Hawaii Judiciary Rules MSB the One for Collections

 
Municipal Services Bureau will begin on Oct. 22 to provide collection services for the Hawaiian State Judiciary, receiving a daily electronic file of unpaid and delinquent traffic fines and fees, according to a report on the HonoluluAdvertiser.com.

Currently, court staff manually refers the file to its collection agency. Austin, Texas-based MSB serves government entities and has about 500 clients nationwide. MSB is a division of Gila Corp.

Once MSB receives the file it will begin to seek out consumers that haven’t paid their fines, the Advertiser reports. The consumer must pay MSB directly and include its fee of about 21 percent of the total amount owed to the state.

Unpaid judgments of $500 or less are referred to the agency 90 days after judgment was entered while those over $500 are referred for collection 180 days after judgment was entered.

Hawaii collects about $23 million each year in traffic fines and fees.