Suck at Local Magistrate's Office

[LillFilly]

I have no clue what's going on here!

Long story short, my boyfriend had a traffic violation that resulted in a citation and loss of license. He spend months making payments to pay-off the citation, which must be paid in full before he can work on getting his license back. He made the last payment about 2-months ago and received an official (all the letters look like subpoenas!) receipt for the payment in full.

Then a few days later, he gets a citation threatening an arrest warrant being issued if he does not pay! The amount; $15.00. Note that he just finished paying a several hundred dollar fine. He's confused, but figures it's a fee of some sort and sends a check for the amount.

He receives an official receipt for the payment in full.

Aaaannnnddd a few days later, gets ANOTHER citation threatening a warrant if he does not pay another outstanding payment. The amount?

00.50cents.

We have NO CLUE where these mystery amounts are coming from. I've never seen or experienced this with citations before. Why did they not just ask for, example, the $415.50 in the first place? Instead of 400, then 15, the .50? And all these citations have been regarding the original citation that he thought he had finished paying on, not a new charge.

He's sending another check tomorrow, but it's a pain because until all the fees are paid-up he cannot get his license back, and they seem to keep inventing more fees! It really seems like they're screwing over an honest person trying to make right their wrong.

[Polenicus]

It sounds like for whatever reason after he paid off his citation, they didn't clear it off the system, and he's being charged interest for late payment, even though it's paid in full.

Before sending any more money, I'd contact the Magistrate's office, with both notices of 'paid in full' in hand, and ask them what's going on, and why you keep getting threatening letters for a debt that's been paid.

If you've gotten notice that you've paid the debt, they have no right to keep coming after you.

[CaptainJaneway]

Also if he paid by check make sure you can get the cancelled copies to show proof that everything was paid on full.

[bhskittykatt]

That really sucks. Make sure you keep all your documentation showing you were paid in full, and use that to show them if they keep trying to bill you.

Something sort of similar happened to Hubby. He had a suspension on his license in Oregon. Later, he moved to Washington, and about two years after that got a letter from Oregon saying he'd violated the terms of his suspension and to surrender his license or he could be arrested. Had to send them a letter saying we'd love to turn over the license, but we'd already done so years prior when he moved!

Government bureaucracies can really suck.

[Seshat]

I would think it's an administrative error, and go show up with all the documentation in hand, and ask wtf is going on.

Politely. VERY politely. Be polite, reasonable, calm, and everything you'd love to have if you were the clerk sorting out a confusing administrative error.

If the clerk isn't competent (remember, this is probably a confusing issue, so allow competent-but-puzzled), ask for her supervisor.

[LillFilly]

UPDATE:

He called their office (I gave him everyone's advice; thanks!) and was told that the computer simply says he owes this .50cents. They could not tell him where it came from, only that it was not any sort of late fee or service charge. They were pretty unhelpful so he just sent them the check.

He's thinking of calling the main office to see where these nickle and dime fees are coming from; maybe the small town offices don't have a clue.

I'm wondering if he'll be getting another impending arrest citation next month for .35cents or something!

[Kogarashi]

I'm wondering if he'll be getting another impending arrest citation next month for .35cents or something!

Judging from the dramatically decreasing amounts, I'd wager that he'll be threatened with arrest if he doesn't hand over $.01. At which point I'd just mail the physical penny instead of wasting a check, but that wouldn't get me documentation. Maybe paying it in person?

[LillFilly]

Update!

Upadate!

And NOW he got ANOTHER warrant for impending arrest if he does not pay ANOTHER .50 CENTs!!!!

WTF!?!

They are not helpful at all. They just say that that's what the computer says he owes. Even the local police where I work, when I mentioned it, said they've never heard of this happening before and it sounds like this office does not know how to use their computer system!

[Pedersen]

Single best way to shut this little issue down is to send a check for $20. That will cover the amount owed, along with any other possible late fees and/or interest.

Once that check is cashed, you have your proof, and can finally work on getting whatever change is owed back to you.

It's what I'd do at this point.

[Seshat]

Go in person.

Take money, but also take the records of *all* of this.

If the person at the desk says "this is just what the computer says you owe", ask to speak to their supervisor.

If everyone you can talk to at the magistrate's court says that, ask whether this issue is ruled by state or federal law.

Then go to your state/federal representative's office, with all the information, and ask them to sort it out. The staff at your elected representative's office *should* be able to sort it out for you - part of their job is to deal with this sort of red tape error.

They're the human Alexandrian solution to the red tape Gordian Knot.

[Geek King]

Addendum: If you do get this cleared up, keep all documentation going foreward in case it creeps back up. Sometimes it does.

[LillFilly]

Update the 2nd!

Ok. He spoke to them again and they said he's paid in full.

And the check for the .50 cents was returned because the account that he owed on was closed. (cause he was paid-up even though he kept getting warrants for impending arrest!)

Yay? I hope...