Government debt collection differs from ordinary debt collection in several crucial ways. Debt collectors who go after people who miss the due date on their credit cards or skip mortgage payments have one set of skills, but debt collectors who work for the government need another set entirely.
Government debt collection can range from local municipalities collecting on their water bills, to the IRS going after people for lack of filing. On the municipal level, governments get their revenue from the state, the federal government, and local revenue streams such as library fines, parking tickets, and traffic violations. Since both state and federal aid has decreased of late as a reverberation of the poor economy, collection on the local level has become crucial to keeping the government running smoothly.
Some areas where the government collects debt don’t require outside help. Tickets, whether they are for parking or for speeding and other traffic offenses, require the offender to pay or they will lose their driving privileges. Library fines come with suspended borrowing privileges. In most cases, the fines are low enough in these two areas or the punishment is high enough that there’s not a problem in collecting on them.
There are some areas of government debt where collections are easy. Parking violations or traffic violations have built-in checks and balances. If the driver does not pay, he or she loses his or her license. Similarly, library fines cause borrowing privileges to be suspended. The debtor cannot perpetually ignore these problems. Eventually the consequences will cause him or her to respond.
Once a bill has been unpaid for more than 60 days, the chances that it will never be paid rise steeply. If you’ve been unable to collect on a bill past the 60 day mark, it’s time to get a professional debt collector that is familiar with government debt collection involved. A good agency will know how to coerce people to pay on default accounts.
Employing a third party collection agency is the right step to take once an account gets past 60 days. Statistically, the longer the debt is outstanding, the harder it is to recover, so if your own in-house efforts have not been successful, it’s important to call in professionals before it is too late. Make sure you choose a third party collection agency that is familiar with the type of government debt collection you require.
A collections agency that specializes in government debt issues will use the most proven techniques to recover money before steps are taken such as turning off utilities or foreclosing on property due to taxes. For the municipality, it’s preferable to make money on the account without having to get involved in expensive prospects like foreclosures or expend labor on turning off utilities and then having to turn them back on again.
Another advantage to handling government debt collection this way is the reduction in operational costs such as phone and mailing. Debt collectors who specialize in government clients get major volume discounts in these areas. They pass the cost savings on to you and are able to get more money back more quickly at lower cost to you. The best part about this is that you don’t even have to pay them until they recover anything. Their fee is usually taken out as a percentage of whatever recovery they accomplish. If government debt collection touches your area of responsibility, you should definitely consider hiring a specialized collection agency that understands government collection sooner rather than later.
David P. Montana has been a recognized company consultant, corporate expert in addition to contributor with regard to debt collection solutions for three decades. He provides more necessary knowledge and solutions on government debt collection.