County Considers Ways to Toughen Collections Rules

In dutch with the courts, but slow to pay? If you live in Northampton County, PA, you could find everything from your tax returns to insurance payouts to your lottery winnings free game for the courts to collect on.

According to a story running in today?s New Jersey Express Times, Pennsylvania already allows such collection tactics to be used for things like spousal support and child support. Those who have failed to pay support may also have their wages and worker’s compensation garnished or lose the ability to renew their driver’s licenses and obtain passports.

“There’s a large number of cases that go back many years that are very difficult to collect because you don’t know where the person is and you don’t have a legal hammer over them in respect to payment,” Pennsylvania court administrator Jim Onembo said.

A law allowing officials to garnish the wages or attach the insurance payouts of people past due on fines and restitution would give collections efforts “some teeth,” he said.

You can read more about this story at County Considers Ways to Toughen Collections Rules.