Florida Bad Check Restitution Program
Date: Thu, 07/15/2010 - 13:02
So I then received a Letter from the Bad Check Restitution Program with the Letterhead of Eighteenth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Bad Check Restitution Program and has Norman R. Wolfinger listed as State Attorney. The two checks were for $76.00 and $103.00 each had a returned item fee of $30 plus an Admin fee of $30 and a Financial Accountability Class fee of $170.00 totalling $469.50. The two checks would have equaled $179.00 + a $30 return fee. So they are asking for an additional $230. They also sent the first letter to me to the wrong address that Publix provided. I then contacted them and corrected it and made a payment of $166.00. I still owe $323.00 and have to take a class. They said I was not allowed to pay Publix directly so I have to pay them and include the additional $230 over and above the amount that would have been owed Publix.
In no way do I not want to pay Publix and get away with having a returned check. My problem is I do not have $469 that the program wants. I help my family with medical bills and live check to check. They say I have to make the full amount and take the class or they will start criminal prosecution.
What I am trying to find out is if this program is legit? I keep seeing sights online that state that they are a scam and you are not required to pay double the amount etc.
They will not accept a smaller pay arrangement to make smaller payments and already accepted a $166.00 payment. Will they come and arrest me or what will happen? I will send in small payments as I get them and once it is paid take the class but what I was wondering if since I will not be able to pay it all within there time frame will the put a warrent out .. as the notice says final notice till criminal prosecution?
Any advice on if these programs are legal etc would be great. Thank you!
The Florida Bad Check Restitution Program is real and legit! It
The Florida Bad Check Restitution Program is real and legit! It was designed to keep the financial burden off the courts while recovering the losses for the merchant without legal burdens to them! You need to contact the program and explain your situation! They will work with you! If you need to call again and again do it until you get the right person! I am too familiar with Florida state workers and their wrong info and bad attitudes at times! Bottom line is you have to pay it!
Hello, I would advise that you DONT PAY BAD CHECK PROGRAM, b
Hello,
I would advise that you DONT PAY BAD CHECK PROGRAM, but DO PAY PUBLIX. PLEASE NOTE: Pay your bounced checks immediately. If your the average, civil person that just made a mistake at the grocery store, they have nothing that will hold up in court. However, if your a crook and trying to steal something by writting a check and not paying for it, than you probably will end up in jail. These are the penal codes the bad check program references, yet they abbreviate and actually told me writting a check that bounces is a felony? Seems they need to include these in their employee training.
750.131 Check, draft, or order for payment of money; making, drawing, uttering, or delivering without sufficient funds with intent to defraud; violation; penalties; enhanced sentence based on prior convictions.
750.131a Check, draft, or order for payment of money; making, drawing, uttering, or delivering without account, credit, or sufficient funds with intent to defraud; violation as felony; penalties.
(Look it up yourself, you must have maliciuos intent even by the but if you are a repeat offender with a past. The Bad Check Program will tell you, that you cant pay the merchant directly because they want your money; but in my case (I assume yours too) the merchant will be happy to get what they want from you. The money you owe them. You can go in and pay them directly.
I am actually in the process of taking the bad check program to small claims court. Please file a complaint with the BBB, but you must indicate that it is not a government agency. Its a privatley held company that partners with local governments. I think thats why there arent many complaints. The first time I filed one they rejected it because that complaints against governments was not under their purview.
Spend the time to dig them up. They have a few pending class-action lawsuits for their threating collective practices. (Check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_Check_Restitution_Program and scroll about half way down) They were American Corrective Counseling Services, Inc. until May 2010, when they changed became National Corrective Group, Inc, probably due to a small list of lawsuits building against them. I have had nothing but problems with them, they actually never paid AT&T and my bill went to collections. I ended up paying twice and cant get my money back.
I advise calling your actual Prosecuting Attorney, which do actually are partners with, to file a complaint as well. I found out the threatning letters they kept sending about jail time were fabricated as well, because my county doesnt even have a bad check investigation unit! The local police, I was told, would have to investigate, which seems a bit odd since this was a online bill payment.
Just pay your bad check ASAP and forget about the bad check program.
[email]haroldo2097@yahoo.com[/email]
I don't know about the above poster, but I would definately list
I don't know about the above poster, but I would definately listen to frogpatch!