Parking Ticket>Collection Agency Legal Advice?

[Castro's]

So back in May I received two parking tickets for $10 each about a week apart. They say on them that if they are not paid in ten days there will be a three dollar late fee. So, about 13 days after I received the first ticket I send a check for $23 to the city with the copy of both tickets. Today I receive a letter from a collection agency saying that I owe the city $6.01 for parking tickets. First off, I don't owe them shit, and secondly, is my credit rating automatically screwed now because I've been turned over for collection? I've read horror stories about this sort of shit happening to people who supposedly owe a minescule amount like this. If the city claimed I owed them money they should have sent me some sort of a notice, not turn me over to a collection agency. WWAMD?

[FNG]

I'm very curious about this as well. What are the negative impacts of unpaid parking tickets? Between Zac & I, we've racked up close to 2 dozen.

[grizzle6]

I don't think your credit takes a dive until you don't pay collections. Just because it went to collections doesn't mean anything. But dude--PAY THE SIX DOLLARS!! Those guys are like the new order. They kill women and children without thinking twice. Just pay the six bucks and get them out of yer BIZNASS!!

[Castro's]

I'm going to call/write and whatever else tomorrow, but first off I'm going to find out why they claim I owe them money. I already know what they'll claim, they'll say that they received $13 for the second parking ticket which was only $10 and $10 for the late parking ticket and then claim that since I didn't pay the late fee for the first ticket I owe them money and then some bullshit about how they only give one notice, which is the notice I sent in with my tickets. If paying $6 is all it will take to keep them from screwing with my credit thats fine, but I've heard of some stupid shit taking place even if you pay the agency.

[Rusty Nails]

1. Do a credit check to see if anything has been reported yet.

2. Contest the debt by contacting the city with proof of earlier payment.

3. Contest the debt in writing and cite language from the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Google that set of statutes and it will lay out your rights in the credit reporting process.

Hope that at least points you in the right direction.

Rusty

[Castro's]

Thanks for the start Rusty, I'll give that shot.

[Clack]

They don't fuck with your credit on unpaid parking tickets, they just block your DMV registration until you pay all your back tickets with all the extra charges.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

They don't fuck with your credit on unpaid parking tickets, they just block your DMV registration until you pay all your back tickets with all the extra charges.

spoken like a man with experience.

[Castro's]

They don't fuck with your credit on unpaid parking tickets, they just block your DMV registration until you pay all your back tickets with all the extra charges.

Then why didn't they come after me themselves instead of turing it over to a collection agency? I always figured that if you had unpaid tickets that is exactly what they would do. I see people's cars get towed all the time around town for unpaid tickets, but this is the first I've heard of a collection agency getting involved, especially when I actually paid the tickets.