FAQ
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What We Do:
Why use collection services?
By using our collections services you are given access to skip tracing services, collections
process, and all other resources to help increase revenue without the expense of hiring your
own collections staff. Because our focus is resolving and collecting these court fines or debts,
you can focus your organization on other parts of the business. By escalating a case or debt
to us, it sends a message to the defendant or debtor that this is not going away and they must
resolve their court fines or debt immediately.
Do you perform skip tracing to locate updated debtor contact information?
Yes, we utilize our own proprietary database comprised of thousands of accounts from our other
clients, national skip tracing services, CD ROM directories and drivers license databases.
What fees do you charge for your services?
MSB's collection services are provided on a contingency-fee basis. There are
no up-front or additional costs; we only earn a fee when we collect money on your accounts.
In some states, there is legislation that allows a client to add the cost of collection onto
to the total amount due paid by the debtor making our services free to our client. Please
contact us to find out if this pricing is available in your state.
What payment options are available to debtors?
1) Western Union 2) Money order 3) Personal check 4) Phone Payments: electronic check, credit
card and debit card and 5) Web-based, on-line payment available 24 hours, seven days a week.
What time are MSB's collectors available to speak with debtors?
Monday-Thursday 7:00 AM-10:00 PM, Friday 7:00 AM-5:00 PM, and Saturday 7:00 AM-1:00 PM
(Central Standard Time).
How do I submit accounts to MSB for collection?
Accounts may be submitted for collection in a variety of formats. MSB can accept
files on any media (File Transfer Protocol(FTP), compact disc, magnetic tape, floppy disk, etc.)
and in any format (comma, pipe, tilde delimited, fixed length, variable fixed length, etc.).
These files may contain referral (new) account information, payment information and rescind
(recall) information, as well as general information regarding individual accounts.
How does MSB service Spanish speaking debtors?
In a diverse culture, it is important that proper tools are in place to ensure effective
communication is made between our collection staff and the debtors. Half of MSB's
collection staff is bilingual. MSB currently sends out letters for some of our
clients in both English and Spanish, so there wouldn't be any problem accommodating future or
prospective clients' requests to do the same.
Are you a member of any associations?
We are members of the American Collectors Association, National Association of Court Managers,
Texas Court Clerks Association, and Association of Indiana Counties.
How do MSB's collection services help fulfill a court's main goal of "justice served"?
MSB's focus is the resolution of all outstanding fines and debts. We are here to
enforce voluntary compliance in resolving a defendant's court fines or debtor's debt to minimize
the backlog of cases or debts that have gone unresolved; whether this means collecting the amount
that is owed or educating the defendant or debtor on their rights and what options they have
available (i.e. community service, time served, sending documentation, etc.) until a resolution
is obtained.
As stated earlier, MSB's focus is RESOLUTION, and it IS our DUTY and main goal
that "justice is served".
Do you have the ability to report to the Credit Bureau?
Yes, we have the ability to report debt accounts to the three major credit bureaus upon request
from our client.
Does your company buy the debts or court fines from the cities, counties, etc. that you collect for?
No, we do not buy any debts/court fines. We are contracted out to provide collections services for
all of our clients and collection on behalf of them.
If MSB has contacted you regarding outstanding accounts:
Will this affect my credit?
Our Court Collections Department does not report to the three major credit bureaus on any court
fines or tickets. However, our Debt Collections Department does report debts owed to all three
credit bureaus.
I just received a letter from your company that I owe a court fine, how do I dispute the charge?
In most cases the court will allow a defendant to dispute a fine; however there are some courts
that once the case has been sent to collections do not allow a defendant the opportunity to dispute
the fine. Each court is different, so in your case, it is best you contact our Collections Department
at 1-800-616-0166 to find out the specifics for your individual case(s).
I believe I was already arrested for this court fine(s) that is listed in the letter you sent me, what do I do now?
In most cases you would need to verify with the court that you did get timed serve for the particular
case number(s) listed on the letter you received. There are some instances where you may have received
partial credit and only some of the violations were dismissed and still owe the others. If you did get
time served credits try and obtain a copy of the dismissal to provide proof. There are some courts that
do not issue time served credit even if you were arrested for the fine(s) owed you will be required to
pay the fine(s). Please call our Court Collections Department to inquire on what steps you need to take
to resolve your case(s) with the court at 1-800-616-0166.
I just received a letter from your company that I owe a debt, how do I dispute the charge?
You have 30 days from the date on the initial letter that you received to dispute the debt before it
gets reported to the three major credit bureaus. It is always best to contact our Debt Department at
1-800-866-9436 to answer you questions and assist you in resolving your debt.
Do I have a warrant for my arrest, and is my license suspended?
We would have to look at your individual case(s) to determine that. Although a good portion of cases we
receive are in warrant status, there are some courts that will suspend driver's licenses instead of
issuing a warrant. As well as, some courts that send us cases that are not in warrant status for a variety
of reasons. The easiest way to find out is to contact our Court Collections Department at 1-800-616-0166
or contact the court directly.
I also received a letter from your company about a surcharge owed to the TXDPS Driver Responsibility
Program, am I being double charged for the tickets I already paid MSB?
No you are not being double charged, once you have paid off your fine(s) if the type of fine(s) you
received falls under the categories listed below you will assess points on your DL and it may cause you to
accrue an additional surcharge that is owed to the State of Texas. Below is some general surcharge
information, but for full details please visit the Texas DPS website www.txdps.state.tx.us
The Driver Responsibility law (TRC § 708; Article 10, House Bill 3588, 78th Legislative Session)
establishes a system which assigns points to moving violations classified as Class C misdemeanors and
applies surcharges to offenders, based upon the type of offense and the time period in which the
citation was received. For each conviction, DPS will assign points to a person?s driver license as follows:
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Two points for a moving violation (violation (defined by 37 TEX. ADMIN. CODE §15.89)
conviction in Texas or that of another state.
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Points will not be assigned for speeding less than 10% over the posted limit or for
seat belt convictions.
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Three points for a moving violation conviction in Texas that resulted in a vehicle crash
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Effective September 1, 2005, Child Safety Seat Violations will accrue two points.
Points accrued remain on the driver record for a period of three years from conviction date.
An offense committed prior to September 1, 2003 will not apply to the assessment of points
under the program.
I owe a ticket to Miami Dade County, Fl. How long does it take for me to get a D6 clearance letter?
After you have paid in full all outstanding fines it takes 5-7 business days for you to obtain your D6.
The court will mail it to address on record, so if you have moved and your address is not current you
will need to notify the court and or pick up the D6 in person. If you received a fine for registration,
driver?s license, or no insurance you will need to contact the court for further compliance requirements
before the D6 is issued to you.
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