Friday, June 5, 2009

Circuit Court's Collection Agency

Why is it that three - THREE - times yesterday I heard references to the collection agency being used by the McHenry County Circuit Court Clerk to collect unpaid fines and court costs?
THREE (3) TIMES in one day.

The second time I began to wonder who had an inside track on this deal? Or if anyone did? Why would little, ol' McHenry County pick a Washington (State) collection agency to handle its collections, when there are good, local collection agencies right here in northern Illinois?

There seems to be a dearth of information available at the courthouse about this firm for the person with a delinquent account who attempts to make a payment in person, whether in full or partial. Why doesn't that office have a live person at a desk in the courthouse (or across the street) or a flyer or business card with a tollfree number to give to the delinquent? Why won't the clerks at the courthouse accept a partial payment, give the delinquent a conditional receipt with a sheet explaining the terms under which the payment is being accepted locally, and mail the payments overnight to the collection agency (at its expense, of course)?

It's called Customer Service. Duhhhh.....

And here's a bigger problem? Just how far behind is that collection agency? They've had the account for how long now, three months? six months? By now they should have been in contact with every one of the delinquent accounts. I'm sure they must have heard of First Class Mail - even in the State of Washington.

I know of one account for which No Notice of amount owing was received until about six cops showed up at the door with an arrest warrant, house surrounded, guns drawn - for a lousy couple of hundred dollars owed. In this case, a phone call or one letter would have reminded the person that the amount was still unpaid.

Where did the wires get crossed at the courthouse that a collection agency is supposed to be collecting unpaid fines AND armed officers in tactical gear are sent out to snatch the delinquent? Just how much does it cost us for six officers and vehicles to spend 30 minutes doing that? More than the unpaid amount due!!!

Watch for more information on this "effective" use of police manpower early next week!

4 comments:

Gus said...

I was at the courthouse today and had no trouble getting a business card for the collection agency at the payment window. Anyone with an unpaid fine and court costs in collection should contact:

AllianceOne
(800) 456-8838
(253) 620-2222
FAX: (253) 620-2232
Physical Address (for FedEx, UPS)
6565 Kimball Drive, Suite 200
Gig Harbor, WA 98335-1206
Mail:
P.O. Box 2449
Gig Harbor, WA 98335-4449
(or use physical address)

Gus said...

How does a collection agency in a town with a population of under 15,000 that is 2,000 miles from Woodstock get a contract with McHenry County?

pryan67 said...

good old Alliance One...they're crooks...I STRONGLY suggest that people learn their rights under FDCPA/FCRA and enforce them WHEN these dirtbags violate the consumer's rights. For example, since it's NOT a "consumer debt" as defined under FCRA, Alliance One has NO right to access the consumer's credit report...yet they will no doubt.

Gus said...

Watch for next week's story about a woman with an partial unpaid balance of court costs and fine. McHenry County Circuit Court Clerk Kathy Keefe told me today they don't even go after petty problems like that and no warrants are issued. Yet that's exactly what happened earlier this week. Where did the warrant come from?

I've got a FOIA Request in at the McHenry P.D. and a Deputy Chief there has not yet returned Wednesday afternoon's phone call to him.