need help/advice on old speeding ticket/warrant

[AAP]

Ok, this is kind of weird for me.. but I said I would ask because I have no clue on what to tell her.

My neighbor got a speeding ticket and no proof of insurance ticket on 12/26/2000. She has to go to court and prove she had insurance (she did) so they say "ok, ticket is $165, pay by money order or Master Card" Ok, due to job loss and hospitalization, she has not paid the ticket yet. She brings over a letter she received in the mail yesterday to show me. The letter says,

this is to inform you that citation ###### issued on 12/26/2000 has not been paid and there will be a contempt of court warrant out for Mrs. XXXXXXX if it is not paid by January 3rd, 2002. You must make arrangements by January 3rd 2002 to pay this outstanding fine. Otherwise, your license will be revoked and Dept. Of Safety will impound your vehicle. (Note the pay by date of Jan. 3rd 2002.

Since she is on hard times and I already gave her a couple of hundred bucks to buy her two little girls some Christmas with, I tell her, just call and find out how much it will be to take care of it and I will give you the money to pay.

NOW THIS IS WHERE IT GETS WEIRD AND MAKES NO SENSE

She calls the number listed and tells them that she wants to pay this ticket and just needs information of how much, where to pay, etc..... They tell her on the phone that she CAN'T PAY. SHE MUST TURN HERSELF IN AND BE ARRESTED. WTF??? Ok, then they tell her that she missed her court date of January 15th (she didn't she was there to prove she had insurance) and that because of that, a warrant was issued on her to be picked up on January 18th. But get this.... Back in June, she went and had her drivers license renewed. They didn't have a problem. Normally if you have warrants and go to have your license renewed, they arrest you right? I have always heard that. Also, when she points out that the letter she received tells her that she has until January 3rd to do this, they don't seem to care. They just tell her to go to the nearest police station and turn herself in. And they will not give her the amount that she owes either....


does this make sense? It didn't to me. I am not sure what to tell her. At first I told her to just get a money order and fill it out and mail it in and carry the receipt around showing she paid before Jan. 3rd, the deadline in case she is arrested later or something. But she doesn't know how much to pay. Also, If they put a warrant out on her in January, why was she not arrested in June when she went and had new driver licenses made?

 

[HumorMe]

How involved do you want to be in this? If you want to become involved, go down there and pay it for her. They can't arrest you and you don't KNOW where she is, right?

It sounds like a computer glitch or something! Not really a computer glitch but somebody forgot to make a record of the transaction when she was there to prove she had insurance.

 

[AAP]

You know I bet I could do that. Tell them she is out of state and I am taking care of this for her. They can't arrest me... but then this was really weird.

The letter saying she had time to do it, but then they telling her on the phone that she had to turnself in (over a fucking speeding ticket)

Now obviously the best thing to do is resolve it without being arrested and having that on your record right.

And if they wanted to arrest her (if the warrant was place in Jan like they claim) why didn't they do it when she had her license renewed? this is so fishy.

Maybe she should just make a big order over the amount (just high guess it ) and mail it in.

 

[HumorMe]

It sounds like at the Dept. of Safety or wherever this letter is coming from, the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing! If they sent a letter saying it had to paid by Jan. 3, then that in itself is proof that I don't think they want to arrest her. But then again, it might be like a trap to get her down there and then they arrest her but I don't think they can do that over a speeding ticket. Maybe they can but I don't know! The letter is telling her to do one thing and the person answering the phone is telling her do something else. I think it is a mix up in communication. On the other hand, the letter is a notice that something is going to happen if it isn't paid. The whole situation is fucked up from the start. I would go pay it for her if I was you and feel them out as to what is going on! This is so typical of government!

 

[HumorMe]

Maybe she should just make a big order over the amount (just high guess it ) and mail it in.

Why wouldn't you make it for the original $165.00? Do they charge interest or penalties on that kind of stuff?

 

[DcupSheepNipples]

need help/advice on old speeding ticket/warrant

Have her go on the run! That way when I go visit the local Trailer Park to do Volunteer Work for underprivileged white trash, I can catch her on America's most wanted! MULLETS ROCK!

 

[AAP]

Why wouldn't you make it for the original $165.00? Do they charge interest or penalties on that kind of stuff?

Idon't know if there are penalities or court costs or what? Better to high guess it than low guess it.

 

[velvett]

Hmm.

Received ticket on Dec 20th 2000

Had court date on Jan. 15th 2001

Was well enough in June, 2001 to go to DMW to renew Lic.

Has done what in six months to fix the problem?
(Hence the letter she has received)



They will view it that she was responsible enough to renew her licence she should have been responsible enough to go to the Court building and explain her situation to be given a new Court date. Even if it is a case of the left and right hand are not aware of what the other is doing.


I don't know her history - health, job, money troubles - so I apologize if I appear cold in my response.


She is blessed to have someone go out of their way as you have to help her.