Case management systems classify every incoming document. The classification — not the contents — determines what the system does next.
What the label costs you
A motion gets a hearing date, generates notices, and shows as pending until disposed of. Correspondence does none of that. The document is visible on the docket and inert within it.
Why it disproportionately harms self-represented litigants
A lawyer reading the docket notices the classification immediately and calls the clerk. A pro se litigant sees the filing listed and reasonably assumes it is pending.
What to do about it
File a motion to correct the docket classification and set the pending motions, and request the case management audit log entry showing who applied the classification. See the documented example.