Man tries to pay old traffic ticket in pennies

[jnelsoninjax]

Ron Seys took out his frustration over having to pay a 16-year-old traffic ticket on a clerk at the Scott County Courthouse this week.

He carried a sack with $59.40 in pennies into the courthouse in Davenport, showed the clerk the old ticket and then dumped the load on her counter.

?Did I do this on purpose? Yes, I did, to make a point,? Seys said afterward.

The rural Clinton County man said he went to a bank Wednesday morning to get the pennies and emptied each roll into his sack.

About a month ago, Seys received a letter from the Iowa Department of Transportation demanding that he pay an outstanding 1996 ticket for improper registration.

The state recently entered into a contract with the Kansas City, Mo., law firm of Linebarger, Goggan, Blair and Sampson LLP to collect court fines and fees that have been unpaid for more than a year. State law also requires county treasurers to refuse to renew a vehicle registration when the vehicle owner owes unpaid fines and court fees.

State Court Administrator David Boyd said in September that the state is boosting collection efforts to recoup past-due obligations in the face of shrinking revenues.

Seys doesn?t remember getting the ticket and said he?s been able to renew his driver?s license in the years since, until recently.

Seys also said he didn?t realize he couldn?t use pennies to pay off the ticket, although signs at the clerk?s office say no more than $3 in pennies can be used for payment.

Two Scott County sheriff?s deputies showed up in the office and told Seys he was harassing the clerk. They asked him to pick up the pennies and put them back into the bag. Many of the pennies had fallen onto the floor.

He then paid the ticket in other cash, slung the sack of pennies over his shoulder and left the courthouse.

Outside, he said he didn?t do anything wrong.

?Since when is it wrong to use legal tender?? he said.

Source

[Buttus]

yea, just because they don't WANT to take more than $3 in pennies, it's still legal tender, and if they refused his payment, then he's good to go...

[matt4pack]

Good for him. Maybe if more people would do this they would finally get rid of the penny.

[Japlabot]

I believe that in many states, small change like that is legal tender, up to X amount (usually $5), in one transaction, at the cashier's discretion.

Should have paid it in $3 instalments.

I would have thought that Statute of limitations would have been applicable.

[eveready]

I don't understand what this guy is complaining about...he got a ticket and he didn't pay it. He should quit acting like a skell and pay his fines on time.

[Rippleman]

in Canada, of course pennies are legal tender too, but its limit to 100 coins per transaction. For each transaction, its a limit of 100 pennies, 100 nickels, 100 dimes, 100 quarters, 100 loonies (1 dollar) or 100 toonies (2 dollars). After that, the cashier or who is accepting the money, does have the right to say no.

[+LogicalApex MVC]

I would have requested the refusal in writing by the clerk and then I would have sued the county for violating the US Legal Tender Law.

[mokthraka]

I would have requested the refusal in writing by the clerk and then I would have sued the county for violating the US Legal Tender Law.

and you would be laughed at. They can refuse to take payment in $20. Bills if they wanted

[Seizure1990]

There are lots of places that have laws about how much change you can give a cashier before they have the right to reject it. Apparently people don't know this.

And what point was the guy trying to make? That because he doesn't wanna pay his parking ticket like the rest of us, he's gonna try and make a DMV rep miserable?

[+jamesyfx Subscriber²]

Yeah you can refuse payment if it's in ridiculous amounts of change. It's the first thing you learn in retail 101. :p

[mokthraka]

Yeah you can refuse payment if it's in ridiculous amounts of change. It's the first thing you learn in retail 101. :p

if someone is buying something, and it costs $4.99 and they pay with exact change, you can reject the change and only accept $5. there is absoultley no law on what people have to accept.

[Seizure1990]

if someone is buying something, and it costs $4.99 and they pay with exact change, you can reject the change and only accept $5. there is absoultley no law on what people have to accept.

I'm pretty sure you're wrong on that one though... If you try to hand a clerk a 20, and they decide they don't want it because its got ugly pen marks on it, it's tough for them... they can be fined or something for not taking it... I think.

If I'm right, then the same applies to handing someone three quarters, two dimes, and 4 pennies

[+LogicalApex MVC]

if someone is buying something, and it costs $4.99 and they pay with exact change, you can reject the change and only accept $5. there is absoultley no law on what people have to accept.

There is. The United States Code includes the Legal Tender Law that specifies it (see my post above).

Retailers will usually ignore the law because someone suing them for violation is very slim and outweigh the benefits (such as not accepting $100 in the middle of the night to ensure you don't get robbed).

and you would be laughed at. They can refuse to take payment in $20. Bills if they wanted

The laughter would have been fine, but they wouldn't have had a case to prove that I had to pay the fine. As when I attempted to pay they refused legal US tender, which the law states they can't. I would have sued them to have the fine removed and to force the county to adhere to current US law. If they desire it to be changed they can petition Congress to do so.

[Growled Member]

Should have paid it in $3 instalments.

Yep, show up every day and pay off another $3 in pennies on the fine.

[mokthraka]

There is. The United States Code includes the Legal Tender Law that specifies it (see my post above).

Retailers will usually ignore the law because someone suing them for violation is very slim and outweigh the benefits (such as not accepting $100 in the middle of the night to ensure you don't get robbed).

The laughter would have been fine, but they wouldn't have had a case to prove that I had to pay the fine. As when I attempted to pay they refused legal US tender, which the law states they can't. I would have sued them to have the fine removed and to force the county to adhere to current US law. If they desire it to be changed they can petition Congress to do so.

Legal Tender Status

I thought that United States currency was legal tender for all debts. Some businesses or governmental agencies say that they will only accept checks, money orders or credit cards as payment, and others will only accept currency notes in denominations of $20 or smaller. Isn't this illegal?

The pertinent portion of law that applies to your question is the Coinage Act of 1965, specifically Section 31 U.S.C. 5103, entitled "Legal tender," which states: "United States coins and currency (including Federal reserve notes and circulating notes of Federal reserve banks and national banks) are legal tender for all debts, public charges, taxes, and dues."

This statute means that all United States money as identified above are a valid and legal offer of payment for debts when tendered to a creditor. There is, however, no Federal statute mandating 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-center/faqs/Currency/Pages/legal-tender.aspx

enjoy being counter sued for lawyer fees.

[Seizure1990]

For the record, you can't pay for your bus fare in NYC with anything less then quarters or dimes (I forget which).... the machine won't let you. So there's that too.

[eveready]

For the record, you can't pay for your bus fare in NYC with anything less then quarters or dimes (I forget which).... the machine won't let you. So there's that too.

Fareboxes on buses do not accept pennies. They accept nickels, dimes, quarters and dollar coins.

[mokthraka]

Fareboxes on buses do not accept pennies. They accept nickels, dimes, quarters and dollar coins.

trimet here in portland does, I have a friend who paid fair with all her change

[Seizure1990]

Fareboxes on buses do not accept pennies. They accept nickels, dimes, quarters and dollar coins.

Oh, right, that's it. I just keep my MetroCard filled so I don't have to bother with cash.

[Pink Floyd Veteran]

in Canada, of course pennies are legal tender too, but its limit to 100 coins per transaction. For each transaction, its a limit of 100 pennies, 100 nickels, 100 dimes, 100 quarters, 100 loonies (1 dollar) or 100 toonies (2 dollars). After that, the cashier or who is accepting the money, does have the right to say no.

Are you sure about that? Is it a federal law or specific to the province you live? Because this is the first time I hear that kind of law