FAYETTEVILLE — A private agency is helping one city’s court collect fees and fines from people who have failed to pay them, but the question remains as to whether other Washington County courts will take up the practice.
“A lot of courts were having trouble at the district level in collecting debt,” said District Judge Ray Reynolds, who presides over the Elkins city court.
People who missed their court date, have warrants and owe money to the Elkins court, since last year, stand a chance of being tracked down by the private collection business.
The city’s court has more than $500,000 in unpaid fines this year from people who missed their date in front of a judge, said Court Clerk Rene Allen.
“The legislative session in 2008 made a new law that the courts would be allowed to contract out for delinquent fines,” Allen said.
Elkins contracted with American Municipal Services in July 2009. The service has since collected $60,000 for the city, but gets to keep 25 percent of the collection. The city has recovered $45,000 in about 14 months, Allen said.
Normally, a city’s police department shoulders the responsibility of picking up people who have warrants and unpaid fines. The Elkins Police Department is limited in staffing and time to serve warrants, said Police Chief John Williams. He is happy for the collection agency’s help.
“Our officers have been trying to serve warrants here and there,” Williams said about his staff of six full-time officers. “It depends a lot on the officer ... We don’t get to serve many on a daily basis.”
About 20 people were arrested on warrants this month by Elkins police officers or outside law enforcement agencies, Williams said.
Allen said people from the collection agency do not have any type of law enforcement authority. They cannot arrest people and can only communicate through letters and phone calls.
Phone calls are also limited between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday. They must also send a minimum of four letters to the person, according to the contract with Elkins.
Elkins is the only district to contract a service to collect debt in Washington County. American Municipal contracts with nine other cities in the state, said Jeff Parsons, vice president of sales.
No other district court in Washington County uses a collection agency.
The Prairie Grove District Court collects unpaid fines by attaching the person’s debt to his state income tax return, court clerk Susie Copeland said.
“We start the process in November and send letters and they have 30 days to appeal,” Copeland said.
If they don’t appeal, the court recovers its fines from that person’s state income tax refund, if they are to receive one.
District courts outside Fayetteville also hear cases on charges filed by Washington County. The Washington County Quorum Court briefly discussed last week allowing the Elkins court to use its collection agency to collect debt on behalf of the county, but took no action.
The Quorum Court will continue its discussion early next year, Allen said.