Tickets may not provided care for fear of bailiffs Come Calling

Everyone feels the financial crisis of recent days, including cities, counties and states. local government officials are looking into every corner, and turn over all the rocks in search of additional income. Many came through what is probably not a gold mine, but at least a streak of additional income, ie, that unpaid tickets and fines. Now, in an attempt to collect these items are not paid, they are collaborating with some unsavory characters in the collection of debts industry.

From the perspective of the municipality, residents and tourists siccing debt with unpaid fines and tickets is easy money. The city or county allows the collection agency to maintain a portion of the debt builds up - typically 20 percent to 35 percent - and the local government does the rest. You must not put the resources actually collect the money, but just to cash checks proverbial debt> Collection Agency.

What is the problem with this scenario? In fact, there are several problems that arise. First, the debt collection agencies are known to harass consumers, including several times to call any time day or night, or by contact with employers, friends and family. This type of harassment is difficult and embarrassing. Second, debt collectors use the information provided to them, and then turn to data mining systemsidentify consumers. Too often wrong. You can call someone with the same or similar name to the person who received the ticket, and then act constantly, even when he said I'm the wrong person. Similarly, a debt collector can call the new owner of an old phone number or a report to the last known address of someone who long ago moved, causing the pain in a resident course.

Third - and most importantly - not all debts are collectible. Most Stateshave a statute of limitations on debt collection, but some municipalities provide information to debt collection agencies for unpaid tickets that are decades old. A city in Tennessee has recently done just that, an agreement with a collection agency known to have violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, even if the municipality has admitted he could not legally force someone to pay a fine ofmore than ten years, hoping that the public pay anyway. One can not help but wonder if this position is a wink and a nod to the debt collector, encouraging him to go to any length necessary to collect on the ticket.

Unfortunately, most consumers are unaware of their rights - and may not even recall receiving the summons. In some cases, these debt collectors to chase the person who sold the car before the ticket was issued. However, there is a sensedespair these days that local governments do not seem to care. While I agree that the consumer can dispute the ticket is not a simple process to do so. And with some of the tactics used by collection agencies, it is likely that many people go ahead and pay, even if the ticket is not theirs to pay.