News Release (March 18, 2009)
Contact:	Steve Davis, Court Communications Officer, (515) 725-8058

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Software Update Helps Court Find More Unpaid Fees and Fines

 

Des Moines, March 18, 2009— Many Iowans who thought they had avoided paying their past due court fines and fees may be in for a surprise this spring. Instead of their eagerly awaited state income tax refund, they may receive a letter from the Iowa Department of Administrative Services telling them their refund is withheld to cover the court debt.

 

The state has used this procedure, known as income tax offset, since 1994. Tax offset collections are much higher this year because of a computer program upgrade and the hard work of court employees.  February tax offset collections were $1,713,870, up $209,934 or 14% from February 2008.  Year to date offset collections are $2.2 million up $310,417 or 16% over FY 08.

 

"We are very serious about collecting unpaid fines and fees," Peggy Sullivan, Director of Finance and Personnel, said. "We improved our computer software to find fines and fees we had missed before, and our county clerks are digging through old paper files and inputting the financial information they find into our computer database. Some of the debt we have identified is 10 to 15 years old." 

 

Income tax offset is only one process courts use to chase down unpaid fees and fines. At the beginning of the collections process, county clerks throughout the state send several warning notices to defendants who owe fines and fees. If the debt is not paid in 45 days, judges and magistrates use contempt hearings to bring the defendant before the court to explain why the payment has not been paid.

 

The courts refer a substantial number of cases to the Centralized Collections Unit of the Iowa Department of Revenue, which serves as the state's collection agency.  CCU pursues debtors through letters, telephone calls, and other strategies designed to motivate people to pay.  With the computer program upgrade and the hard work of court employees, more than four times the number of cases was submitted to CCU in January than in a typical month.

 

The courts also work with other state agencies and with local officials to enforce the payment of fines and fees.  Armed with information from clerks of court, the Department of Transportation suspends driver licenses, county treasurers withhold vehicle registration renewal and 32 county attorneys actively pursue delinquent fines and fees. 

 

Driver's licenses are not the only licenses that can be suspended or revoked if a court debt is not paid. If a debtor's occupation is licensed by the State of Iowa or the person has a hunting or fishing license, they may also receive a letter suspending or revoking their license. Those professions licensed by the state include everyone from accountants and architects to teachers and veterinarians.

 

Individuals and businesses can search their own records for any past due fees or fines by using the online court records search on the Judicial Branch website at iowacourts.gov.

 

 

 

# # #

2009

Iowa Supreme Court

1111 East Court Avenue

Des Moines, IA  50319

515-281-3952