New Program Reclaims More Than $141,000 In Unpaid Court Fees & Fines

The Bucks County Clerk of Courts is working to bring in fees that have gone unpaid for years and even decades.

During last week’s Bucks County Commissioners meeting, Clerk of Courts Brian Munroe said the Delinquency Recovery Program (DRiP) brought in more than $141,600 in so-called “forgotten” court costs.

Munroe said $200.8 million in delinquent court fees are owed to the county and $80 million of that is owed to victims of crimes.

“Imagine being a victim back in 1990 owed who knows how much money, and all of a sudden 30 years later you get a phone call from this county,” Munroe said. “Most often, if you don’t receive a penny for 30 years, you’re going to write that off.”

“We’re getting that money not just for the county but for the victims,” he added.

Many times, defendants in criminal cases are at a low point in their life and they are unable to pay fines and fees. After some time without payment, the county sends the unpaid fines and fees to a collection agency that adds a 25 percent surcharge, making it harder for defendants to pay.

Munroe, who took office last January, said DRiP looks at old cases, some dating back to 1990, and offers defendants a way to pay without having to fork over the surcharge and set up a payment plan that fits their needs.

“We’re offering them a way out of their debt,” he said.

The clerk of courts office has seen a 34 percent response rate to letters and most defendants pick to pay on a plan.

Of about 2,600 notices mailed, about 600 are assumed to have not made its way to the person it was intended to get to.

DRiP offers text message alerts to defendants when payments are coming due, or they can pay in full.

On November 30, the DRiP program hit $100,000 in revenue on old costs, which was celebrated with a cake, Munroe said.

By the end of the first full year of the program, Munroe expects to reach $279,681.48 in unpaid, old fees.

The first months of DRiP focused on cases from the years 1990, 1991, and 2005. Munroe said more recent years will make it easier to collect unpaid fees as defendants are expected to be easier to locate.

DRiP started with hiring two staffers last March and then sending out letters to defendants that owed funds starting in June. One of the staffers works on the program part time. Salary and benefits per year for the new employees totals $130,000.

Michael Paston, the first deputy for the row office, brought the DRiP program from his previous employer Montgomery County to Bucks County last year. The program has roots in Westmoreland County.

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