrequest()
         
-        #self.validateandsetmerchantauthentication()
+        self.validateandsetmerchantauthentication()
         '''
         # make sure proper authentication elements are present and no extra elements are present     
         merchantauthenticationtype = anetapirequest.merchantauthentication()
@@ -197,9 +195,9 @@ def setmerchantauthentication(merchantauthentication):
     
     def validateandsetmerchantauthentication(self):
         anetapirequest = apicontractsv1.ANetApiRequest()
-        if (anetapirequest.getmerchantauthentication() == "null"):
+        if (anetapirequest.merchantAuthentication == "null"):
             if (self.getmerchantauthentication() != "null"):
-                anetapirequest.setmerchantauthentication(self.getmerchantauthentication())
+                anetapirequest.merchantAuthentication = self.getmerchantauthentication()
             else:
                 raise ValueError('Merchant Authentication can not be null')
         return
@@ -218,12 +216,9 @@ def __init__(self, apiRequest):
         
         APIOperationBase.setmerchantauthentication(__merchantauthentication)
 
-        if ( 'False' == APIOperationBase.__classinitialized()):
-            loggingfilename = utility.helper.getpropertyfile()
-            logginglevel = utility.helper.getproperty("executionlogginglevel")
-            
-            #print ("logging level %s" %logginglevel)
-            
+        if ( False == APIOperationBase.__classinitialized()):
+            loggingfilename = utility.helper.getproperty(constants.propertiesloggingfilename)
+            logginglevel = utility.helper.getproperty(constants.propertiesexecutionlogginglevel)
             
             if ("null" == loggingfilename):
                 loggingfilename = constants.defaultLogFileName
@@ -231,7 +226,7 @@ def __init__(self, apiRequest):
                 logginglevel = constants.defaultLoggingLevel
                 
             logging.basicConfig(filename=loggingfilename, level=logginglevel, format=constants.defaultlogformat)
-            __initialized = "True"
+            __initialized = True
 
         self.validate()
             
diff --git a/authorizenet/constants.py b/authorizenet/constants.py
index 15b4d21..a4fdb23 100644
--- a/authorizenet/constants.py
+++ b/authorizenet/constants.py
@@ -52,5 +52,10 @@ class constants(object):
     
     '''default log format'''
     defaultlogformat = '%(asctime)s %(message)s'
+    
+    propertiesloggingfilename = "loggingfilename"
+    
+    propertiesexecutionlogginglevel = "executionlogginglevel"
 
+    
 '''eof'''
diff --git a/authorizenet/utility.py b/authorizenet/utility.py
index f2b90e7..4a4fcb1 100644
--- a/authorizenet/utility.py
+++ b/authorizenet/utility.py
@@ -12,25 +12,25 @@
 #from authorizenet.constants import constants
 
 class helper(): 
-    __parser = SafeConfigParser({"http":"","https":"","ftp":""})
+    __parser = "null"
     __propertyfilename = "null"
 
-    __initialized = 'False'
+    __initialized = False
     
-    @staticmethod
-    def getpropertyfile():
-        return helper.__propertyfilename
-
     @staticmethod
     def getparser():
         return helper.__parser
     
+    @staticmethod
+    def getpropertyfile():
+        return helper.__propertyfilename
+
     @staticmethod
     def setpropertyfile(propertyfilename):
-        if (propertyfilename == 'null' or os.path.isfile(propertyfilename) == 'False'):
-            raise ValueError('properties '%propertyfilename%' file not found') 
-        
-        helper.__propertyfilename = propertyfilename
+        if (propertyfilename == 'null' or os.path.isfile(propertyfilename) == False):
+            helper.__propertyfilename = 'null' 
+        else:     
+            helper.__propertyfilename = propertyfilename
         return
 
     @staticmethod
@@ -39,26 +39,23 @@ def __classinitialized():
     
     @staticmethod
     def getproperty(propertyname):
-        
-        if ( 'False' == helper.__classinitialized()):
-            helper.getparser().read(helper.__propertyfilename)
-            __initialized = 'True'
-        
         stringvalue = "null"
-        if ("null" != helper.getparser()):
-            try:
-                stringvalue = helper.getparser().get("properties", propertyname)
-            except NoSectionError as nse:
-                print (" properties section does not exist")
-                stringvalue = ""   
-
-        else :
-            print (" property file does not exist, will read from environment")
-            stringvalue = os.getenv[propertyname]                
-
-        return stringvalue 
-    
-    @staticmethod
-    def setproperty(propertyname):
-        helper.getparser().add_option("properties", propertyname)
-        return
+        temp = propertyname
+        if ('null' != helper.getpropertyfile()):
+                helper.__parser = SafeConfigParser({"http":"","https":"","ftp":""})
+                if ('null' != helper.getparser()):
+                    try:
+                        if ( False == helper.__classinitialized()):
+                            helper.getparser().read(helper.__propertyfilename)
+                            __initialized = True
+                    except:
+                        print ("helper class not initialized")
+                if (__initialized == True):
+                    print (" Reading %s from property file %s" % (propertyname, helper.__propertyfilename))
+                    stringvalue = helper.getparser().get("properties", propertyname)
+                
+        if ( "null" == stringvalue):
+            print (" Reading %s from environment" %propertyname)
+            stringvalue = os.getenv(temp)               
+            print (" Read propertyvalue %s from environment" %stringvalue)
+        return stringvalue 
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/anet_python_sdk_properties.ini b/tests/anet_python_sdk_properties.ini
deleted file mode 100644
index 9f88ed9..0000000
--- a/tests/anet_python_sdk_properties.ini
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,20 +0,0 @@
-[properties]
-
-#sandbox cradentials
-api_login_id : 5KP3u95bQpv
-transaction_key : 4Ktq966gC55GAX7S 
-md5.hash.key : MD5_HASH_KEY
-
-#log
-logfilename : logFile.log
-
-#proxy setup
-http://internet.visa.com:80
-https://internet.visa.com:443
-
-#environments
-sandbox : https://apitest.authorize.net/xml/v1/request.api
-production : https://api.authorize.net/xml/v1/request.api
-
-#level
-executionlogginglevel : WARNING
diff --git a/tests/apitestbase.py b/tests/apitestbase.py
index 6bb1e20..94f1080 100644
--- a/tests/apitestbase.py
+++ b/tests/apitestbase.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 class ApiTestBase(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def setUp(self):
-        utility.helper.setpropertyfile( 'anet_python_sdk_properties.ini')
+        utility.helper.setpropertyfile('anet_python_sdk_properties.ini')
         
         self.amount = str(round(random.random()*100, 2))