I thought redlight tickets could not affect your credit?

[inline 6]

I got a redlight ticket earlier this year and have just not paid it. Well this last week I get a letter in the mail from the "Law offices of Scheer, Green, & Burke, Co. L.P.A." stating that they are attempting to collect a debt blah, blah, blah....... The letter is your typical debt collection letter. I have planed on paying it all along I was just stretching it out as long as I could before they did something like block my vehicle registration (which is the only thing I was aware that they could do). So what gives? I am by no means going to let this go on my credit over $100 I was just under the impression that they could not do that...

[Sgt Beavis]

If I recall correctly, it depends on when the contract with the contracting red light camera company expires. The law doesn't affect contracts that were in effect before the law.

Dallas pulled a douche bag move and extended the contract before the law took effect.

[UserX]

A debt collector and a credit bureau are two different things. They cannot report it to credit, they can to collections. You'll get an annoying letter or two, that's it.

[94form2000z]

I got the same letter in the mail today. Went into the trash with the other junk mail. That car is undriveable now so they can shove the registration denial too.

[GE]

A debt collector and a credit bureau are two different things. They cannot report it to credit, they can to collections. You'll get an annoying letter or two, that's it.

So once they send it to a collection agency, are you saying that the collection agency can't report it to your credit bureau?

[racrguy]

No agreed debt= nothing they can put on your credit report. If they do, just dispute it and it will be removed, as they can't prove you agreed to the debt. I recall reading somewhere, possibly here, maybe canada that it was against rules/regs/laws for them to put it on your credit report. I could quite possibly be wrong though.

[UserX]

So once they send it to a collection agency, are you saying that the collection agency can't report it to your credit bureau?

Sec. 707.003. INSTALLATION AND OPERATION OF PHOTOGRAPHIC TRAFFIC SIGNAL ENFORCEMENT SYSTEM. (a) A local authority that implements a photographic traffic signal enforcement system under this chapter may:

(1) contract for the administration and enforcement of the system; and

(2) install and operate the system or contract for the installation or operation of the system.

(b) A local authority that contracts for the administration and enforcement of a photographic traffic signal enforcement system may not agree to pay the contractor a specified percentage of, or dollar amount from, each civil penalty collected.

(c) Before installing a photographic traffic signal enforcement system at an intersection approach, the local authority shall conduct a traffic engineering study of the approach to determine whether, in addition to or as an alternative to the system, a design change to the approach or a change in the signalization of the intersection is likely to reduce the number of red light violations at the intersection.

(d) An intersection approach must be selected for the installation of a photographic traffic signal enforcement system based on traffic volume, the history of accidents at the approach, the number or frequency of red light violations at the intersection, and similar traffic engineering and safety criteria, without regard to the ethnic or socioeconomic characteristics of the area in which the approach is located.

(e) A local authority shall report results of the traffic engineering study required by Subsection (c) to a citizen advisory committee consisting of one person appointed by each member of the governing body of the local authority. The committee shall advise the local authority on the installation and operation of a photographic traffic signal enforcement system established under this chapter.

(f) A local authority may not impose a civil penalty under this chapter on the owner of a motor vehicle if the local authority violates Subsection (b) or (c).

(g) The local authority shall install signs along each roadway that leads to an intersection at which a photographic traffic signal enforcement system is in active use. The signs must be at least 100 feet from the intersection or located according to standards established in the manual adopted by the Texas Transportation Commission under Section 544.001, be easily readable to any operator approaching the intersection, and clearly indicate the presence of a photographic monitoring system that records violations that may result in the issuance of a notice of violation and the imposition of a monetary penalty.

(h) A local authority or the person with which the local authority contracts for the administration and enforcement of a photographic traffic signal enforcement system may not provide information about a civil penalty imposed under this chapter to a credit bureau, as defined by Section 392.001, Finance Code.

[inline 6]

Can you please provide me a direct link to that info?

[GE]

I can't find any info in regards to what Sgt. Beavis said. You might want to re-think not paying it though.

The City of Dallas website still lists that they report to credit bureau's:

http://www.dallaspolice.net/index.cf...site_ID=66#Q20

20. I was reported to the Credit Bureau for non-payment of red light tickets. How can I dispute this report?
Persons with an outstanding balance of $50 or more may be reported to the Credit Bureau. Once a report has been made, you must contact the Credit Bureau directly and go through their dispute process. The City cannot circumvent the Credit Bureau’s process. After requesting an inquiry through the Credit Bureau, an investigation is performed and if the mark was made in error, then the mark is completely removed from your report by the Credit Bureau.

• TransUnion

1-800-916-8800

• Experian

1-888 397 3742

• Equifax

1-800-685-1111

Additionally, in re: the OP, the law firm hired by the city can file suit against you, and when they win, they can then turn that judgement over to a credit bureau.

[Damnittsteve]

all cities are different. i had to pay one city, but i blew one off and never even got another warning letter.

[Txstang1]

I've never paid one, never will. I'll take my chances in court if some law firm wants to waste money trying to prove it was me.

[ceyko]

Generally it is not as easy as "just dispute it" when it comes to negative credit issues. People can easily screw you, but it's not so easy to unscrew it.

I know you may not want to pay on principle. However, the way I look at it is if I broke the law - regardless - I'll pay. I've only gotten one so far and it was from after I sold my Mustang. I did send off the form they needed, notarized (at my cost) - mailed with tracking/signature (at my cost) to stop it.

Again, I get the core issue and it's retarded how they can just make you jump through hoops.

Rambling...little tired. Sorry.

[Damnittsteve]

I've never paid one, never will. I'll take my chances in court if some law firm wants to waste money trying to prove it was me.

ft worth sent an officer to my place to arrest me if i didnt go to a meeting about it so i ended up paying that one.

[Txstang1]

ft worth sent an officer to my place to arrest me if i didnt go to a meeting about it so i ended up paying that one.

So they actually sent an officer to your house ? To arrest you ? So they came and you either had to go to a "meeting" , pay the fine on the spot or they would have arrested you ? On what charge ? What was this meeting ?

[Damnittsteve]

So they actually sent an officer to your house ? To arrest you ? So they came and you either had to go to a "meeting" , pay the fine on the spot or they would have arrested you ? On what charge ? What was this meeting ?

not to arrest me. and he may have been my neighbor giving me a heads up.... but hey it still happened lol.