19-4708. COLLECTION OF DEBTS OWED TO COURTS — CONTRACTS FOR COLLECTION. (1) The supreme court, or the clerks of the district court with the approval of the administrative district judge, may enter into contracts in accordance with this section for collection services for debts owed to courts. The cost of collection shall be paid by the defendant or juvenile offender as an administrative surcharge when the defendant or juvenile offender fails to pay any amount ordered by the court and the court utilizes the services of a contracting agent pursuant to this section.

(2) As used in this section:

(a) "Contracting agent" means a person, firm or other entity who contracts to provide collection services.

(b) "Cost of collection" means the fee specified in contracts to be paid to or retained by a contracting agent for collection services.

(c) "Debts owed to courts" means any assessment of fines, court costs, surcharges, penalties, fees, restitution, moneys expended in providing counsel and other defense services to indigent defendants or juvenile offenders or other charges which a court judgment or disposition has ordered to be paid to the court in civil, criminal, or juvenile cases, and which remain unpaid in whole or in part, and includes any interest or penalties on such unpaid amounts as provided for in the judgment or by law.

(3) The supreme court may adopt rules as deemed appropriate for the administration of this section, including procedures to be used in the negotiation and execution of contracts pursuant to this section, procedures to be followed by courts which utilize collection services under such contracts, and procedures for the compromise of debts owed to courts in criminal or juvenile cases.

(4) Each contract entered into pursuant to this section shall specify the scope of work to be performed and provide for a fee to be paid to or retained by the contracting agent for collection services. Such fee shall be designated as the cost of collection and shall not exceed thirty-three percent (33%) of the amount collected. The cost of collection shall be deducted from the amount collected but shall not be deducted from the debts owed to courts.

(5) Contracts entered into shall provide for the payment of any amounts collected to the clerk of the district court for the court in which the debt being collected originated after first deducting the collection fee. In accounting for amounts collected from any person pursuant to this section, the district court clerk shall credit the person’s amount owed in the amount of the net proceeds collected and shall not reduce the amount owed by any person by that portion of any payment which constitutes the cost of collection pursuant to this section.

(6) With the appropriate cost of collection paid to the contracting agent as agreed upon in the contract, the clerk shall then distribute the amounts collected in accordance with the law.

History:

[19-4708, added 2000, ch. 330, sec. 1, p. 1109; am. 2009, ch. 102, sec. 1, p. 312; am. 2011, ch. 14, sec. 1, p. 42; am. 2019, ch. 219, sec. 1, p. 662.]