County Looking to Hire Collection Agency

by Mike Bevel, CollectionIndustry.com

Don?t expect a friendly pat on the back from Randy Webster. ?I don?t like collection agencies,? he told Alabama?s Daily Sentinel. However, Jackson County?s solid waste director may not have a choice. The Solid Waste Department is looking at hiring a collection agency to help with overdue accounts. (Notice how we didn?t say anything disparaging about Webster?s ?solid waste? profession? That?s because our mothers raised us better.)

Webster has been consulting with a collection agency for the past two months about possibly collecting the county?s delinquent accounts. Webster said the agency keeps 25 percent of all the money it collects but charges no fees for any amount not collected. Once the solid waste department turned over an account to the collection agency, the agency would gather data, notify by writing and by telephone, notify the credit bureau and ultimately pursue civil proceedings if the bill remained unpaid.

Commissioner Carl Marona questioned why the county should pay a collection agency and also the health department which has the authority to swear out warrants for delinquent accounts.

?I am in no way attempting to circumvent anyone,? Webster told the Sentinel. ?I am just trying to collect the money we are owed.?

Webster said the sheer volume of the delinquent accounts is too much for the current system to handle right now. He said a very small number of the county?s delinquent bills are being collected.

Webster said as of a month ago the solid waste department was owed $500,000 in delinquent accounts.