City of Ft. Collins "Gives In"

[james_bond_007]

Officials Adjust Policy After Man Tries To Pay $160 Ticket In Change

http://denver.cbslocal.com/2012/04/0...to-pay-ticket/


FORT COLLINS, Colo. (CBS4) – Ted Nishcan walked into the Fort Collins Municipal Court on Monday to pay a $160 speeding ticket.
He discovered that the credit card machine wasn’t working, and he didn’t have $160 in cash, so he thought of another plan.
“I went home, got my savings, counted it out and it was $160,” Nishcan told CBS4.
The 24-year-old Front Range Community College student says he doesn’t have much money; his savings consists of coins in a “change bucket.” He says he couldn’t afford the extra bank charges to convert his change into cash, so he walked back into the courthouse, this time with his big bucket full of coins.
“They weren’t happy. They were like ‘Is that change? Is that how you’re going to pay for it?’ I said ‘Yeah, it’s money.’ They said ‘No, we can’t accept that.’”
City officials say it has been a long standing city policy not to accept coins for payment of tickets and fines.

“It’s not the best use of resources for us to spend counting, not once, but twice, to check (that it’s correct change),” city spokeswoman Kim Newcomer said.

Nishcan says he was furious, plus he was worried he might lose his license.
“I was just aggravated. It’s just the principle. It’s real money.”
CBS4′s Tom Mustin asked Nishcan if he was “just trying to be a smart aleck” by paying such an expensive ticket with coins.
“No, that’s just what I have. I’m a college kid so I don’t have a lot of money,” Nishcan said.
Newcomer says city officials thought it over once they found out about the situation and said they now plan to ditch the coin policy. They are working on a plan to borrow the coin counting machine used by the parking services department.
“Although it’s rare that people come in and want to pay with a large amount of loose coins, we want to find a way for people to do that,” Newcomer said.
Ted was finally able to pay his ticket online using his financial aid reimbursement card. He says he’s happy to hear of the change the city plans to make.
“Hopefully more people that are broke like me can pay with their pocket change,” he said.


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"Ted was finally able to pay his ticket online using his financial aid reimbursement card."
Seems a bit odd to me that they would or could accept this, but not really anything wrong with it.



Makes me wonder if the liquor stores will accept a financial aid card as payment? Not really what it was intended for, but probably not restricted, either.


Wouldn't show up on mom and dad's "Here, take our Visa and use it for 'Just Emergencies', son." bill.


Pretty cleaver ....



-007

[00tec]

Any US currency is valid for all debts, change included. A person or entity is not required to accept US currency for goods or services, unless it is a debt. Since the ticket is a debt, they are required to take it.

There was a story a few days ago where a guy paid a $140 ticket in $1 bills. Each bill was folded into an origami pig and delivered in two Dunkin Donuts boxes.

[Ah Pook]

There was a story a few days ago where a guy paid a $140 ticket in $1 bills. Each bill was folded into an origami pig and delivered in two Dunkin Doughnuts boxes.

I like that.

[00tec]

I like that.

http://abcnews.go.com/m/blogEntry?id=17235507

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yTBH...e_gdata_player

[Ashton]

Any US currency is valid for all debts, change included. A person or entity is not required to accept US currency for goods or services, unless it is a debt. Since the ticket is a debt, they are required to take it.

There was a story a few days ago where a guy paid a $140 ticket in $1 bills. Each bill was folded into an origami pig and delivered in two Dunkin Donuts boxes.

I saw that on live leak lol. Must have taken him forever.

[car-15]

I paid my last months rent in nickels and dimes a few years back, my slumlord was an ass, I already had everything out and was in my new place when he came over and I handed him a box with over $500.00 of change, the look on his face was priceless. the lady at the bank was laughing when I told her why I needed 500 bucks worth of nickels and dimes. and the wife just walked out of the room when I was unrolling it all and dumping it into the box. the final draw was when the window lock was broke and I was out on the road working, I called him to fix it, the wife calls me and says he came over and wood screwed it closed, and said its winter, he will come over and fix it right before it gets warm outside again.

[lead_magnet]

He even throws in a Star Wars reference, I love this guy.

[Aloha_Shooter]

There is, however, no federal statute that a private business, a person, or an organization must accept currency or coins as for payment for goods and/or services. Private businesses are free to develop their own policies on whether or not to accept cash unless there is a State law which says otherwise. For example, a bus line may prohibit payment of fares in pennies or dollar bills. In addition, movie theaters, convenience stores and gas stations may refuse to accept large denomination currency (usually notes above $20) as a matter of policy

-- http://www.treasury.gov/resource-cen...al-tender.aspx

I recall reading roughly 35 years ago about a law that specifically said no one could be forced to accept more than $0.99 in coinage but can't find the reference -- it's quite likely I'm misremembering something about the story.

[00tec]

-- http://www.treasury.gov/resource-cen...al-tender.aspx

I recall reading roughly 35 years ago about a law that specifically said no one could be forced to accept more than $0.99 in coinage but can't find the reference -- it's quite likely I'm misremembering something about the story.

A traffic ticket is not a good or service. It is a debt. The municipal court is not a private entity. The above quote does not apply.

[Jer]

Wow... what BS. Even our own government is trying to say that our money is worthless.