spangemonkee
Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Alabama
I just received a letter in the mail from a DA in Alabama stating "Your traffic ticket has not been paid in full or you have failed to appear in court as originally ordered. It is urgent that you contac the DA's Recovery Team immediately by call us at [phone number] to avoid further action." blah blah blah ".. DA's Recovery Team will request a writ of arrest."
Two days prior to, my wife took a message from someone with the DA that said I owed $435.50 in tickets and fines from 1994 (I was 16) for improper tag and running a stop sign/red light. Since I haven't had a chance to call because of the holidays, I'm not sure about all the details, but I would like to know what kind of options and rights I have.
I know that I have paid EVERY ticket I have ever received. The confusing part is that I have had other tickets since '94. I even had my Alabama license suspended for non-payment on a ticket in Mississippi and I was never notified of the suspension. I didn't find out about the suspension till three years later, when I was pulled over and the officer told me my license was suspended. This was eventually resolved via proof of payment from a canceled check. Since then, I've had my license in good standing in Alabama and Georgia. I haven't lived in Alabama in seven years. So why hasn't this come up before?
This time, I don't have a canceled check though. It has been too long. I don't want to pay this on principle and I don't want to pay this because I know I already paid it. I'd even rather pay the $435.50 to a lawyer than pay twice on a ticket.
Based on what I have already on this forum, I gather that a) dealing with the government will be easier to deal with than a collection agency, b) I'll need to show proof of payment (I don't have nor can I obtain it), c) the government should provide me proof of non-payment and d) statute of limitations does not apply. Any advice on how to procede?
I just received a letter in the mail from a DA in Alabama stating "Your traffic ticket has not been paid in full or you have failed to appear in court as originally ordered. It is urgent that you contac the DA's Recovery Team immediately by call us at [phone number] to avoid further action." blah blah blah ".. DA's Recovery Team will request a writ of arrest."
Two days prior to, my wife took a message from someone with the DA that said I owed $435.50 in tickets and fines from 1994 (I was 16) for improper tag and running a stop sign/red light. Since I haven't had a chance to call because of the holidays, I'm not sure about all the details, but I would like to know what kind of options and rights I have.
I know that I have paid EVERY ticket I have ever received. The confusing part is that I have had other tickets since '94. I even had my Alabama license suspended for non-payment on a ticket in Mississippi and I was never notified of the suspension. I didn't find out about the suspension till three years later, when I was pulled over and the officer told me my license was suspended. This was eventually resolved via proof of payment from a canceled check. Since then, I've had my license in good standing in Alabama and Georgia. I haven't lived in Alabama in seven years. So why hasn't this come up before?
This time, I don't have a canceled check though. It has been too long. I don't want to pay this on principle and I don't want to pay this because I know I already paid it. I'd even rather pay the $435.50 to a lawyer than pay twice on a ticket.
Based on what I have already on this forum, I gather that a) dealing with the government will be easier to deal with than a collection agency, b) I'll need to show proof of payment (I don't have nor can I obtain it), c) the government should provide me proof of non-payment and d) statute of limitations does not apply. Any advice on how to procede?