diff --git a/fieldExtraction/src/cnc_hotfix.py b/fieldExtraction/src/cnc_hotfix.py
index 5ba9dda..33f78aa 100644
--- a/fieldExtraction/src/cnc_hotfix.py
+++ b/fieldExtraction/src/cnc_hotfix.py
@@ -627,15 +627,15 @@ def clean_contract_effective_date(
         except Exception as e:
             # print(f"Error processing {file_name}, got error: {e}")
             answer,d,page_list,claude_answer_raw = "N/A",{},[],""
+        try:
+            corrected_date = utils.convert_to_us_date_format(str(answer))  # apply date formatting fix
+        except utils.InvalidDateException as e:
+            corrected_date = "N/A"
     else:
-        answer = contract_effective_date
+        corrected_date = contract_effective_date # don't correct format when we already have an answer
         d,page_list,claude_answer_raw = {},[],""
     
-    try:
-        corrected_date = utils.convert_to_us_date_format(str(answer))  # apply date formatting fix
-    except utils.InvalidDateException as e:
-        corrected_date = "N/A"
-        # print(f"Effective Date for {file_name} --> {corrected_date}")
+
             
     df["Contract Effective Date_corrected"] = corrected_date
     df['Log Information'] = str(d)