Collection Agency Finding Success Collecting for Local Goverment

By Erin Puryear, Clarion-Ledger

Nearly $300,000 in delinquent taxes and unpaid court fines have been collected since Rankin County (MS) enlisted a collection agency to recover about $1.6 million a year ago.

About $180,000 of the collected money will go into the county’s general fund, and about 40 percent ? nearly $120,000 ? will pay Central Mississippi Court Collections for recouping the money.

The collection agency began in February tracking down delinquent mobile home and personal property taxes for the tax collector’s office.

Last month, the agency began the process in Justice Court, collecting unpaid fines.

The county signed a contract with Central Mississippi Court Collections in August 2004 to help bring in about $1.6 million in unpaid court fines and delinquent taxes. So far, about a fifth of that amount has been collected, said Bill Herrington, owner of the Brandon-based collection agency.

For this complete story, please visit Agency recovers $300,000 for county.