This company sent my wife and I collection notice on Friday for an unpaid parking ticket in Ft Lauderdale Fl. We moved from Florida to our current state in Sept of 2003, this ticket was written on the 10th of Novemeber 2003. My wife called their parking enforcement division( seperate from the PD) and was told that a vehicle had been parked overtime and as there parking meter officer was getting ready to write the ticket the owner ran past her got in and drove off. Apparantly the parking meter Officer was able to write down the tag number as the car sped off. My wife was hugely pregnant at the time and couldnt do any running not to mention it would have been a 22 hour drive to there.  We were sent a form to contest this and submitted, never hearing back from them until then.  I have to maintain a  DOD security clearance for my job and hopefully will be attending the local Sheriffs office reserve academy this spring. I dont want a false collection claim to  affect that. Any ideas of what I can do to make this mistake go away.

I would say call them and explain everything and find out what is going on by talking with someone instead of trying to do it by mail.  I dont really know how they do it down there, but that is the best advise I can give to you.

Best of luck

I'd suggest contacting the initiating agency (FLPD) or the associated traffic court that found & fined you in absentia. All these collection clowns are good for is hounding you for money.

If the initiating agency or the court in FL agrees, you might be able to clear this up by going to a legal authority (local or base AG should do it) and swearing out an affadavit describing the circumstances surrounding the event. It may provide enough for the court to dismiss the case - and thus the associated fines you "owe".

Good luck... appeal by fax and long distance is a PITA. (BTDT)

Documnet everything and send certified letters with your story.

I had to deal with something like this over a magazine subscription that I never ordered nor ever received.

I called twice to be told, ok, mistakes happen will take care of it.  Kept getting the letters.  Wrote one certified letter and never heard another word from them