Municipal News & Jobs

Unpaid traffic tickets can end up costing low-income Kansans thousands of dollars when cities send unpaid fines and fees to collection agencies and add interest on top. Critics say the system is unfair to lower income Kansans who already could not afford the initial fine and courts should consider alternatives to monetary punishment. It’s also unclear if it’s even legally allowed under Kansas law. Proponents of the system argue it is legal, and communities need to be able to add interest to make sure some drivers who ignore traffic laws don’t go unpunished. Kansas Legal Services, a nonprofit legal agency, helps people like Kuykendall negotiate lower fines in Topeka courts when their debt spirals out of control. The Topeka Municipal Court sends unpaid debt to a collection agency, CBK Inc., which has a contract with the city. That contract allows the collection agency to add a 30% fee on top of the debt as a service charge, according to a contract obtained through the Kansas Open Records Act. Micah Tempel, an attorney for Kansas Legal Services, knows other municipal courts use collection agencies that add fees on top of the original fine, like Olathe and Wichita. That means low-income drivers across the state are likely facing similar debt. In Topeka, Tempel said the court also adds up to 12% interest annually. He argues tacking on those fines and interest fees is unfair to low-income drivers. “We have clients who couldn’t afford originally,” Tempel said. “They definitely can’t afford the thousands of dollars that it’s turned into.” Tempel also questions if it’s even legal to add interest on court fines and fees because there does not seem to be a state law that directly permits it. But there has not been a court ruling that sifts through that legal gray area. Tempel said he would like to challenge the practice through court appeals that would likely take a ruling from the Kansas Supreme Court to settle the issue. But none of his cases have gone that far, because Topeka has offered to wipe away his clients’ debt. That also means the city is not taking a strong stance on their interpretation of the law, either. But those settlements mean less time in the courtroom for Tempel’s clients and they also come with other certainties, like drivers getting the licenses back. Officials for the City of Topeka declined to answer questions about using a collection agency and adding interest on traffic court fines and fees. John Goodyear is legal counsel for the League of Kansas Municipalities, of which Topeka is a member. He said it’s common for municipal courts to use collection agencies on unpaid tickets to get some drivers to finally pay up. He said it’s a legally sound practice, as state law specifically allows courts to use collection agencies. The statute stipulates collection agencies can add a service fee up to 33% of the amount collected. It also mentions adding interest, possibly meaning it’s legal, too. However, Goodyear said his organization is also supports courts lowering fines and fees for people who are making a good-faith effort but are struggling to pay back the debt. He said courts should look at each case individually and make a determination on what is best — whether that’s providing relief to low-income drivers or tacking on interest for drivers who can pay it and continue to skirt the law. Meanwhile, Kansas lawmakers have made recent changes to the state law, making it easier for people with outstanding fines to get a restricted driver’s license. The most recent law, which goes into effect in January, provides relief by consolidating and reducing fines and fees drivers need to pay to get their license reinstated. Curry recommends communities use different ways to hold low-income traffic violators accountable, like sliding fee scales based on a violator’s income or community service instead of fines. Otherwise, cities like Topeka are using fines and fees to fund their government and that poses an excess burden on low-income residents, Curry said.
Source: KLC Journal