How to Fix Traffic Tickets in Collections

If you've been issued with a traffic ticket for a civil violation and haven't paid it, the matter is likely to passed to a collections agency. Once this has happened the amount you owe is likely to increase significantly as fees and charges are added. If you don't have a good reason for non-payment, which you probably haven't if things have got to this stage, your best option is to pay-up as soon as possible to limit the further potential damage.

Instructions

1

Look for inaccuracies on your traffic ticket or in the traffic authority's case against you. Although your case has probably been to court already if you're being pursued by a collections agency, you may still be able to argue that your ticket is invalid due to an error. If your license plate number, the location of the violation or any other details that have been recorded about the incident have been taken down incorrectly, your ticket is invalid. If this is the case you can request that the collections agency pass your case back to the traffic authority to be nullified.

2

Call the collections agency. If you don't have grounds to challenge your ticket, you'll need to talk to the collections agency that's handling your case to arrange how you're going to pay. A traffic ticket will not go away so you'll need to settle it. Not doing so can harm your credit rating making it more difficult for you to apply for credit as non-payment will be reported to the credit reference agencies. You could also lose your driving licensee. The longer you leave it the more you'll have to pay. Collections agencies continue to add fees to your account the longer it's unpaid. The sooner you tackle this the better.

3

Negotiate with the collections agency. If you're in a position to pay the ticket in full, try to negotiate a discount to settle the case immediately. If you're in financial difficulty, try to work with the agency to establish a payment plan that will allow you to pay the ticket off over time.

4

Stick to what you've arranged. If you've arranged to make a payment in full, do so as arranged and by the date required. You could lose any discount you've negotiated and incur further costs if you renege on the agreement you've made. The same applies if you've worked out a repayment plan. Make your payments in full each month or the collections agency can withdraw the right to pay by instalment and pursue full payment.

5

Check your credit record. There's not much you can do once the non-payment of your ticket has been reported to the credit agencies but you don't want it to be showing as delinquent when you've paid it off. Check your file with all the main credit reference agencies to ensure that the collections agency has notified them of the fact that you've settled your ticket. If they haven't, go back to the collections agency and ask them to do so as soon as possible.