Paid traffic ticket coming back 27 1/2 years later

[FgtngIgnrnce]

Almost 28 years ago I got a traffic ticket while driving through Tuskegee, AL. I called the traffic court and got the amount of the ticket then sent the check to them. I called them a week later to make sure they had received the payment since it was the first time I had ever gotten a speeding ticket and was nervous about making sure it was taken care of. Then I receive a letter from the Restitution Recovery Supervisor today that stated I now owe them 118.95 for an unpaid fine. When I called the number the person stated I must not have paid the complete amount and I now owe the unpaid amount all of these years later. How can they even do this when I did the right thing 28 years ago? They send this letter at the end of November and state if I don't pay it or show up in court by January 4, 2017, I will have a warrant for my arrest. I did what I was supposed to do and now they are intruding in my life because someone didn't tell me the right amount to pay? How is this even legal?

 

[HighwayMan]

So you paid the ticket 28 years ago?

You're explanation is not very clear.

 

[FgtngIgnrnce]

So you paid the ticket 28 years ago?

You're explanation is not very clear.

Sorry for the confusion. Yes I paid the ticket 28 years ago. I called their traffic division to get the amount I owe; wrote a check for it and mailed it in; then followed up to make sure they received my payment. I lived out of state so mailing it was the only way to get it to them. They stated 28 years ago that they received what they needed. Now 28 years later they are saying I must not have paid the entire amount which I have no way to prove. I did the right thing years ago and now they are saying I owe them $118.95 because the entire amount must not have been paid.

 

[justalayman]

Who has contacted you? Have you verified it is a legit entity?

While I hate to say it, if some municipal entity is contacting you the simplest thing to do is pay it. Fighting this, especially given it sounds like it is a considerable distance from you, paying it would be the cheapest, easiest, and
Most complete means of getting rid of the problem.

Other than that, show up at court and make your best argument. Like most others I doubt you have record of the payment so it will come down to convincing the court you are correct.

 

[HighwayMan]

You're living at the same address as you were 28 years ago? That's probably a rarity.

I agree with justalayman. If you show up in court you can have a go at it and take your chances. If not, then trying to work your way through the bureaucratic maze will cost you a lot more than $118 in time, stress, and aggravation.

 

[TheGeekess]

I wonder if the traffic fine amount OP was originally given included court costs, etc in the total. If not, then OP is going to owe for that.

 

[LdiJ]

You're living at the same address as you were 28 years ago? That's probably a rarity.

I agree with justalayman. If you show up in court you can have a go at it and take your chances. If not, then trying to work your way through the bureaucratic maze will cost you a lot more than $118 in time, stress, and aggravation.

I wonder if the governmental entity, in fact, is counting on that.